The Foundation’s 44th annual report on municipal finances. Despite a modest rebound in revenues, municipalities find themselves in a long-term budget squeeze as retiree benefit obligations continue to grow.

The Foundation released its 43rd annual report on municipal finances concluding that despite a modest rebound in revenues, municipalities find themselves in a long-term budget squeeze because the costs for pensions, employee and retiree health care, and debt service are rising faster than revenues.

Municipal revenues and expenditures grew by just 2.7 percent to $22.6 billion in fiscal 2012, leaving Massachusetts cities and towns in the midst of a three-year slowdown that is unprecedented in the Proposition 2 ½ era, according to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation’s 42nd annual Municipal…

Massachusetts cities and towns endured the most difficult two-year period in the Proposition 2 ½ era in fiscal 2010 and 2011 with property taxes rising to their highest share of local spending in 30 years, according to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation’s 41st annual Municipal Financial Data…

The 50 largest cities and towns in Massachusetts face a crushing $20 billion liability for retiree health care benefits that threatens to wreak havoc with local government services, according to a new report released today by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.The report, Retiree Health Care:…

Municipalities weathered one of their most difficult years in the Proposition 2 ½ era in fiscal 2010, highlighting the urgency of controlling municipal health insurance costs. Driven by cuts in local aid and declines in local receipts and new construction, total municipal spending and revenues grew…

Cities and towns across the Commonwealth are facing enormous fiscal pressures which will only worsen over the next two years and likely beyond. Confronted by structural deficits in good times, municipalities have had to deal with major cuts in local aid during two recessions this decade. There will…

Driven by the global economic problems and the state's fiscal crisis, cities and towns are about to enter another period of cutbacks and serious retrenchment.Major cuts in state aid to local communities are virtually certain to take place in fiscal 2010, and perhaps beyond, at a time that state…