CONWAY — Selectboard Chairman John P. O’Rourke has been appointed to the Massachusetts Municipal Association board of directors to advocate on behalf of 89 western Mass. towns before the Legislature.
According to a news release, O’Rourke was elected to the board Saturday, and will represent District 1. In addition to advocating for towns, the association “pursues policies that meet the needs of communities throughout the Commonwealth,” and “screens all new or changed regulations that affect communities before they go into effect.”
“I am honored to serve in this position on the MMA board of directors for 2017 and look forward to learning more about what municipal officials in other parts of the Commonwealth are doing to overcome the financial and personnel challenges in their communities,” O’Rourke said in the statement. “It is important for municipal officials to constantly look for ways of increasing the value of taxpayer dollars by effectively providing municipal services to residents for the best price.”
O’Rourke noted that District 1 towns have “a median population of 1,755 residents,” adding that the association “recommends, advocates for and writes legislation that benefits municipalities. This is particularly important for the many towns in the district that have strained budgets and limited personnel resources.”
At Saturday’s meeting, the association passed resolutions that addressed issues such as unrestricted municipal aid and “the fundamental right of municipalities to make land use decisions at the local level,” according to the statement.
The release notes that O’Rourke, a Marine veteran who holds an MBA degree in finance, is also Conway’s veterans’ services officer, and serves on a few other local and regional governmental committees, including the Franklin Regional Council of Governments.
You can reach Andy Castillo
at: acastillo@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 263