The Concord Finance Committee convened on November 7, 2024, to discuss several key agenda items, including the development of joint guidelines with the Carlisle Finance Committee for the Concord-Carlisle High School (CCHS) budget process.

The meeting began with a review of previous discussions, leading to the introduction of a roadmap for collaboration with Carlisle. The committee outlined a plan to proceed with Concord's established budgeting process while incorporating feedback from Carlisle. A preliminary guideline is set to be voted on at the next meeting on November 21, after which it will be shared with Carlisle for their review and input. This collaborative effort aims to create a unified guideline for both towns regarding CCHS funding.

Committee members emphasized the importance of ensuring that both Concord and Carlisle agree on the guideline numbers, which is a primary objective of this joint effort. There was also a suggestion for a Concord representative to attend the Carlisle Finance Committee meeting to address any questions regarding the guidelines.

In addition to the main topic, the committee discussed future agenda items, including the establishment of a finance committee policy on unused levy capacity. This will be addressed in the upcoming meetings, with a focus on aligning policies and practices between the two towns.

The committee confirmed that there would be no meeting on December 5, and they reviewed the schedule for upcoming meetings, including a joint capital planning meeting on November 18. The meeting concluded with action items assigned to various members to ensure progress on the discussed topics.

Overall, the meeting highlighted the committee's commitment to collaboration with Carlisle and the importance of establishing clear financial guidelines for the benefit of both communities.