Bill > H3980

This bill proposes to create "Community Benefit Districts," which are similar to Business Improvement Districts. These districts would allow a group of property owners, with the approval of the city or town, to agree to a program of assessments to pay for benefits that accrue to the properties assessed. However, the Governor has returned the bill unsigned, citing concerns that the proposed legislation allows for new assessments on property owners without the support of a majority of affected property owners, and that the process for forming community benefit districts may be unworkable as written. The Governor suggests that this conflicts with the principle of majority rule that has been a fundamental aspect of municipal governance in Massachusetts since the enactment of Proposition 2 1/2 in 1980.

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/H3980