Working to revitalize the ‘City of Champions’ and partnering with local communities

Expanding the historic rehabilitation tax credit within Gateway Cities – At an October 2008 meeting of the legislature’s Gateway Cities Caucus held in Brockton and hosted by Representative Canavan and her colleagues in the city’s legislative delegation, legislators, city officials and local business leaders all touched upon the need for more targeted investments in the Commonwealth’s Gateway Cities. Recognizing the tremendous history of the former ‘Shoe City’ and similar cities throughout Massachusetts, the Representative has filed legislation to increase the current cap on the Massachusetts Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program from $50 million to $80 million, and require that 30% of the program’s total funding be awarded to projects within the Commonwealth’s Gateway Cities. To read more about this and other proposals aimed at revitalizing Brockton and its downtown area, please click here.

Enhancing the flexibility of municipalities with regard to regional school funding – A re-file of legislation introduced based on discussion with West Bridgewater town officials, this bill – once adopted – would allow member municipalities of the Southeastern Regional School District to revert back to the original regional school apportionment formula with a simple majority of the communities voting in the affirmative to do so. The method of vote to revert back to the original formula will be by simple majority of each town’s Board of Selectmen or, as in the case of Brockton, by the simple majority of the City Council.