Town boards review preliminary town spreadsheet, scheduling and bank fraud flag during joint budget workshop
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Summary
Board of Finance and Board of Selectmen discussed preliminary town budget spreadsheets maintained by the treasurer, options for scheduling department presentations, and a fraud/ACH issue flagged on town bank accounts; public commenters urged caution on school budget increases.
At a Feb. 20 joint budget workshop, town officials reviewed preliminary town budget materials and discussed process, scheduling and an account‑reconciliation fraud incident while residents urged scrutiny of school spending.
Board members thanked the new treasurer, Lisa, for building an Excel master and agreed the town needs a controlled process so changes funnel through the treasurer to maintain an auditable record. Several members flagged formula errors in a preliminary PDF and asked departments to provide short memo explanations for large line‑item variances.
Public comment included Elizabeth Partridge, who described attending a recent Board of Education meeting and questioned an 11% superintendent salary increase and the lack of apparent debate. "Maybe it's time to start from scratch and do a zero‑based budget," she said, urging sensitivity to residents on fixed incomes.
Officials discussed meeting scheduling: board members weighed several dates (Feb. 25, March 4, March 11, March 12) for department presentations and informational sessions ahead of the town’s public hearing and annual budget meeting in early April. They agreed it is important to have a full board present before taking votes and to bring department heads (public works, fire, etc.) to explain budget requests.
Separately, the treasurer and municipal staff said they discovered fraudulent check and ACH transactions during recent reconciliations. The treasurer identified suspicious items and contacted the bank (M&T); officials said they expect the town will not bear financial losses but are still working with the bank to resolve the matter.
Before adjournment the board noted receipt of a legal opinion on roles and responsibilities in the budget process and agreed to place it on a future agenda for discussion. The meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn; members voted in favor.
