MMA.ORGThe MMA’s Annual Town Report Contest recognizes outstanding reports based on criteria that include visual appeal; material arrangement; presentation of statistics and data; summary of the year’s achievements; evidence of local planning for the future; and the report’s practical utility.
Two judges select first-, second-, and third-place winners in each of four population categories: less than 5,000; 5,000-15,000; 15,001-30,000; 30,001-plus. (Note: The categories were updated in July 2023.) Winners are recognized and given a plaque during an awards ceremony at the MMA’s annual conference each January.
Entries were due by Thursday, Oct. 31.
State law (Ch. 40, Sec. 49) requires towns to prepare and publish an annual town report prior to the annual town meeting. The reports typically include financial information, highlights of the previous calendar year, reports from major boards, committees and key officials (including the select board), election results, and town meeting information.
The following are winners of the Annual Town Report Contest. (Note: The contest was canceled in 2021 due to the COVID pandemic.)
Awards presented on January 19, 2024
Category 1 (population 30,001-plus)
1st place: Andover
2nd place: Shrewsbury
3rd place: Lexington
Category 2 (population 15,001-30,000)
1st place: Seekonk
2nd place: Auburn
3rd place: Westwood
Category 3 (population 5,000-15,000)
1st place: Littleton
2nd place: Westminster
3rd place: Brewster
Category 4 (population 5,000 and under)
1st place: Tisbury
2nd place: Truro
3rd place: Brookfield
Judges: Julie Jacobson, a retired town manager, & Sean Dugan, Easton Assistant Town Administrator.
Awards presented on January 20, 2023
Category 1 (population 15,000-plus)
1st place: Barnstable
2nd place: Arlington
3rd place: Burlington
Category 2 (population 5,000-15,000)
1st place: Southborough
2nd place: Maynard
3rd place: Littleton
Category 3 (population 5,000 and under)
1st place: Tisbury
2nd place: Brookfield
3rd place: Truro
Judge: John Petrin, a retired town manager and coordinator for the MMA-Suffolk programs.
Awards presented on January 22, 2022
Category 1 (population 15,000-plus)
1st place: Foxborough
2nd place: Arlington
3rd place: Burlington
Category 2 (population 5,000-15,000)
1st place: Littleton
2nd place: Wenham
3rd place: Westminster
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Tisbury
2nd place: Oak Bluffs
3rd place: Truro
Judge: Bernie Kubiak, who has served as a select board member in Belchertown and as town administrator in Hadley, Deerfield and Northfield.
Awards presented on January 25, 2020
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Chelmsford
2nd place: Arlington
3rd place: Burlington
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Littleton
2nd place: Westminster
3rd place: Southborough
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Tisbury
2nd place: Oak Bluffs
3rd place: Berlin
Judge: John Petrin, a former town administrator in Burlington.
Awards presented on January 19, 2019
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Northborough
2nd place: Danvers
3rd place: Burlington
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Littleton
2nd place: Ashburnham
3rd place: Westminster
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Erving
2nd place: Truro
3rd place: Wenham
Judge: Rocco Longo, a former town administrator in Marshfield and a past president of the Massachusetts Municipal Management Association.
Awards presented on January 20, 2018
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Bedford
2nd place: Barnstable
3rd place: Burlington
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Westminster
2nd place: Ashburnham
3rd place: Topsfield
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: West Tisbury
2nd place: Truro
3rd place: Oak Bluffs
Judges: Alisa Brewer, Amherst Select Board member and vice chair of the Hampshire County Select Boards Association, and Charlie Kennedy, a Wrentham selectman and member of the MMA Board of Directors
Awards presented on January 21, 2017
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Arlington
2nd place: Concord
3rd place: Needham
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Ashburnham
2nd place: Lancaster
3rd place: Westminster
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Tisbury
2nd place: Oak Bluffs
3rd place: Marion
Judges: Diane Norris, a former assistant town manager in Danvers, and Charles Sumner, a former town administrator in Brewster
Awards presented on January 23, 2016
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Chelmsford
2nd place: Barnstable
3rd place: Arlington
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Topsfield
2nd place: Ashburnham
3rd place: Adams
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Lanesborough
2nd place: Edgartown
3rd place: Truro
Judges: Tom Sharp, a former town administrator in Erving, and Rene C. Wood, a former selectman in Sheffield
Awards presented on January 24, 2015
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Arlington
2nd place: Needham
3rd place: Northborough
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Topsfield
2nd place: Ashburnham
3rd place: Weston
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Truro
2nd place: Edgartown
3rd place: Oak Bluffs
Judges: Paul Blazer, a former executive assistant in Hudson, and Tony Torrisi, a former finance director in Andover
Awards presented on January 25, 2014
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Needham
2nd place: Arlington
3rd place: Concord
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Topsfield
2nd place: Ashburnham
3rd place: Weston
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Oak Bluffs
2nd place: Rowe
3rd place: Stockbridge
Judges: Jim Merriam, Retired Harwich Town Administrator, and Ashley Shea, Communications Manager, Outreach and Special Projects, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
Awards presented on January 26, 2013
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Arlington
2nd place: Northborough
3rd place: Wilmington
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Topsfield
2nd place: Ashburnham
3rd place: Douglas
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Edgartown
2nd place: Marion
3rd place: Rowe
Judges: Robert Lawton, who served for 32 years as town manager in Yarmouth, and Steven Rollins, who served for 25 years as town manager in Hanover
Awards presented on January 21, 2012
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Northborough
2nd place: Chelmsford
3rd place: Hopkinton
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Topsfield
2nd place: Lancaster
3rd place: Adams
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Brookfield
2nd place: Edgartown
3rd place: Tisbury
Judge: Janet Wilkinson, a former Littleton selectman and director of executive programs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management
Awards presented on January 22, 2011
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Barnstable
2nd place: Wilmington
3rd place: Falmouth
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Weston
2nd place: Lancaster
3rd place: Topsfield
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Edgartown
2nd place: Oak Bluffs
3rd place: Tisbury
Judge: Michael O’Sullivan, a former chair of Lexington’s Appropriations Committee, and a past president of the Association of Town Finance Committees
Awards presented on January 23, 2010
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Brookline
2nd place: Arlington
3rd place: Wilmington
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Boxborough
2nd place: Topsfield
3rd place: Rockport
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Rowe
2nd place: Hadley
3rd place: Edgartown
Judges: Michael O’Sullivan, a former chair of the Appropriations Committee in Lexington and past president of the Association of Town Finance Committees; and Don Marquis, a former town manager in Arlington and a member of Civil Service Commission and the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission
Awards presented on January 24, 2009
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Arlington
2nd place: Brookline
3rd place: Wilmington
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Lancaster
2nd place: Topsfield
3rd place: Boxborough
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Hadley
2nd place: Tisbury
3rd place: Rowe
Judges: Michael O’Sullivan, a former chair of the Appropriations Committee in Lexington and past president of the Association of Town Finance Committees; and Don Marquis, a former town manager in Arlington and a member of Civil Service Commission and the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission
Awards presented on January 12, 2008
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Wilmington
2nd place: Arlington
3rd place: Brookline
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Bedford
2nd place: Lancaster
3rd place: Harvard
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Rowe
2nd place: Edgartown
3rd place: Oak Bluffs
Judges: Michael O’Sullivan, a former chair of the Appropriations Committee in Lexington and past president of the Association of Town Finance Committees; and Charles Lyons, past president of the Massachusetts Selectman’s Association and the National League of Cities
Awards presented on January 13, 2007
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Brookline
2nd place: Wilmington
3rd place: Concord
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Weston
2nd place: Harvard
3rd place: Topsfield
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Edgartown
2nd place: Tisbury
3rd place: Oak Bluffs
Judges: Michael O’Sullivan, a former chair of the Appropriations Committee in Lexington and past president of the Association of Town Finance Committees, and Raphaela Rozanski, a former president of both the MMA and the Massachusetts Selectmen’s Association
Awards presented on January 14, 2006
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Wilmington
2nd place: Brookline
3rd place: Concord
Honorable mention: East Longmeadow
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Topsfield
2nd place: Nantucket
3rd place: Harvard
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Oak Bluffs
2nd place: Edgartown
3rd place: Boylston
Judges: Michael O’Sullivan, a former chair of the Appropriations Committee in Lexington and past president of the Association of Town Finance Committees, and John Mitchell, who served four terms as a selectman in Brewster and is a former president of the Cape Cod Selectmen’s and Councillors’ Association
Awards presented on January 8, 2005
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Wilmington
2nd place: Brookline
3rd place: Concord
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Topsfield
2nd place: Nantucket
3rd place: Townsend
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Rowe
2nd place: Edgartown
3rd place: Oak Bluffs
Judges: George Howe, who served 33 years in municipal management, including 27 years as town manager in Ipswich, and Christine Rasmussen, program manager of the Essex County Buy Local Program
Awards presented on January 17, 2004
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Gloucester and Westwood (tie)
2nd place: Brookline
3rd place: Arlington
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Topsfield
2nd place: Nantucket
3rd place: Boxford
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Edgartown and West Tisbury (tie)
2nd place: Rowe
3rd place: Lanesborough
Judges: Denise Casey, an independent consultant to local governments, coordinator of the expansion of Suffolk University’s master’s in public administration program to Merrimack College, and former human resources director in Bedford; and Victor DeSantis, executive assistant to the president and the founding director of Bridgewater State College’s Institute for Regional Development
Awards presented on January 11, 2003
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Needham
2nd place: Brookline
3rd place: Sudbury
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Townsend
2nd place: Adams
3rd place: Boxford
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Princeton
2nd place: Edgartown
3rd place: Stockbridge
Judges: Thomas Groux, a consultant to local government who served 25 years as a town manager in Chatham, Duxbury and Winchester; and Thomas Hauenstein, human resources manager for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and a former executive secretary in Swampscott and Boxford
Awards presented on January 12, 2002
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Brookline
2nd place: Concord
3rd place: Arlington
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Weston
2nd place: Adams
3rd place: Ayer
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Hardwick
2nd place: Edgartown and Stockbridge (tie)
3rd place: Tisbury
Judges: Marcy Crowley, a public policy consultant, former chair of the MMA’s Policy Committee on the Environment, and former selectman in Wayland; and William Hardin, a past president of the MMA and a former Finance Committee member and selectman in Easton
Awards presented on January 13, 2001
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Arlington
2nd place: Brookline
3rd place: Northborough and Sudbury (tie)
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Nantucket
2nd place: Douglas
3rd place: Rockport and Stow (tie)
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Edgartown
2nd place: Tisbury
3rd place: Rowe
Judges: John Kent, a past president of the Association of Town Finance Committees and a former selectman and Finance Committee member in the Easton; and Stephen McGoldrick, deputy director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and former chief of staff of the Chelsea Receivership, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Personnel Association, and personnel director for the city of Everett
Awards presented on January 29, 2000
Category 1 (population 12,500-plus)
1st place: Arlington
2nd place: Brookline
3rd place: Lexington
Category 2 (population 5,000-12,499)
1st place: Manchester-by-the-Sea
2nd place: Middleton
3rd place: Harvard
Category 3 (population 4,999 and under)
1st place: Edgartown
2nd place: Rowe
3rd place: Tisbury
Judges: John Kent, a past president of the Association of Town Finance Committees and a former selectman and Finance Committee member in the Easton; and Stephen McGoldrick, deputy director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and former chief of staff of the Chelsea Receivership, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Personnel Association, and personnel director for the city of Everett