Maricopa City Manager Benjamin Bitter was elected president of the Arizona City/County Management Association, a statewide organization that supports professional local government managers, city officials announced in a news release Friday. 

Bitter began his term Thursday and will serve as ACMA president through January 2027. He will remain on the organization’s board for an additional year after his term, serving as past president through January 2028.

ACMA is a nonprofit professional association founded in 1954 that focuses on “training, ethics and leadership development for city and county managers across Arizona,” according to the organizations website. The organization efforts to strengthen local government operations by sharing best practices, offering professional development and promoting the council-manager form of government, in which elected officials set policy and an appointed manager oversees day-to-day operations.

The association has about 320 members statewide and serves as Arizona’s affiliate of the International City/County Management Association, a national organization representing professional managers.

“Local government management can be incredibly challenging and incredibly rewarding,” Bitter said in a statement. “Organizations like ACMA help bring together best practices and ideas to ensure professionals are equipped to succeed.”

Bitter joined the City of Maricopa in 2021 and was appointed city manager in April 2024. As city manager, he oversees municipal operations that include more than 500 employees and a budget exceeding $340 million.

He is a credentialed city manager candidate through ICMA, a designation held by fewer than a dozen city managers in Arizona. Bitter holds a master’s degree in public administration from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Brigham Young University. He has also completed executive training at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Bitter has been a member of ACMA since 2007 and has served on its board since 2020. He is the first city manager from Maricopa to serve on the board and is among its longest-serving members.