MGC Releases Applications and Guidelines for 2023 Community Mitigation Fund Program
- November 16, 2022
- by MGC Communications
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The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) is pleased to announce the release of the 2023 applications and guidelines for the Community Mitigation Fund (CMF) grant program. The 2023 Guidelines specify the required forms and submission instructions which are available here. Applications from municipalities and other qualified governmental entities seeking mitigation funds are due by January 31, 2023.
The Massachusetts Legislature legalized casino gaming to produce broad-based economic development, including jobs and revenue. The Legislature also established an equally important mandate to mitigate unintended impacts associated with the arrival of casino gaming. To that end, the law created the Community Mitigation Fund to support communities and governmental entities in offsetting costs related to the construction and operation of gaming facilities.
According to the statute, the Commission will issue funds to assist host and surrounding communities, including “but not limited to, communities and water and sewer districts in the vicinity of a gaming establishment, local and regional education, transportation, infrastructure, housing, environmental issues and public safety, including the office of the county district attorney, police, fire, and emergency services.” Also, the Commission may distribute funds to a governmental entity or district other than a single municipality to implement a mitigation measure that affects more than one community.
“We at the MGC are continuously grateful to communities and participants who contribute to the Community Mitigation Fund’s highly collaborative and innovative program,” said Commission Chair Cathy Judd-Stein. “All of us at the MGC look forward to continuing those partnerships that help benefit the Commonwealth and achieve the mission of the Expanded Gaming Act.”
A Community Mitigation Fund review team will conduct a comprehensive review of all applications to ensure compliance with the 2023 Guidelines and make recommendations to the Commission. After deliberation on those recommendations, the Commission will vote to award grant monies by July 2023.