Technical Memorandum

DATE:   September 23, 2021

TO:         Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

FROM:   Róisín Foley, MPO Staff

RE:         Updated MPO Municipal Election Process Survey Results

Between January and May 2021, the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) conducted a survey regarding its annual election process. The goal of the survey was to gauge opinions about the MPO’s election process among the 97 municipalities in the Boston region. These municipalities are eligible to stand for election to the MPO board and to vote in the annual elections. The MPO conducted this survey per a recommendation that was included in the MPO’s triennial review process by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in 2019. As part of that review process, the federal agencies recommended that the MPO review its existing voting procedures to ensure that effective engagement of all municipalities in the region are effectively represented.

As outlined in the MPO’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Advisory Board jointly administer the annual MPO elections. The MPO has 12 elected municipal members: two at-large town representatives, two at-large city representatives, and eight cities or towns to represent each of the eight MAPC subregions. Election terms are for three years, and each year four of the 12 seats are up for election. Chief elected officials of the municipalities in the region vote in the elections, which are held at MAPC’s Fall Council Meeting.

Below are the results of the survey. The results have been stratified to show responses from MPO board member municipalities versus responses from non-MPO board member municipalities. Responses that did not indicate a municipality were removed. Responses from Scituate were reduced from 11 to 5 to reduce the influence of one municipality on the overall dataset.

survey results

            Question 1: What is your role in your municipality?

Table 1
Respondent’s Role in Municipality

[*Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.]

Other

• Responses from MPO board member municipalities:
• Appointed official
• Town manager’s office staff
• Designated MPO representative

• Responses from non-MPO board member municipalities:
• MBTA Advisory Board designee (3 responses)
• Appointed official
• Mayor’s office
• Executive assistant to select board

Figure 1
Respondent’s Role in Municipality

            Question 2: What municipality do you represent or work for?

Table 2
Municipality Respondent Represents

Note: Stoughton is no longer in the Boston Region MPO’s planning area.

MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Figure 2
Map of Municipality Respondent Represents

            Question 3: Have you heard of the Boston Region MPO?

Table 3
Respondent’s Awareness of the Boston Region MPO

         MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

            Question 4: How familiar are you with the Boston Region MPO?

Table 4
Respondent’s Familiarity with the Boston Region MPO

        MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

        [*Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.]

            Question 5: Please describe your municipality’s experiences with the Boston Region MPO. Check all that apply.

Table 5
Municipality's Experiences with the Boston Region MPO 

MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization. TIP =Transportation Improvement Program.

Other (individual answers)

• Responses from non-MPO board member municipalities: 
• Communication with MAPC team on initiatives and data
• Limited experience
• None

Figure 3
Municipality's Experiences with the Boston Region MPO 

   MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization. TIP =Transportation Improvement Program.

            Question 6: How familiar are you with the process of running for an elected municipal seat on the Boston Region MPO board?

Table 6
Respondent’s Familiarity with the Process of Running for an Elected Municipal Seat on the Boston Region MPO Board

        MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

            Question 7: How familiar are you with voting in the election for municipal seats on the Boston Region MPO board?

Table 7
Respondent’s Familiarity with the Process of Voting in the Election for Municipal Seats on the Boston Region MPO Board

        MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

            Question 8: To the best of your knowledge, has the municipality you represent or work for voted in the Boston Region MPO municipal elections in the past five years?

Table 8
Municipality’s Participation in Voting in the Boston Region MPO
Municipal Elections in the Past Five Years

         MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

            Question 9: If you replied “no” to the previous question, why has the municipality you represent or work for not voted in the Boston Region MPO elections in the past five years? Check all that apply.

Table 9
Reasons Why Non-MPO Board Member Municipality Has Not Voted in the Boston Region MPO Elections in the Past Five Years  

MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Other (individual answers paraphrased below)

• I don't know (2 responses)
• I don’t know about the MPO
• We have a very small community

Figure 4
Reasons Why Non-MPO Board Member Municipality Has Not Voted in the Boston Region MPO Elections in the Past Five Years

MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

            Question 10: To the best of your knowledge, has the municipality you represent or work for ever run for a seat on the Boston Region MPO board?

Table 10
Municipality’s Participation in Running for a Seat
on the Boston Region MPO Board in the Past

         MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

            Question 11: To the best of your knowledge, has the municipality you represent or work for run for a seat on the Boston Region MPO board in the past five years?

Table 11
Municipality’s Participation in Running for a Seat
on the Boston Region MPO Board in the Past Five Years

         MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

            Question 12: If you replied “no” to either of the previous questions, why has the municipality you represent or work for not run for a seat on the Boston Region MPO in the past five years? Check all that apply.

Table 12
Reasons Why Municipality Has Not Run for a Seat
on the Boston Region MPO in the Past Five Years

MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Other (individual answers paraphrased below)

• Responses from MPO board member municipalities: 
• Certain cities/organizations have permanent/non-elected seats
  (2 responses)

• Responses from non-MPO board member municipalities:
• We had a seat but rotated it to another town in our region
• Please continue holding virtual meetings, they are much more inclusive.
• Considered but wasn't the right time
• I don't know
• I don’t know about the MPO

Figure 5
Reasons Why Non-MPO Board Member Municipality Has Not Run for a Seat
on the Boston Region MPO in the Past Five Years

MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

            Question 13: How do you usually receive information about the Boston Region MPO municipal elections?

Table 13
How Respondents Are Informed of the Boston Region MPO
Municipal Elections

MAPC=Metropolitan Area Planning Council. MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

[*Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.]

Figure 6

How Respondents Are Informed of the Boston Region MPO
Municipal Elections

MAPC=Metropolitan Area Planning Council. MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Question 14: Do you think the Boston Region MPO elections process is transparent and fair?

Table 14
Respondent’s Impression on the Transparency and Fairness of the Boston Region MPO Elections Process

         MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

            Question 15: If you replied “no” to the previous question, please explain why.

Reasons why respondent does not think the Boston Region MPO elections process is transparent and fair (verbatim answers below)

• Responses from non-MPO board member municipalities:
• Because there is no outreach to town officials to introduce them to the MPO, it is hard to understand how the organization works.
• Do not know the organization exists or what their responsibilities include.
• I stated don’t know as I have not followed the process in detail to respond.
• Don’t know MPO.
• The whole process seems stacked against smaller outlying communities.

            Question 16: What do you think are the biggest challenges for municipalities seeking election to the Boston Region MPO board? Choose the top two challenges, in your opinion:

Table 15
Top Two Challenges for Municipalities Seeking Election to the Boston Region MPO Board

MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Other (individual answers paraphrased below)

• Responses from MPO board member municipalities:
• Lack of clear benefit of membership

• Responses from non-MPO board member municipalities:
• Small town/suburb disadvantage (4 responses)
• I don’t know (2 responses)

Figure 7
Top Two Challenges for Municipalities Seeking Election to the Boston Region MPO Board

MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

            Question 17: What would it take to encourage more municipalities to seek election to the Boston Region MPO board?

Respondent’s suggestion on how to encourage more municipalities to seek election to the Boston Region MPO board (answers paraphrased below)

• Responses from MPO board member municipalities:
• More information/public outreach (5 responses)
• Benefits of a seat on the MPO (2 responses)
• Inclusion of non-planning staff
• Less time commitment
• Change in the board member makeup (2 responses)
• I don’t know
• Address logistical issues such as travel – hold meetings in other areas of the region (2 responses)

• Responses from non-MPO board member municipalities:
• More information/public outreach (13 responses)
• Board election (3 responses)
• Benefits of a seat on the MPO (3 responses)
• MPO in general (3 responses)
• Role and objectives of the MPO board
• Connections between various groups
• Sources of funding
• Timely communication on the election (2 responses)
• Outline what time commitments would be required from board members (2 responses)
• Change in the board member makeup (5 responses)
• Term limits on board membership (3 responses)
• Set seats for small/outlying communities (2 responses)
• Logistical issues (travel) (3 responses)
• Don’t require travel into Boston
• Travel reimbursement
• Flexibility in meeting locations (especially for communities without transit)
• Less time commitment (2 responses)
• A broader inclusion of projects for funding
• Less bureaucracy
• Consideration for small/outlying communities
• I don’t know (3 responses)

            Question 18: Do you feel that you understand the role of the elected municipal members of the Boston Region MPO board?

Table 16
Respondent’s Understanding of the Role of the
Elected Municipal Members of the Boston Region MPO Board

         MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

            Question 19: Do you feel that your local or regional transportation concerns are understood by the Boston Region MPO board?

Table 17
Respondent’s Impression on whether Their Local
or Regional Transportation Concerns Are Understood
by the Boston Region MPO Board

         MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

            Question 20: If you responded “no” to the previous question, why do you feel that way?

Reasons Why Respondent Feels that Their Local or Regional Transportation Concerns Are Not Understood by the Boston Region MPO Board (answers paraphrased below)

• Responses from non-MPO board member municipalities:
• Small town/suburb/lack of transit disadvantage (4 responses)
• Project not awarded/being slow (2 responses)
• MPO has different priorities from ours (2 responses)
• Non-transparent process
• No contact from the MPO
• Unfair control of the seat by one municipality

            Question 21: In the last 21 years, 17 percent of the 97 eligible municipalities in the MPO region have held seats on the Boston Region MPO board. Seven municipalities have run for seats but have never been selected. If the MPO were to make changes to its elections process, board structure, or meeting policies, what changes do you think would encourage more municipalities to seek election to the Boston Region MPO board? Check all that apply.

Table 18
Respondent’s Preferred Changes to the Election Process
to Encourage Greater Participation by Municipalities
in the Boston Region MPO Board Election

MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Other (individual answers paraphrased below)

• Responses from MPO board member municipalities:
• More information on the MPO and MPO activities
• More frequent outreach

• Responses from non-MPO board member municipalities:
• More information on the MPO and MPO activities
• More frequent outreach
• Inclusivity

            Question 22: Is There anything else you would like to share regarding the Boston Region MPO municipal election process?

Additional comments regarding the Boston Region MPO municipal process (some answers are paraphrased below)

• Responses from MPO board member municipalities:
• Holding a seat is a big time commitment
• Simplify the election process  
• It’s okay (3 responses)
• Elect the board member by those in their subregion

• Responses from non-MPO board member municipalities:
• MPO needs more outreach
• I don’t know about the elections process (2 responses)
• Simplify the election process
• It’s okay