State legislators outline rural funding, infrastructure and recycling priorities in Templeton

Sen. Pete Durant and Rep. John Zlotnick told the Town of Templeton Select Board on Jan. 8 that rural towns remain a priority but will likely have to keep pressing the Legislature for changes to longstanding state funding formulas.

The lawmakers met with the select board and other local officials in a scheduled delegation visit and spent the bulk of their remarks on municipal finance, the Chapter 90 highway program, and education funding through Chapter 70. Rep. Zlotnick said that, despite repeated efforts to update Chapter 90, the program’s formula and scale have not kept pace with local needs: “The chapter 90 program was never designed to be a way for municipalities to pave roads, but over time, that's what's become of it,” he said.

Why it matters: Templeton leaders…