Seifert column: Reinventing the Finance Committee

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November 5, 2009

Ken Seifert

From time to time I have been approached to run for selectman, School Committee or to offer to join the Finance Committee. I am flattered by the suggestion. I think the proposer has an exaggerated opinion of my capabilities. I do think we all need to reinvent ourselves as well as our institutions. If I were on the Finance Committee I would propose a three-year strategic plan. Here are some reasons.

The most moving comment I heard at Town Meeting this year was said by Joanne Marden, chairwoman of the Finance Committee. It was during an article when a citizen was suggesting a way to make budget information available in a more user friendly format for the taxpayer. Here was a woman who has given unselfishly of her time and talents for many years. She has saved the town big bucks when listened to. At the very moment of the heat of the discussion she said, "We are only volunteers."

These volunteers spend an inordinate amount of precious time away from family, jobs and activities for themselves. Much of it is unnecessary if the process were different.

The second thought is a concept from my professional training and lessons learned as an administrator. Every effective effort, whether individual or group, personal or professional has a mission, good planning and good monitoring.

I combined these two thoughts and constructed an outline of a three-year strategic plan for the Finance Committee. Here is a start of a reinvention process and a strategic plan. It is intended as an example suggested by one citizen. I am sure there are more and better thoughts.

At the next scheduled meeting of the Finance Committee members make the following proposal. They then give the community and town departments one month to give comments and suggestions. One should always get feedback before any policy or process is initiated.

Mission Statement

The Finance Committee is an advisory committee comprised of volunteers. Our responsibility is to the entire community. Our major function is to provide guidance on the financial status and financial stability of the town. To do this we need information on the rationale and cost of a proposal and why is it a sound investment. In its simplest terms, is it a good plan and can we afford it?

Therefore it is our plan to develop standards for citizen and town requests that must exhibit a goal, a detailed plan, and how the plan is to be monitored. We all know the world is paved with good intentions. We do not approve intentions. We will provide examples and forms for strategic plans, long and short range planning and capital projects. There will be new standards for the presentation of annual budgets by town departments. Forms will be provided. When town departments submit proposals they must be presented in a manner that can be understood by citizens of the community.

We will not consider money unless a proposal has provided sufficient details. There will be no exceptions.

We will review all proposals on the basis of sound business criteria and provide a written report to the proposed. Volunteers from the community with special skills are welcome to provide input. We will provide minutes of our actions.

We will have a specific schedule for submission of requests, review of proposals, and the results of our deliberations. These also will be public. Legitimate emergency measures will always be entertained.

We will monitor quarterly the intended budgets and financial activities. We will publicly publish our assessment in a timely fashion.

Now where in heaven's name are all these forms and models to come from? We do not need a task force, a feasibility study or a group of consultants. In our reinvention we should only use such measures where it is prudent to do so and when it is something we cannot do ourselves. We should not expect the Finance Committee to develop them. They should be provided to them unless they wish to do so. Here are six options to achieve the task.

1 Offer any citizen a free parking permit who provides a usable model or form. Give them a special sticker on the car so everyone will know the driver is a reinventor in our town.

2. Ask a secretary in either a town or school department to Google; what is a strategic plan, how do you monitor a budget or what is a short and long range plan. Ask the searcher to get the three or four best examples for the Finance Committee to look at. The administrator could review and approve the package before delivery.

3. Have an elective course or project at the high school. Give students the problem. Pay a teacher $500 to facilitate the activity. Of course give the students credit.

4. Invite retirees, who have expertise, to spend a few afternoons or evenings working on the problem. Give them a timetable and free lunches at the senior center.

5. It should be obvious what this option is.

6. A combination of the above 5.

It took us over a year to settle and balance this year's budget. What did we learn from the experience? Where is the town headed? Can we afford a new school? Will we reduce more employees next year? What new user fees will be proposed? I can assure you if I have learned one thing it is usually the way we conduct our activities through visions, planning and follow through that is the problem and not the people. If we have another year like the past one, more people will want to leave town and new home buyers will look elsewhere.

Ken Seifert is a 40-year resident of Andover and a former superintendent of schools.