Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
MMA Executive Director Adam Chapdelaine appears on the podcast “unPlanned,” hosted by Sam Seidel, to discuss the fundamental importance of local government to quality of life and the potential impacts of new federal policies
In a guest appearance on the podcast “unPlanned,” MMA Executive Director Adam Chapdelaine discussed the fundamental importance of local government to quality of life and the potential impacts of new federal policies.
Podcast host Sam Seidel, a local activist and urban planner, invited Chapdelaine to talk about the challenges leading an organization representing all 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts, particularly in light of changes coming from the new Trump administration.
Chapdelaine said the MMA has been working with the National League of Cities to learn the details about concrete federal policies — as opposed to verbal statements — and their potential implications, but added that Massachusetts has a strong foundation of local governments.
“A lot of the things that we think about as driving quality of life are managed by local government,” he said, citing local roads, public schools, public safety, public health, libraries, recreation programs and more.
“Your life is often viewed through the lens of what local government is providing to you,” he said. “In Massachusetts, we have a great base of being able to provide a pretty high quality of life to the residents across the whole Commonwealth that is already built in.”
As for federal changes, he expressed concerns about potential funding cuts to Medicaid, which could have a significant impact on the Commonwealth’s ability to balance its own budget, and funding cuts that would lead to the elimination of a significant number of jobs, which would adversely affect the state’s economy and, among other impacts, local revenues.
Chapdelaine also discussed how the MMA works and develops its policy positions.
“We try really hard to work for policies and for funding formulas that lift all boats,” he said. “We try to find formulas and approaches that benefit all.”
Chapdelaine listed state-level MMA priorities, particularly adequate funding for discretionary local aid, education aid, and road maintenance aid. Regarding large challenges, he said the MMA’s role is to protect the local voice and authority in the development of solutions.
The 25-minute interview was recorded in late December 2024 and published on March 4. unPlanned bills itself as “a show about cities and how they work.”