Town of Lenox, Massachusetts

Town of Lenox Annual Town Report - 2008
REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen and Citizens of Lenox:
The nine members of the Lenox Finance Committee meet on a regular basis to
review financial issues facing the town. We work closely with the Town Manager,
Board of Selectmen and department heads during the annual budgetary process to
ensure that taxpayer dollars are duly allocated throughout the various departments.
Given the current economic climate and harsh fiscal realities facing the taxpayers of
Lenox, we anticipate this year's task to be incredibly challenging.
Each Committee Member works with the town departments to ensure all
requests are reviewed in a fair and equitable manner. We commend the Town
Manager’s ability to continue to balance the budget.
We are the custodians of the town’s reserve account. This forty thousand-dollar
account is used throughout the year to meet emergency expenditures. Release of
funds requires the approval of the Committee Members, the Selectmen and the Town
Manager. Should any balance remain, at the end of the fiscal year, it is returned to the town.
As the economy continues to contract, we will continue to try to cut spending
and identify new options for additional revenue. We will continue to look at the level
of services offered to residents, and make recommendations based on the budgetary
constraints and service levels provided to comparable populations. We continue to
highlight significant cost savings and efficiencies for the town, such as shared services
and reorganization across town departments. All of our recommendations and
findings are presented to the Selectmen and Town Manager for input and review.
With a full complement of members, we are confident we will continue to provide
financially sound input for the overall fiscal management of the Town. Thank
you to the department heads for their careful budget preparation and effective cost
management. In addition, we thank the Selectmen and Town Manager for their continued
dedication to the well being of our town.
Respectfully submitted:
Bob LaChance, Chairman
Russell Gorman
Ed Lane
Mark McKenna
Joe Nejaime
Eric Nickerson
Tracy Reis
Pamela Roberts
Peter Spina
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