A Major Milestone
100 percent membership shows that power is in numbers
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veryone knows how hard it is to get to 100%. You see it in the news, online, and on TV — opportunities abound for dissenting opinion. So when CCM reached 100% percent membership for the first time in our history, we realized how special a moment that was. It is essential to pause and reflect that starting in March of 2019, every town and city in Connecticut felt that it was important to work together, to reach consensus, and to achieve goals that no one municipality could achieve alone. Heading into the final stretch of this long legislative session, our first with Governor Ned Lamont, we were able to send the message that every municipality in Connecticut, despite any differences there may be at the local level, is fighting together to make sure our voices are heard with the Governor and the General Assembly. “Every city and town now sees the value of and important role that CCM plays,” noted Neil O’Leary, Mayor of Waterbury and President of CCM, “in protecting the interests of towns and cities speaking as one collective voice to the Governor, General Assembly, and other state government leaders.”
8 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | MAY 2019
CCM is much more than just the collective voice of Connecticut’s towns and cities: our value is in the services we offer. Mayor O’Leary said “this milestone says an awful lot about the value and high level of CCM’s membership services in 2019.” The service we provide to you as the leading state-local think tank and premier local government advocate at the State Capitol, is because of our mission: improving the everyday life for residents of Connecticut. As Executive Director Joe DeLong noted, “everything CCM does is designed to help local leaders provide an array of critical public services more effectively and cost efficiently.” As we reflect upon this milestone, we must also reflect on the work to be done in the times ahead. With 100% membership, we can continue to work tirelessly against unfunded mandates and for the many reforms we propose in This Report Is Different. The power we have as a group is greater than the power we have individually, and before we get back to our important work, we must note that Connecticut is nothing without its towns and cities, and CCM is nothing without you, our revered members.
