Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Franklin Town Administrator Jeff Nutting is the new president of the MMA, and Beverly Mayor Bill Scanlon is the new vice president.
The MMA board endorsed Nutting and Scanlon as officers for 2009 following the association’s Annual Business Meeting in Boston on Jan. 24.
Nutting, who succeeds Gloucester Councillor Bruce Tobey, became Franklin’s town administrator in 2001, following nine years as town administrator in Stoneham. He is a former president of the Massachusetts Municipal Management Association and a former chair of the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association’s Board of Directors.
Scanlon is serving his seventh two-year term as Beverly’s mayor, following a career in the private sector. During his tenure, the city’s bond rating has risen seven times. He received the Theodore Mann Award for Regional Leadership in 2008 and is currently the chair of the North Shore Coalition of Mayors and Town Managers.
Nutting said his chief priority as president will be to work with the Legislature to develop ways to help cities and towns deal with extremely challenging fiscal conditions. In particular, he would like to see the Legislature give cities and towns the same authority as the state to make health insurance plan design changes, such as higher co-pays or deductibles, without the changes being subject to collective bargaining.
Nutting praised Gov. Deval Patrick’s proposal to increase state taxes on restaurant meals and hotel rooms by 1 percent, with the revenue being distributed among all 351 cities and towns.
“This way, everyone gets a piece of the pie,” said Nutting, who noted that about three-fourths of the state’s municipalities do not have a hotel or motel.
The governor has also announced a proposal to allow cities and towns to levy a 1 percent local-option tax on restaurant meals and lodging. Nutting described this as a more palatable means of raising local revenue than property tax increases.
“The MMA is very fortunate to have Jeff Nutting and Bill Scanlon step forward to serve as our top leaders,” said MMA Executive Director Geoff Beckwith. “The year ahead will be very challenging, and we will rely heavily on their remarkable expertise and experience to guide us forward.”