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Advisory finance committee reassigns liaisons, plans summer meeting to cover any FY25 transfers
Summary
The Westborough Advisory Finance Committee discussed liaison duties for key departments, tentatively reassigned several liaisons (including schools, police and fire) and set a tentative meeting for July 14 to accommodate potential FY25 budget transfers. Members emphasized transparency and shared monitoring responsibilities.
Speaker 1 opened the meeting and said there are no current FY25 budget transfer requests, citing confirmation from John Steinberg, and urged the committee to keep at least one meeting before mid‑July in case transfers arise.
The committee spent the bulk of its time reviewing liaison roles and filling vacancies across town departments. Speaker 1 described liaison duties as varying by department: some liaisons attend regular committee meetings and budget sessions while others perform periodic check‑ins. "It really depends on the committee," Speaker 1 said, explaining that school and public safety liaisons typically have more contact with department heads.
Members volunteered for several assignments. Speaker 2 agreed to take on fire coverage; members discussed pairing police and fire liaisons because the chiefs often coordinate. Because schools represent roughly two‑thirds of the town’s budget, the committee favored assigning two people to school committee coverage so the work can be split. Speaker 3 and Speaker 1 said they would coordinate to make interim assignments and circulate a list for member preferences.
The committee clarified that liaison work can range from attending trustee meetings (library building) to receiving weekly DPW reports (snow and ice) and that the level of effort should guide assignments going forward. Speaker 3 noted the town has a new finance director and superintendent in the schools, and said "we made some changes to how the budget was presented this year" which increases the value of active liaison oversight.
Votes at a glance: the committee moved to recommend acceptance of the May 12 meeting minutes and approved the motion by roll call during this session. Later, Speaker 5 moved and Speaker 3 seconded the motion to adjourn; the roll‑call vote carried and the meeting ended.
Next steps: Speaker 1 will circulate contact lists and a proposed liaison assignment sheet for members to indicate interests ahead of the next meeting, tentatively scheduled for July 14; the chair said the meeting will be canceled if no transfers or urgent business arise.
