MMA’s nonpartisan approach more important than ever

From the Beacon, December 2024

As I write this column, we are a few weeks removed from the 2024 presidential election. One only needs to look at the vote tallies here in Massachusetts to know that some of you are likely still quite upset and unsettled with the results, while some of you are satisfied with the outcome and interested in a new direction for the nation as proposed by President-elect Trump. Within that context, however, I think it’s safe to say that most of you are somewhere between curious and concerned about how the incoming administration’s policies will impact local government.

On that score, I can assure you that the MMA and our partners at the National League of Cities are prepared to engage on the federal level to ensure, as much as possible, that the work that you do at the local level is protected, and hopefully enhanced, under the new administration. Success in this undertaking will be supported by the MMA’s long-standing and respected nonpartisan approach. Through changes in administrations at both the state and federal level, as well as changing legislative dynamics and leadership from Beacon Hill to Capitol Hill, the MMA has stayed steadfast in its nonpartisan approach, and this has served both the MMA as an organization and the cities and towns of the Commonwealth very well.

All of this considered, I’m sure that many of you are understandably anxious about the continuing divisiveness of our national political climate, and how that trickles down to your cities and towns. In the face of that, I believe that now more than ever, the work that you all do in local government is crucial to holding together what binds us as Americans.

As local officials, you get up every day and serve as the face of government that is most visible and accessible to average residents. You work to provide local government services that enhance and foster trust within a community. Perhaps most importantly, even in the face of disagreement, you work to find a path forward in order to serve your residents. As always, regardless of the climate, the essential work of local government must go on. Indeed, it is at the local level where meaningful problems are often solved, and residents see the steady and reliable hand of government enhancing their lives.

And here at the MMA, we use your service as our animating principle. We know how hard you work in serving your communities, and we work equally hard to advocate for policies and funding that elevate and enhance local government in the 21st century.

In the coming weeks and months, we will be tracking policy actions at the federal level, advocating on your behalf in conjunction with the NLC, and, of course, keeping you informed about policy developments that will impact local government in Massachusetts.