Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Southampton Select Board Chair Christine Fowles speaks during the March 24 MMA Legislative Breakfast Meeting in Westfield.
On two Fridays in March, legislators and local officials from across Massachusetts gathered for a series of four MMA Legislative Breakfast Meetings.
The meetings, held each spring and fall, provide an opportunity for local officials to engage in informal discussions with legislators, fellow local officials, and MMA staff. The hosts of the spring meetings were Fairhaven and Tyngsborough on March 17, and Adams and Westfield on March 24.
The program kicked off with updates from MMA Legislative staff on issues including state revenues, the state budget process, and key bills in the MMA’s 2023-2024 Legislative Package. This was followed by an open-ended opportunity for legislators and local officials to discuss the many challenges facing communities.
Carlisle Select Board Chair Kate Reid (left) and Rep. Simon Cataldo talk during the March 17 MMA Legislative Breakfast in Tyngsborough.
Topics that came up for discussion included Chapter 70 education aid and how it impacts districts, PFAS contamination, the Chapter 90 local road and bridge maintenance program and the need for additional funding, the administration’s supplemental budget bills, and an extension for remote and hybrid public meetings.
More than 160 municipal officials and legislators registered for the four spring meetings, including 13 state representatives, two state senators, and a number of legislative staff members.
The MMA has hosted 226 breakfast meetings in 197 communities since 2007, with a goal of hosting a meeting in each of the state’s 351 cities and towns. Communities that have not hosted a Legislative Breakfast but would be interested in doing so are asked to contact Daniel Yi at dyi@mma.org or 617-426-7272, ext. 125.