HARWICH, Mass. /Massachusetts Newswire/ -– Building on the Patrick-Murray Administration’s commitment to civic engagement and governing for the long-term, Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray began the third series of the Municipal Affairs Coordinating Cabinet’s listening tour in Harwich on July 9. “We have the ability to give our municipal partners the tools they need to respond to the present fiscal crisis and beyond by managing limited resources more efficiently,” said Lt. Governor Murray. “These municipal cabinet meetings allow the state’s top officials to hear directly from those who receive services from local government and those who work at the local level so we can improve services.”
Eight meetings will be held over the next few months, adding to the 14 meetings the Cabinet has already held during the Patrick-Murray Administration.
Lt. Governor Murray chairs the Municipal Cabinet, which travels throughout the Commonwealth to hear from municipal officials, legislators and the public on a variety of issues to help strengthen the partnership between state and municipal governments. Comprised of state officials from seven agencies, the Municipal Cabinet works to promote efficiency and more effective governing. Ideas discussed at past meetings have had a direct impact on public policy, including provisions of the Patrick-Murray Administration’s Municipal Partnership Act II legislation.
A new webpage launched today will include the Municipal Cabinet’s full meeting schedule. For more information, go to www.mass.gov/governor/municabinet. Plymouth will host the Municipal Cabinet’s second stop of the summer tour on Friday, July 17th, at Plymouth Town Hall at 10 a.m.
Members of the Cabinet include seven agency heads from within the Executive Office of Administration and Finance and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, including State Purchasing Agent from Operation Services Ellen Bickelman; Commissioner of the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance David Perini; Chief Human Resources Officer Paul Dietl; Chief Information Officer Anne Margulies; Executive Director of the Group Insurance Commission Dolores Mitchell; Chairman of the Civil Service Commission Christopher Bowman; and Director of the Green Communities Division Mark Sylvia.
The Municipal Cabinet, established by Executive Order Number 480 in February 2007 seeks to coordinate the ways in which state government can provide additional services and assistance to cities and towns. The Cabinet also works to implement and analyze recommendations from the Local Government Advisory Commission, which Lt. Governor Murray oversees on behalf of the Patrick-Murray Administration.
