The Finance Committee approved creation of a gift account for Newton's Department of Older Adult Services with an upper acceptance limit of $1,000,000.

Minyan Murray, director of Older Adult Services, explained the account will allow the department to accept general public donations to fund scholarships, programs and critical social services and noted that such gift accounts are common among councils on aging. Murray said the account would let the department accept gifts without seeking council approval for routine donations, while gifts designated for a specific purpose (for example, a donation intended for a basketball court) would still require council action.

Councilor Grossman moved approval, and the committee passed the motion by voice vote, recorded as 8-0.

City staff clarified the difference between gift accounts and revolving funds: revolving funds typically collect user fees to support a program continuously, while gift accounts accept one-time or ongoing donations for program support. Staff said the mayor's proposed budget will include a list of gift accounts so departments can accept routine donations without repeated council action; specific-purpose donations remain subject to council review.