Town Manager Identifies Community Challenges, Opportunities
November 17, 2025
• At a forum hosted by the Needham League of Women Voters, Town Manager Katie King shared her outlook on key town issues as well as her passion for public service.
Since ascending to the top role in Needham town government four months ago, Katie King has inherited a number of divisive and difficult projects: Envision Needham Center, the redevelopment of Pollard Middle School, the termination of the Stephen Palmer Apartments’ ground lease, to name a few.
But the new town manager — only the second in Needham’s history — expressed continued enthusiasm for the work ahead and satisfaction for those she serves at a League of Women Voters talk at the Needham Free Public Library on Thursday night.
“Public service is a calling and a passion for me,” King said to about 25 attendees, “and so this is an opportunity to do that in a leadership role.”
The word of the night was “challenge” — King used some variation about 23 times in under an hour. When asked about obstacles Needham faces, she pointed to “volatility at the federal level,” which can impede planning state-wide and locally. She said she also sees a “general distrust in institutions, in government, in each other,” which can impact communication.
“The way I see that play out is people either choosing not to engage at all or engaging with a starting point of a level of cynicism,” King said, “and so that can be challenging, to make sure that people really want to plug in… that they come productively with an open mind, that can be challenging as well.”
During the MBTA Communities Act rezoning — a state-mandated zoning regulation that aims to spur housing development — King said the town worked hard on public engagement, though they learned afterward that many people missed out entirely. The town held a referendum, effectively reversing a vote on the matter taken at Town Meeting and later adopting a plan more in line with the minimum requirements.
King touted the 100 West St. redevelopment, which will “revitalize a site that’s been vacant for so long and provide some really needed diversity in our housing options for folks.”
King also took questions regarding Envision Needham Center, the redevelopment project along a portion of Great Plain Avenue that could reduce the current four-lane roadway down to three or two lanes. Many storefronts around the center display “not our vision” signs in their windows, signaling their opposition.
An attendee asked about those signs and business owners’ perspectives. King said their concerns center on a potential reduction of parking spaces and fewer through traffic, which some feel could hurt business.
“The working group right now is working on a four-lane option, a three-lane option and a two-lane option,” she said, “so everything’s being explored.”
Other challenges she identified include recruiting and retaining municipal employees. Building Commissioner Joe Prondak recently retired, kicking off an effort to replace his position. Filling that job, King said, will be “challenging,” as it’s one the town will compete with the private construction industry over.
A high cost of living means more town employees are living further from Needham, King said. “That’s challenging for us operationally, and just challenging to make sure that we have the workforce that we need to provide services that you expect and deserve,” she said.
King started in Needham in 2020 as deputy town manager under former Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick, who retired after 20 years in the role. King previously worked for the City of Boston for six years and in nonprofits prior to that.
Her day-to-day is filled with variety, she said, from internal meetings on projects, budgeting, contract agreements and overseeing the town’s more than 50 boards and committees. King also manages about 400 municipal employees.
One learning curve, however, has been finding a work-life balance.
“We joke that in government, it’s like daytime government and nighttime government, and in my job I do both,” she said. “And that’s probably not sustainable without some relaxation built in.”
The wheels of town governance can move much slower than the city, King said. For that reason, Needham has to be more savvy with its planning.
“The windows of opportunity to get things done, they were more flexible under the city model,” King said. “And under the town, if you don’t hit a deadline, you could be months out, you could be a year out until something’s ready to advance again.”
She recalled her first Town Meeting in the Memorial Park parking lot during the pandemic, witnessing democracy in action. Over the last five years, the experience is one she’s repeated again and again. Last month, she attended her first Town Meeting as town manager.
Down the road, the Pollard Middle School redevelopment project presents “a huge opportunity for the next generation of Needham students, and it’s the next big thing ahead of us,” King said. Other priorities include addressing stormwater infrastructure, managing the town’s trees and discussing large houses.
In the next decade, King said she hopes Needham can preserve its spirit and thoughtfulness. She also acknowledged the work of her own staff, who deserve credit for their work.
“There’s so much community pride in Needham, and I have that pride in Town of Needham staff,” she said.
