Elected or appointed - two different views.

Yes - from a selectmen - 

Nancy Maloney, member of the West Bridgewater Board of Selectmen

"My personal opinion is that town finance committee members should be elected. Presently, our Finance Committee in West Bridgewater is chosen by vote of a committee appointed by the town moderator. I mean no disrespect to our moderator, the nominating committee, or members of the Finance Committee, but this method of appointment can lead to individual bias as a factor in the decision and decreased accessibility and accountability to the public. Holding an election to appoint those desiring to serve in this capacity promotes transparency, civic participation, and integrity in leadership, all desirable qualities in a democratic society.

I am a firm believer in the democratic process, where all people have a vote that truly does count. This occurs in an election. As more boards, committees, and other posts are elected, the role of the individual taxpayer is increased as is the accountability attributed to those elected positions. Additionally, elected positions are highly visible and encourage community participation. It is an opportunity for more residents to have a say in how their hometown is run and how their tax dollars are allocated. Nowhere does that count more than in a small community, such as West Bridgewater, striving to meet the demands of 21st-century governing.

The Finance Committee is charged with providing recommendations regarding the town’s budget, and serves in an advisory capacity on a volunteer basis. Given the time and commitment needed to present an annual budget to the town, Finance Committee members are a critical part of the process and necessary for fiscal stability in providing services.

Undergoing an electoral process, which at times can be grueling and hard-fought, ensures that these individuals are committed to serving the people, are passionate about bettering the town, and have the experience, professional training, and education to effectively perform their duties. It also makes their actions and decisions directly accountable to the people. For these reasons, I believe they should be elected by the townspeople, especially so voters can further engage with their local leadership to create towns in which they are proud and happy to live and in which they have an active, highly important role."

No - from a Finance Committee member- 

Eric Beckerman, chairman of the Avon Finance Committee and second vice president of the Massachusetts Association of Town Finance Committees.

Finance committees are charged with the responsibility to recommend budgetary and financial issues to town meeting. I believe that this responsibility should be free of any political pressures and therefore should be given to citizens appointed by whatever authority is mandated by town meeting and\or the bylaws of the town.

When finance committees are appointed – which is the case in the vast majority of Massachusetts towns – their responsibility is to the people of the town and not to any political party or pressures associated with the election process. I believe in our election system as a whole, but I feel that there are times that decisions are made based on political viewpoints and\or popularity and not always on what’s best for the fiscal health of the community. Being an appointed board allows the freedom to ask any and all questions on behalf of the people without the worries of politics or election repercussions. It also places the finance committee on a level playing field with the town leaders due to the fact that, like them, we are accountable directly to the people of the town.

In my experience of being involved in the process, I have learned that with a strong, appointed finance committee, there is a trust factor with the people that cannot be overlooked or minimized. The people of the town deserve to have a strong voice regardless of their political affiliations and rely on the finance committee to act as a watchdog group. This ensures that the financial issues they care about are accounted for in the process and voiced, if needed.

While an appointed board may not have the same responsibilities as an elected one, the mandate is still fairly consistent. Finance committees as a whole have a heavy burden to learn the municipal finance process and apply these rules as required. Between the various budgets and differences in philosophy, this can be a cumbersome and very confusing process.

Members of the community who volunteer to serve their town in this capacity, either appointed or elected, should be commended for their commitment and dedication to the town they call home.