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Select Board affirms John Arnett as town finance director, waives residency requirement
Summary
After a competitive search, the Select Board unanimously affirmed John Arnett as Falmouth’s finance director and waived the department‑head residency rule to allow him to start next week; Arnett said he plans to relocate to Falmouth and highlighted experience with municipal ERP systems and budget challenges.
The Falmouth Select Board unanimously voted July 13 to affirm the appointment of John Arnett as the town’s finance director and to waive the department‑head residency requirement under the charter.
Town Manager presented Arnett after a recruitment process that screened 20 applicants, conducted two interview rounds and completed background checks. The manager noted Arnett’s municipal finance experience, including prior roles as finance director in other towns and as an advisor on municipal ERP (Munis) implementations.
Arnett introduced himself to the board, saying his post‑military career led him into public finance. "My entire passion since I left the military has been protecting people," he said, adding that his work now focuses on protecting taxpayers by improving transparency, efficiency and long‑range planning. He told the board he planned to relocate to Falmouth contingent on board approval and was prepared to start as soon as July 20.
Board members asked about Arnett’s experience with operational deficits and tax‑override campaigns. Arnett said many Massachusetts communities face similar structural pressures and described tools he has used — enterprise funds, budget reallocation and ERP improvements — to increase transparency and balance budgets. He also said he has experience with override planning when necessary.
With no additional questions, the board moved and seconded a motion to affirm the appointment and to waive the residency requirement. The motion passed unanimously. The town manager said he would follow up to finalize Arnett’s start date and relocation plans.
