In a rebuke of the Selectboard, the Finance Committee declared its efforts are “pointless” because of a lack of interest by the Selectboard in the Finance Committee’s work. Thereafter, four of the five members resigned. Linda Cook is the only remaining member.
The memorandum was delivered to the Selectboard on Wednesday morning, following a 4-1 vote by NFC at its special meeting the night before. The Town Manager declined to release the document until it appeared in the Selectboard packet on Friday.
The one-page memorandum is in the Selectboard packet for the January 27 meeting at page 45, as are the resignation letters. Here are some excerpts from the memorandum.
For months, we have met at regular intervals to discuss a wide range of issues that impact the financial health of our beloved town. While we have not always agreed, we have worked diligently and earnestly to reach a consensus on key matters. …
While we understand that the Selectboard is under no obligation to accept the recommendations of the NFC, it is our shared belief that the Selectboard does not take, nor seems to desire, input from the NFC. Despite our repeated efforts over the past few years, the Selectboard has not actively sought our recommendations regarding the operational budget or capital budget planning.
Every volunteer member of the NFC has expended a great deal of time and effort in fulfilling the NFC’s charge to the best of our abilities. Unfortunately, without any degree of real engagement from the Selectboard, our efforts are pointless.
The memorandum is in the Selectboard packet under correspondence. That means there wasn’t enough interest by the Selectboard to quickly bump it up to an agenda item for Wednesday. I guess that was the Finance Committee’s point. Regardless, the overall situation does not speak well for the state of Norwich finances.
It is not the first time during my time in Norwich that the Selectboard ignored a Finance Committee. It was once an elected position. When the Selectboard stopped listening to the NFC, it faded away. The Committee was reconstituted in 2018, because its help was needed.
I was a member of the Norwich Finance Committee from 1993-1996 when it was an elected position. When I applied for an appointment to the NFC in June 2020, I did so because I wanted to work with the talented group of people who were then on the Committee. And, I was hopeful that it would be different this time and the work of the NFC would be a valued contribution to the Selectboard’s budget review process. Sadly, it was not.
It’s both tragic and a reflection of our Selectboard that they’re not willing to collaborate or listen to our Finance Committee. In a Town that has a Committee for everything (and now proposed working groups) it’s embarrassing that the SB cannot work with those with experience. This year, more than ever, we need fiscal restraint. School and municipal taxes will rise. The State budget has been negatively impacted by Covid. While we witnessed the overturning of Article 8 ($3 million geothermal) we now have a SB that refused to place a solar cost saving Article on the ballot and instead placed an Article (#10 proposed by Linda Gray) to eliminate real estate taxes on commercial solar fields in Norwich. An Article drafted by a SB member who is conflicted in that he works in solar and for/with the two local firms who will immediate benefit from this tax evasion article.
Where is our fiscal sense?
This is not good news. Citizen input, such as that provided by the Finance Committee, is a valuable resource to Town governing… especially when the input is given by a group like the NFC that worked extremely hard to provide well researched and unbiased, call it expert, analysis on matters related to the finances of our town.
Thank you, Harry. It was not an easy decision. Troubled relationships can only be fixed if both parties are willing to work toward that goal. Sadly, it was the conclusion of 4 of the 5 members that continuing was “pointless”, as there didn’t seem to be a willingness on the part of the SB commit to resolving the issues. Perhaps that will change in the future. Only time will tell.
We are having the SAME KIND OF PROBLEM in Ellsworth, Maine. The seven city councilors are unswayed by any amount or type of citizen communication and feedback, they don’t consider they need to answer to anyone. So some of us created a citizen’s initiative titled Citizens Acting for a Responsible Ellsworth (see facebook). At the last meeting where many, many citizens made comments, their parting shot at the end of the meeting was “listening is not agreeing”. 7Councilors – 1 / 8000Citizens – 0
Sorry for your troubles. At least your newspaper is willing to publish your side of the story.
This is what we get from a select board of which the majority favors the wholesale change of the town of Norwich from a friendly, rural town to a suburban enclave for the well off and subsidiary of Dartmouth College, Incorporated.