In 1973, McLellan, who is a certified public account, took a job as the assistant treasurer of Plymouth County. Three years later, he found himself at the center of a political storm when his boss, former Treasurer Larry Marden, died in office. With the county commissioners divided over naming a successor, McLellan became acting treasurer on February 1, 1976.

“I never saw myself running for public office, but given that I knew the position well and was already doing the job, I decided to run in the 1976 election. Seeking elective office was truly something my wife and I had not thought about doing before Treasurer Marden passed away,” recalls McLellan. “I won the election that fall and never looked back for the past thirty years.”

Excellent Returns

Over his thirty-year tenure as treasurer, McLellan has led the Plymouth County Retirement System, which he chairs, to be amongst the top performing systems in the state. Earning an average of 10.74% since 1985, the system now has over $565 million in assets.This success is impressive by any standard, but can be seen as extraordinary given the fact that the board did not use an outside investment consultant until recent years. Instead, the board relied on the steady hand of McLellan in choosing investment managers and setting asset allocation.

The system’s success has paid off not only for retirees, who have received an annual 3% COLA since 1998, but also for the member units of the county system.

“By anyone’s standard, John McLellan has done an excellent job managing the Plymouth County System. He has been a leading force in public retirement policy in this state for over thirty years and has been there for our members every step of the way,” said Association President Ralph White. “Most importantly, he’s been one of our best lobbyists and is a good friend. I’m hoping John finds a way to stay involved in public retirement. His knowledge and expertise is irreplaceable.”

Beyond his duties as chairman of the retirement board, McLellan, who is an Abington native, has been responsible for the daily financial management of the county itself. The strong fiscal health of the county allowed it to survive through a series of state takeovers that eliminated county government in seven of the state’s twelve counties in the mid-90s.

“John has been an outstanding treasurer and has enjoyed support from across party lines. He has been largely responsible for the successful completion of the new county jail and the management of the regional health insurance pool,” says Association Legislative Liaison Shawn Duhamel, who is a Plymouth resident.

Under state law, the vacancy created by McLellan’s August 9th retirement is to be filled by an appointment made by the three member county commission. The appointee would then serve as treasurer until the election in 2008.