Board Of Finance Has Duties

And Limitations

To the Editor:

I am writing to you as a longtime tax paying citizen of Newtown and not as the first selectman. Therefore, my comments relative to Mr B. Walczak’s letter to The Bee on July 24, 2009 [“Where Was The Finance Board On Fairfield Hills?”] in no way represents the thinking of the other selectmen.

Mr Walczak’s letter takes issue with the idea that the Board of Finance has targeted the Board of Education with undue scrutiny on budget matters and has not subjected the town budget to the same scrutiny. I beg to differ. The Board of Finance has been just as tough on the town budget as demonstrated at the public session at the high school this year. The town is very fortunate to have Bob Tait as our finance director, whose abilities have enabled him to work smoothly and efficiently in responding to the Board of Finances requests; therefore, we don’t hear too much noise.

The Board of Finance was established a number of years ago when the Legislative Council realized it could no longer handle the increasing financial needs of a rapidly growing town with council members who had little or no financial experience. As a former council member and former finance subcommittee chairman I was one of the advocates for a separate finance board to act as an advisory committee to the full council relative to the town, Board of Education budgets and the CIP.

I am very proud and highly pleased that we have six extremely qualified members with financial and legal knowledge and experience on the Board of Finance. If we are smart we will see that they stay on the board and John Kortze remains as chairman.

Further, I will not address Mr Walczak’s opinions and statements contained in his letter. Rather, I suggest that he refer to Section 6-12, pages 22 and 23 of the Charter, which delineates the duties of the Board of Finance. There he will find that the Board of Finance is to receive the town and Board of Education budgets, hold public hearings thereon, question department heads, analyze the results, and recommend an overall budget to the Legislative Council. The council can accept or reject the proposed budget. If it is rejected, it goes back to the Board of Finance for rework and resubmittal. Nowhere in Section 6-12 is there any indication that the Board of Finance should be engaged in any of the efforts stated in Mr Walczak’s letter.

In closing, with the rapidly approaching election season I hope we can deal with the facts and what’s right for the Town of Newtown and its future.

Sincerely yours,

Joseph E. Borst

10 Beechwood Drive, Sandy Hook                                   July 29, 2009