A Municipal Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) is the Administrator/Manager in a Town (or Selectboard Chair if no manager/administrator) and the Mayor or City Manager in a City. Municipal CAOs manage daily operations, implement policies, and serve as a liaison between elected officials, municipal departments, and the community. The following content will focus on a Municipal CAO’s role with developing and monitoring a community’s budget and implementing sound financial management policies.
Overview of responsibilities
Financial Management Team
Foundations in Municipal Finance
- Foundations in Municipal Finance
A series of virtual training modules that guide participants through a fiscal year in municipal finance. - Property Taxes and Proposition 2 ½ Training and Resources
Training videos, guidance, and information related to property valuation, property taxes and Proposition 2 ½ . - DLS Gateway Application Login and Support
DLS Gateway is the application used by local officials to transact business with the Division of Local Services. DLS Gateway is restricted to the municipal officials listed in Gateway's Local Officials Directory. If you are a municipal official and are not currently listed in the Directory, or if you are listed and need an account, contact your community's City or Town Clerk or IT Director.
Budgeting Resources
- Municipal Finance 101: Budgeting & Best Practices (Video)
This webinar reviews the building blocks of municipal finance, including Proposition 2 ½, budgeting revenues and expenditures, and the importance of financial policies, forecasting, and capital planning. - Budgeting and Long-range Financial Planning
- Developing the Capital Plan and Managing Debt
- Accounting for Revenues and Expenditures
- Certifying Free Cash, Retained Earnings, Excess & Deficiency
- Costing Out Contracts (MMA)
- Reconciling Cash and Receivables
Local Assessment Resources
- Bridging the Knowledge Gap: Key Insights for Overseeing Local Assessing Operations (Video)
This webinar offers an overview of assessing operations for those responsible for overseeing them, but who may not be familiar with the process. - Determining Property Values
- Property Taxes and Proposition 2 ½ Training and Resources
- Motor Vehicle Excise Training and Resources
- Interactive Assessors Annual Calendar
Gateway Assessing Reports
- Property Sales Report (LA3) is a critical annual submission that local assessors use to analyze recent real estate transactions against current assessed property valuations to ensure assessments remain fair and equitable. This data helps to develop a sales ratio study which acts as a vital benchmark for measuring local appraisal performance and is required by DLS to approve the community’s annual tax rate.
- Assessment Change Report (LA4 Comparison) compares total parcel count change and the total valuations change for parcels in a community from the previous year. This report is organized by state land use code and helps communities identify market trends, impacts from new construction, and shifts in the tax burden.
- Growth Comparison Report (LA13 Statistics) Regularly checking your property tax growth helps you spot budget shortfalls early and keep local services running smoothly. Each community tracks new growth from renovations and construction projects, new growth is important because it safely boosts your town's levy limit bringing in the extra revenue under Prop 2 ½.
Municipal Professional Associations
- Massachusetts Government Finance Officers Association (MGFOA)
- Small Town Administrators of Massachusetts (STAM)
- Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA)
- Massachusetts Association of Assessing Officers (MAAO)
- Massachusetts Municipal Auditors' & Accountants' Association (MMAAA)
- Massachusetts Collectors and Treasurers Association (MCTA)
- Massachusetts Municipal Lawyers Association (MMLA)
- Massachusetts Town Clerks Association (MTCA)
State Resources
Commissions and Constitutional Offices
- AG’s Municipal Law Unit
- Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission
- Massachusetts State Ethics Commission
- Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- Secretary of State’s Public Records Division
Grants and Programs
- Chapter 90 Program
- Community Grant Finder
- District Improvement Financing - MassDevelopment
- Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
- Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
- Massachusetts School Building Authority
- Office of Municipal and School Technology
- Public Safety Grants - OGR Grant Programs and Initiatives
Procurement
| Date published: | June 17, 2026 |
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| Last updated: | March 30, 2026 |