OVERVIEW
The New Boston Finance Committee reviews both the Town and School Budgets and makes recommendations about these budgets to Town officials, the School Board, and voters.
The Committee includes a representative from the Board of Selectmen, a School Board representative, and five townspeople who are appointed by the Selectmen.
The Selectmen seek volunteers who are a cross-section of the Town population: homemakers, retired people, and businesspeople. We serve three-year terms, and there are generally one or two open positions each year.
DUTIES
The Finance Committee meets about three times a month from October until January. At each meeting, we typically review the budgets of two Town departments or the School budget.
This is more interesting than you may think, because there is generally a story behind every change to a budget.
We learn a lot about Town government, how the Highway Department maintains 100 miles of roads, how the Police and Fire Departments provide public safety, how the Transfer Station handles over 2500 tons of waste and recyclables each year, how the Library and Recreation Commission provide cultural resources to the Town, and how the School educates our children.
Being on the Finance Committee is an education in itself!
In addition to listening to the Town departments and School Board, the Finance Committee provides feedback from our perspective as voters and taxpayers. Most of us are not accountants, as the Town and School have administrators and auditors who are responsible for the actual finances, our role is purely advisory.
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