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Bedford committee votes to request Department of Revenue review, moves to strengthen fiscal controls
Summary
The school committee voted unanimously to request a Department of Revenue financial-management review and agreed to try finance-focused full-committee meetings as part of a package of proposed fiscal-control enhancements including quarterly reporting, town–school collaboration and line-item triggers.
The Bedford School Committee voted 5–0 on May 28 to request a financial-management review from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue and signaled support for a set of proposed fiscal-control enhancements designed to improve budget visibility and early warning systems.
Administration outlined six recommended measures: (1) short-term reporting and control enhancements implemented July 1, (2) either a finance subcommittee or scheduled finance-only full-committee meetings to concentrate oversight, (3) formalized quarterly collaboration with town finance leadership, (4) leveraging the town accounting system's line-item controls and triggers for potential budget overages, (5) increased secondary review of high-cost special-education accounts, and (6) formal purchase-order authorization thresholds for high-risk contracts.
After debate about personnel time and committee workload, the committee supported piloting finance-only full-committee meetings (rather than creating an additional standing subcommittee). The committee then voted to authorize the Department of Revenue review to examine budget and internal-control practices and provide recommendations on policies and technical settings.
A roll-call vote recorded the motion to request the DOR review as 5–0 in favor. Committee members asked administration for details on staff time required for the DOR review, anticipated timeline (administration expected the review to begin in late fall or winter pending approvals), and to return with more specifics on line-item thresholds and purchase-order processes prior to July 1 implementation.
