County government is still being supported by municipal assessments in Norfolk, Plymouth, and Suffolk counties. The Legislature should seriously consider whether the vestiges of county government are necessary in Metropolitan Boston, which operates as a single economic region unrelated to the county boundaries that date back to Massachusetts Bay Colony. If the Legislature chooses to continue with any form of county government, they should not be a financial drain on cities on towns.
5.a MAPC and allied organizations should collaborate to define options for the reform or elimination of remaining county governments