Community Conversation: How does State Funding Support Local Priorities?

State Representative Hannah Bowen’s Office will host a community conversation on state funding for local priorities. Building on our February 2026 community conversation about education funding, this will be an opportunity for constituents to dive deeper into the various ways state funding supports locally identified priorities and locally-managed services. We’ll start with a presentation by the Massachusetts Taxpayer’s Foundation on the state funding context, including the types of “local aid” and state grants that are available and what trends have been statewide. We’ll briefly review state laws/policies that help shape the municipal budget process, and explore tools available from the Division of Local Services to understand the role of state funding in municipal budgets. Constituents and local experts will be invited to participate in smaller group conversations to test out the tools, provide feedback, and think through together how to maximize the value of state funding for local priorities.

Confirmed date and location:
Tuesday, September 29th, 6-8pm
Hybrid: in person at Beverly Public Library Farms Branch (24 Vine St) and Zoom
RSVP: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/3Caq1rB7ScSjZK2RsUJ-xQ

Speakers: Doug Howgate, President of Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation; Rep. Bowen