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...

Fiscal 2012 tax revenues will grow by $923 million or 4.7 percent to reach a total of $20.56 billion, according to a new forecast released today by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. The Foundation projects tax collections of $19.63 billion in...

“Preparing a budget months in advance is difficult in the best of circumstances but this year is particularly challenging given the huge revenue swings that could result from any one of several scenarios in play, including the potential impact on...

In order to try to minimize the enormous consequences of Question 3, the proponents argue incorrectly that total state spending is $52 billion when the correct number is approximately $32 billion, as shown on page 137 of the 2009 Comprehensive Annual...

At a recent forum of the Senate Presidents, MTF President Michael Widmer was one of two national experts participating on a panel on the pension crisis facing most states. Mr. Widmer summarized the factors placing financial pressures on pension plans...

Voter approval of Question 3 would result in across-the-board cuts of approximately 30 percent in virtually all state programs, including local aid, higher education, human services, prisons, courts, environmental protection, and state parks and...

In a presentation to business and government leaders, MTF President Michael Widmer described the $2 to $2.5 billion budget gap facing the state in 2012, which will likely turn out to be the most difficult year of the state's extended fiscal crisis....

The Foundation calls on legislators and candidates to address the unsustainable increase in municipal costs of health care and pensions that are leading to layoffs of teachers, police and firefighters and recommends a series of changes that would...

In a newly released report, Maximizing the Value of Our Human Services Dollars, the Foundation makes two major recommendations: to streamline the administrative structure of the state's human services agencies; and to close ten antiquated and...

In a letter to conferees, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation urges legislators to reject the Senate proposal to address the issue of soaring municipal health care costs and take decisive action to provide municipal relief. Cities and towns should...