To the Editor:

For many years, the Board of Finance (“BOF”) has been made up of individuals who have faithfully carried out the mandate of maintaining responsible financial stewardship over taxpayer dollars.

On November 8, there will be a ballot question asking whether the Town Charter should be amended to eliminate the BOF and I will be voting “NO.”

Those who support eliminating the BOF argue that there are redundancies and that the BOF has no ultimate fiscal authority. However, during my six-year tenure on this board collectively as a member, Vice Chair and Chair, I witnessed firsthand the value that this Board brings to our municipal operations. The BOF has consistently researched, reviewed and amended policies to reflect best practices.

It has consistently reviewed spending plans and requests in the context of the larger financial picture and overall fiscal health of our Town. The recommendations made to the Legislative Council by the Board of Finance over the years have been sound and based on due diligence completed over the course of months of meetings. Decisions and recommendations made by the BOF have had significant and positive impacts on the Town with our AAA bond rating as just one example.

While the BOF is a political board, its actions historically have been bipartisan — even when one party maintained a political majority over the other. It is a board where Rs and Ds review budgets with one goal in mind — continued financial security and responsible spending of tax dollars. A BOF is needed to continue working on long-term projections of capital needs, budget forecasts and policy work.

Please join me in voting “NO” to the elimination of the BOF as reflected in ballot question #2.

(My comments are my own and not on behalf of the Board of Finance of which I am a member.)

Thank you,

Sandy Roussas

Newtown