Advertisement

Fed Relief Money To Fund Buy Local Ad Campaign

Gov. Charlie Baker planned to outline the new budget proposal Wednesday afternoon at the State House. (Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
Gov. Charlie Baker planned to outline the new budget proposal Wednesday afternoon at the State House. (Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

In the run-up to the annual sales tax holiday weekend, Gov. Charlie Baker announced a $2 million ad campaign on Tuesday that will run through the end of the year, encouraging residents to shop, dine out and travel at local stores and destinations.

Baker visited the family-owned WheelWorks bicycle shop in Belmont to make the announcement and highlight how shoppers in Massachusetts can avoid paying the state's 6.25% sales tax on all purchases under $2,500 this weekend.

"We would urge you all to get out and shop and shop safely," Baker said.

Polito said the administration plans to use $500,000 from the budget of the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism and $1.5 million from the federal coronavirus relief fund to run ads on social media, print, television, radio and billboards.

The "My Local MA" campaign can also be accessed online.

"The goal of this campaign is to continually remind people that where you shop, dine and travel matters," Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said.

Massachusetts Retailers Association President Jon Hurst visited WheelWorks with the governor, and said that while 100% of RAM's members are now open, 50% are operating at reduced capacity.

"We need to remind people that they need to shop like jobs depend on it, because, frankly, they do," he said.

Massachusetts is one of 16 states that plan to hold a sales tax holiday this year, marking the 14th time since 2004 that the state has given shoppers an end-of-summer tax break.

Related:

Advertisement

More from WBUR

Listen Live
Close