Massachusetts Panel Hears Six Municipal Governance Bills, Closes Without Formal Votes

LEGISLATURE -- July 22, 2026, Massachusetts Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government heard six local governance bills Wednesday, taking no formal votes. House Chair Jack Patrick Lewis and Senate Chair Rebecca L. Rausch presided over testimony on H-5497, which would let Plymouth shift its annual town meeting to a later date after passing 117-37 at town meeting in April, with Plymouth Select Board member Kevin Canty warning that slowing new-growth revenue makes reliable state aid figures increasingly critical to the town's budget. Dunstable town administrator Jason Silva testified in favor of S-3118 and companion bill H-5542, which would allow the Dunstable Select Board to appoint Lacey McCabe to a full three-year regional school committee term after a clerical error left her certified seat off the May 2026 election ballot; the Dunstable Select Board, Groton Select Board, and Groton-Dunstable Regional School Committee all voted unanimously in support. Shrewsbury Town Manager Kevin Mizekar backed H-5512 to allow digital-only procurement notices, citing a 10-day publication delay under the current newspaper requirement. The committee also heard testimony on H-5571 to modernize Danvers' representative town meeting structure, including new precincts of 4,000 residents each, and received opposition testimony from John Chase of Barre against H-5577, which he said would reduce that town's DPW board from nine members to three.