Finance Committee Warrant Article to be Hot Topic at Town Meeting

Town Meeting voters will have a choice on May 20 on weather or not to support a Town Meeting warrant article that would both change the number of members in Easton's Finance Committee and also change the structure of Easton's Capital Planning Committee.

Article 33 of this year's Town Meeting Warrant calls for the reduction of Finance Committee members from nine to five. It also calls for a change in how members are appointed to Easton's Capital Planning Committee. Rather than four appointees by the town moderator, two would be appointed by the moderator, one would be appointed by selectmen and one would be appointed by the school committee.

While the Board of Selectmen recommended the article last month, members of Easton's Finance Committee showed particular concern with the FinCom portion of the article, citing time commitment for members and a heavy work-load during peak budget months when departmental budgets are extensively analyzed.

"To try and find five people who for two to three months out of the year could commit 20 or 30 hours a week on a volunteer position to me, I don’t know how you could do it," FinCom Chair Carol Nestler said. "I don’t know how you could do it with these numbers."

The explanation in the warrant article sites significant lack of interest in running for FinCom seats during local elections. Since 2008, there has not been one contested Finance Committee election and every member has joined the board as either an unopposed candidate, a write-in or an appointment.

Selectmen thought it best to bring the article to Town Meeting floor.

"I understand their concerns," Selectman Dan Murphy said. "I don’t necessarily disagree with them, but I don’t know that because it’s going to be more difficult under the current process that it’s a reason not to do it."

Town Administrator David Colton said he originally placed the article in the warrant in lieu of a citizens petition that school committee member and former finance committee chair Donna Abelli intended to submit.

Abelli, however, wrote in a letter to Selectmen and Colton last week that while she personally felt the number of FinCom members should be lower, a recommendation should be made by Finance Committee members first. She said that the article on the warrant was not written by her.

"I did submit a request to reserve a spot for a warrant article to reduce the number of FinCom members; however, I did so in a 'knee-jerk' reaction when I realized the deadline for submitting articles was one day away," she wrote in the April 24 letter. "Instead of submitting this request to the BOS, I should have first had a discussion with current FinCom members. I have since spoken with and apologized to the FinCom Chairman and Vice Chairman."

Abelli told Patch in an email that in regards to lowering the number of FinCom members "the question of the day is 'how many'".

"... ..The current members of FinCom are the best judges of how many members the committee needs to conduct effectively its duties and responsibilities as dictated by State and Town laws," she continued in her letter to Selectmen. "In my opinion, the recommendation of how many members should serve on FinCom should not be made by me nor the Town Administrator or BOS, without first allowing the current members of FinCom to assess the situation and determine how many members are truly needed to serve effectively the citizens/taxpayers of Easton."

Surely the differing opinions will be heard on May 20.

"I’m not saying that I agree with the number," Selctmen Chair Colleen Corona said. "I’m saying is what I want to have is a discussion on Town Meeting floor because it has been such an issue for a long time."

"I think if I vote yes I’m voting to have a discussion about this at Town Meeting," she added.