A feeling of togetherness – Funding for Winthrop, Chelsea and Revere aims to improve services and cut costs

House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (D – Winthrop) announced Monday that the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) will use District Local Technical Assistance Funds to plan for the regionalization of municipal services in Winthrop, Revere and Chelsea in an effort to cut costs and improve services.

The efforts at regionalization and collaboration are designed to help Chelsea, Winthrop and Revere share resources and lower costs in the administration of local services.

“In times like these, it is imperative that we analyze each and every option for saving taxpayer dollars,” DeLeo said. “That’s why I have been supporting this initiative since my time as Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means. This funding will allow our communities to examine regionalization options that can drive down costs while improving important services for our residents.”

“This regionalization effort is a positive step towards providing services to our residents more efficiently while reducing costs,” said Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein. “In our challenging economic circumstances we must look into new ways to share resources and save money. This initiative will do just that.”

“Regionalization, in times of economic duress, makes sense and I support our municipalities efforts to control and contain costs,” said Representative Eugene O’Flaherty.

“It is obvious that we are in challenging economic times and, at the municipal level, we are acutely aware of the difficulties in providing even the necessary services,” said Senator Anthony Petruccelli. “Through the use of District Technical Assistance Funds, we can take advantage of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s expertise in establishing effective intermunicipal agreements that will save dollars and increase proficiency in the delivery of municipal services.”

“This funding will help our communities determine ways to improve services while reducing the burden on our taxpayers,” Revere Mayor Thomas Ambrosino said. “I’d like to thank the Speaker for his work in securing this funding which will allow the city of Revere to collaborate with our neighbors to find the best methods for sharing resources and providing more efficient services.”

“I’m excited about exploring the opportunities that may exist for our communities to share services and provide better results to residents and taxpayers,” Chelsea City Manager Jay Ash said. “This exploration would not be possible without Speaker DeLeo prioritizing the funding that allows communities like ours to access the technical assistance we need to delve into the many complicated issues that are involved in pulling together such cooperation.”

“In this economy, it’s important that we look for ways to administer services more effectively and efficiently,” Winthrop Town manager James McKenna said. “This funding is a great opportunity for us to examine how we may be able to share and improve services in our communities.”

“At MAPC we are committed to helping municipalities increase their efficiency and improve the quality of their services. We are thankful that the Speaker has been a tireless partner in championing this project,” said Marc Draisen, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. “We will continue looking for regional opportunities like this, and we look forward to ongoing support from DLTA funding, which has been so critical to this project’s success.”

The initiative, dubbed the North Suffolk Joint Services Project, will partner the MAPC with municipal leaders to improve service in areas such as public health, veterans services, public works and libraries.

The MAPC is authorized by the Commonwealth to use District Local Technical Assistance Funds to offer regional planning assistance and expertise at the request of municipalities. The MAPC will assist the communities in identifying potential pathways to regionalization and designing strategies for implementing shared-services initiatives in the area.

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