Nota named VP of state municipal organization



NOTA

NOTA

Jamestown’s chief executive has been elected vice president of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, a membership organization of municipalities that serves as the unified voice of local government in the Ocean State.

Town Administrator Andy Nota is also a member of the executive board and chairman of the league’s finance committee. He said his prominent standing in the organization allows him to “vigorously represent Jamestown’s interests.”

According to Nota, the league’s fundamental role is legislative advocacy for its 39 members. To fulfill this mission, Nota said the league is “extremely proactive, responsibly reactive and highly visible,” including face-to-face meetings with lawmakers, constant contact with the governor’s office and direct testimony at committee hearings.

“The league feels that effective local government advocacy during any session of the General Assembly is extremely important and it requires a continuous presence, not only of league staff, but of local government and opinion, to be truly effective,” he said. “The reality is that you cannot be an effective municipal leader today if you ignore the significant role played by the General Assembly, and other branches of state government, in regulating and funding the activities of local government.”

Among its initiatives is the groundbreaking Rhode Island Energy Aggregation Program that has reaped $30 million in electricity savings for cities and towns since its inception in 1999.

The league also developed the U.S. Community Program that provides local agencies with publicly, competitively bid contracts for products and services.

On a smaller scale, Nota keeps the town councilors up to date with bills pending during the legislative session. For example, the league rebuked a bill that would have allowed evergreen contracts. These labor agreements automatically extend contracts for municipal employees and teachers if a new agreement is not reached by the expiration date. While lawmakers passed the measure, the league was influential in Gov. Gina Raimondo’s veto.

“As a vice president and member of the executive board, I am able to provide a high level of direct involvement in these and other programs that directly impact Jamestown, its employees, expenditures, legislation, and ultimately its residents,” Nota said.