Of late, though, overrides have become less popular statewide, according to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, which is, despite its folksy title, a group representing business interests. The association’s annual financial data report on municipal government found last year set a record for the fewest number of overrides.
Eileen McAnneny, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, said the spike in six-figure earners raised questions, as did the increases in overtime spending.
This fiscal year, for the first time in 20 years, local aid is less than 20 percent of all municipal revenue, according to a report from the Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation. The portion of municipal revenue that is local aid has decreased over the past nine years, the foundation reported.
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