Government Information

Researchers might find access to municipal codes at the municipality’s website or clerk’s office, as well as in the official archives for the municipality’s state. 

• Local Governments USA.gov

• State and Local Government on the Net External

• Directory of State Archives External Council of State Archivists

Municipal Codes are the collection of laws passed by a local governing body (often of a county, city, village, township, or other similar governmental subdivision). For more information about researching municipal codes, visit the Library of Congress guide on the topic.

• Municode External: Nationwide coverage, including tribal governments.

• Municode: Massachusetts External: Municipal codes are not created by the state legislature, but by counties, cities, and other local government bodies.

• Commonwealth of Massachusetts Website
• Massachusetts Municipal Association for information on Cities or Towns 
• Massachusetts City and Town Information 

• City of Boston enacts laws with the Mayor having veto power (like the governor or president at the different levels of government)

Below are some relevant topics for 2024 local policy: 

• Affordable Housing: Consider looking at housing authorities at the city and county levels 
  • Homelessness
  • Rent Prices
• Healthcare: Consider funding allocations for Mental Health, Substance Use, and Community Health Centers. 
  • At all levels of government the legalization of marijuana and opioid use have been receiving a lot of attention 
• Internet Access: Federal money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs act as been allocated for broadband expansion. We see this in Boston with the free routers and laptops that the Boston Public Library distributed.  
  • Infrastructure
  • Low Cost Internet 
• Energy
  • Renewable Energy Options (solar, wind, water) 
  • Electric Vehicles (subsidies available) 
  • Some places will have public transport under this as part of air quality 
• Infrastructure: In a lot of ways, infrastructure policy is aimed at acomplishing all of the above. Consider the local government's use of the Biden Administration's  American Rescue Plan  
  • Clean Water, Public transit, EV Charging, Access to Internet, Repair Bridges and Roads, Clean Energy