Town Leadership
The Town Manager’s Office
The Town Manager
Katie King
When a street goes unplowed or a new building rises in the innovation district off Kendrick Street, the person with the most operational control is an appointed professional, not an elected official. Katie King is the Town Manager, only the second person ever to hold the job, hired by the five elected members of the Select Board to run the town day to day, and they can let her go if they lose faith in her. She is the chief administrative officer: she appoints and supervises most department heads, builds and presents the annual budget, and carries the town’s biggest spending requests to Town Meeting for the final vote. King came up through public service. She served six years in Boston city government, running the Office of Intergovernmental Relations for Mayor Marty Walsh, then joined Needham as Deputy Town Manager in 2020 before stepping up to the top job in July 2025. She holds a degree from Boston University, a master’s in public health from the BU School of Public Health, and a master’s in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. Because Needham hands the daily machinery to an appointed manager, the plan to fix a problem usually crosses her desk first, then goes to the board and to Town Meeting.
| Role | Town Manager (chief administrative officer) |
|---|---|
| In office | Since July 2025 (Deputy Town Manager since 2020) |
| Selection | Appointed by the Select Board under contract, not elected |
| Office | Town Hall, 1471 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA 02492 |
| Phone | 781-455-7500, ext. 71501 |
| kking@needhamma.gov | |
| Website | needhamma.gov |
What the Town Manager Does
- Runs the departments. Police, fire, public works, health, recreation, and the rest answer to the Town Manager, who appoints most of their leaders.
- Builds the budget. Each year the Manager proposes how the town will spend its money, then defends the plan before the Select Board and Town Meeting.
- Answers to the board. The Manager serves at the pleasure of the elected Select Board and carries out the policies it sets.
- Reports to Town Meeting. Major spending and bylaws still need the vote of the representative Town Meeting, the 240 elected members.
The Administration
- Department heads are appointed by the Town Manager and carry out policy, from plowing snow to inspecting restaurants.
- The Select Board is the check: it hires and can fire the Manager, sets policy, and signs the warrants that put questions before Town Meeting.
- Boards and commissions, many of them appointed by the Select Board, decide questions like zoning, conservation, and licensing.
Contact & Engage
- Town Hall: 1471 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA 02492. Main line 781-455-7500.
- Town Manager’s Office: 781-455-7500, ext. 71501, or kking@needhamma.gov.
- Report a problem: service requests like potholes and missed pickups go through the town’s Report a Public Works Issue tool at needhamma.gov.
- Show up: the Select Board meets on scheduled weeknights at Town Hall, and the public is welcome.
Sources
Needham government website (needhamma.gov). Verified July 2026.
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