Friday, May 30, 2025
Gloucester Center Stage Performance Center Dedication
Matt Pritchard NBC 10 Interview
Merrimack Valley Food Bank Launch
MassDEP 2026 Clean & Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) Project Solicitation Deadline
💧 SRF Loan Program offers affordable financing options to cities, towns, and public water utilities to improve water supply infrastructure and drinking water safety.
💧 The program helps with federal and state water quality requirements of wastewater treatment plants and collection systems; issues related to watershed management priorities, stormwater management, and green infrastructure; and financial assistance to communities to make loans available to homeowners with septic system problems.
💧 Project Evaluation Forms/applications for the 2026 Intended Use Plan will be accepted until 12:00PM on July 25, 2025.
More information on the SRF program can be found on MassDEP’s website, including information from past briefings and presentations on SRF programming: https://www.mass.gov/.../state-revolving-fund...
Mass Cultural Council FY'25 Festival and Projects Grant Awardees
📢Tarr Announces Mass Cultural Council FY'25 Festival and Projects Grant Awardees 📢
Congratulations to the FY'25 grant recipients who are benefitting from the Festival & Projects Grants in our district! The total investment for this program in our community this year is $32,500.
Festival and Project Grants are used to support organizations that celebrate, preserve, and inspire creativity by funding activities that provide public benefit using the arts, humanities, or sciences.
Link to the FY'25 Funding List: https://massculturalcouncil.org/.../funding-list/page/4/
MassDOT Gloucester Advisory
Thursday, May 29, 2025
TARR IN THE NEWS 5.28.25
Regional EMS Funding Interview
Supplemental Budget For The Department of Children and Families (DCF) and The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA)
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Memorial Day: Honoring the Fallen One Community at a Time
Memorial Day Assembly and Veterans Luncheon with The Masconomet Regional High School Student Council
Civics at the State House
Monday, May 26, 2025
Memorial Day: Honoring Those Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice
Friday, May 23, 2025
The Beaches are Open!
Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Debate: Recap
1st annual State House Military Appreciation Day
Remembering the Life and Legacy of Katherine "Kitty" Dukakis
The 2025 Massachusetts Municipal Guide
The 2025 Massachusetts Municipal Guide is a valuable resource for municipal leaders, officials, and residents across the Commonwealth.
This guide offers comprehensive information on local government operations, contact details for municipal departments, and insights into community services. It serves as a centralized reference to support transparency, efficiency, and informed civic engagement.
To explore the guide and learn more about your local government, visit: https://ma-municipalities.com/2025/
Thursday, May 22, 2025
National Emergency Services Week
May 18th-24th is National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) week🚑
As we celebrate National Emergency Medical Services week, thank you to EMS professionals everywhere for all that you do.
Whether it’s in the darkest hours of the night or through the toughest storms, you show up with strength, professionalism, and a steady hand in times of crisis.
This week, and always, we offer our sincere thanks for your unwavering commitment to public safety, as well as, to the communities you serve each and every day.
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Debate: Senator Kelly Dooner's on the MBTA Communities Act
Boston 25 Budget Interview
Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Debate: The Debate
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
State Senator Kelly Dooner's Inaugural Remarks
Today, May 20th, I was proud to witness my Senate Republican Caucus member State Senator Kelly Dooner deliver her inaugural remarks to our fellow Senate colleagues in the Senate Chamber.
Her remarks reflected a strong commitment to her district and the people of Massachusetts, and it is clear she will be a thoughtful and passionate voice in the Senate.
Congratulations to Senator Dooner on this important milestone—well done!
Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Debate: My Opening Remarks
Yesterday the Senate began deliberations of the Fiscal Year 2026 state budget, as proposed by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.
To begin the process, I engaged in a colloquy with Senate Ways and Means Committee Chair Michael Rodrigues about the mechanics of the budget document, that appropriate $61.33 billion.
You can watch a portion of our exchange of information in the video clip linked below ⬇
https://www.facebook.com/SenatorBruceTarr/videos/1509979080373780
TARR IN THE NEWS 5.19.25
Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Debate: The Formal Senate Debate
Federal Funds & Infrastructure Office Community Tour
Monday, May 19, 2025
Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Debate: Senate GOP Caucus Budget Priority Amendments
Tomorrow, May 20th, the Massachusetts Senate begins consideration of the 1058 amendments which have been filed for the $61.33 billion FY26 Budget Proposal of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.
The Senate Republican Caucus has filed 262 targeted amendments to address major issues affecting Massachusetts.
These include:
1.) Transparency and Accountability
2.) Fair and Equitable Education Funding
3.) Health Care Costs
4.) Energy Costs
5.) Competitiveness
The FY26 budget proposal is a good starting point; however, the state’s annual budget must do more than allocate funding. It must set a long-term course that strengthens the Commonwealth’s foundation for growth, opportunity, and fiscal responsibility.
Please see the Senate GOP Caucus’ key FY26 budget priorities in the following video.
https://www.facebook.com/SenatorBruceTarr/videos/1796646161256245
TARR IN THE NEWS 5.19.25
TARR IN THE NEWS | 5.19.25
‘MBTA zoning law subject of multiple amendments in Senate’
Boston Herald Article | Matthew Medsger
““We are trying to find a compromise, we are trying to find some middle ground here,” Tarr told the Herald. “We are trying to spend less time and fewer resources and less energy on confrontation, and litigation, and vilification of our communities, and more time creating paths to build housing.”
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The proposed rule change would require that every three years the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities “study, analyze, and make determinations” on the number of homes produced under the law, the effects on “municipal water supplies, wastewater treatment, and transportation infrastructure of such units,” and the impacts of increased housing stock on local school districts.
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Another Republican proposal (offered as more than one amendment) would allow municipalities to appeal to the state for relief from the zoning law if they find that compliance would result in an inability to meet drinking water or sewage treatment requirements for new units, or would negatively impact the safety on municipal roads, or for “any adverse environmental impacts attributable to the developments of housing units.”
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“A proposal offered by Sens. Dooner, Tarr, Peter Durant, and Ryan Fattman would aim to give those cities and towns not directly crossed by an MBTA route but nevertheless defined as an “Adjacent Community” or an “Adjacent Small Town” a further two years to come into compliance with the law.”
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According to Tarr, none of these amendments represent a “free pass” for cities and towns not to comply, but rather an acknowledgement that “very real problems” have been identified by those municipalities attempting to.
“We can’t ignore those if our goal is to build housing as opposed to just the blind pursuit of strict technical compliance,” he said.
Link to the full article here: https://www.bostonherald.com/.../mbta-zoning-law-subject.../
Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Debate: The Colloquy
Beginning the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Debate
Tomorrow, the Senate will begin its formal debate on our $61.33 billion state budget for Fiscal Year 2026.
Senators have offered 1058 amendments to the budget bill and we are scheduled to start the first of several days of debate on Tuesday, May 20th.
Today, Monday, May 19th, myself and Senate Ways & Means Chair Michael Rodrigues will kick off the FY'26 Budget proceedings with a colloquy early afternoon.
To watch our colloquy LIVE, click here:
https://malegislature.gov/Events/Sessions/Detail/7461
To access all of the amendments and budget bill, click here:
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S3/BillHistory
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Celebrating Service: The Rotary Club of Gloucester’s Paul Harris
Democracy in Action Across the District
This week I had the chance to attend several town meetings, including the Ipswich and North Andover Town Meetings.
It’s always inspiring to witness so many engaged residents actively participating in the democratic process and helping to shape the decisions that matter most to their communities—thank you to all who took the time to participate!
Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts Video Shoot
TARR IN THE NEWS 5.16.25
Celebrating Armed Forces Day: The Unpayable Debt
TARR IN THE NEWS 5.6.25
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) Awareness Week
To raise awareness about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), Governor Maura Healey has proclaimed May 11–17, 2025, as MCS Awareness Week in Massachusetts.
MCS is a complex and often debilitating condition triggered by everyday chemical exposures. Improving indoor air quality, adopting scent-free policies, and using less-toxic products can make a real difference—not only for those with MCS but for public health overall.
As Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Awareness Week comes to a close, may we continue to expand understanding, support those affected, and take meaningful steps to prevent future harm.
Learn more: www.maci-mcs.org or by calling 978-681-5117