The members of Greenfield’s Budget Advisory Committee met Tuesday, Aug. 30, with the members of the Selectboard during the board’s biweekly meeting.
The purpose of the discussion to plan an approach for the upcoming budget season, in an attempt to avoid the difficulty of last year’s process.
“My goal in asking to meet you here was to get your input on the budget, not just send it on to you,” Selectboard Chair Margaret Charig Bliss said to the four-person committee, adding that she does not think it should just be a rubber stamp.
The groups came up with a plan in which the committee will generate a budget proposal form, which the board will approve, that will be sent to town department heads. The department heads will be responsible for detailing their budgetary needs and sending the form back to both the budget committee and selectboard before they meet.
“We can then come together and have our questions prepared,” Norman Nickerson, a member of the Budget Advisory Committee, said. “At least we’ll have some idea what’s going on.”
Charig Bliss hopes this will ease the process and make it easier to address the general public at town meeting next year.
“I’d like to take control of this process because I think it’s gotten away from us,” she told them. “If you have ideas, put them in writing so the papers don’t get lost, but I am open to listening to suggestions.”
Greenfield residents should expect a tax increase this year due to the new school district contract taking affect and because they agreed at last year’s town meeting to begin putting money away in a capital reserve fund.
Brandon Latham, can be reached at 924-7171, ext. 234.