Town Report
Contest

The 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 Annual Meeting & Trade Show each January.

To enter, please complete the form with a link to, or a PDF of, the town report. OPTIONAL: You may also opt to send a physical copy of your town’s 2023 report to: Town Report Contest, Massachusetts Municipal Association, 3 Center Plaza, Suite 610, Boston, MA 02108.

Entries were due by Tuesday, Oct. 31.

State law (Ch. 40, Sect. 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

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