Line Item budget you say; Town Meeting spoke back in 2014 and again in May, 2021 by way of article 22,  On a motion duly made and seconded the town voted to recommend that the Town Administrator, pursuant to the discretion as to form and detail afforded by Art. II, § 28-7 of the Bylaws, continue to present the annual budget in an omnibus form, rather than in a line item or any other form.

 Passed/May 12th @ 9:51 pm

Think the town should go back to a line item budget, present a citizens petition to ask town meeting that question.

Statutory authority of a finance committee (advisory) does not change from town to town - they control the reserve fund, they are involved in end of year transfers, changing spending limits on revolving funds, making recommendations to town meeting. Their role in town governance does change from town to town. I do not say that, it is stated in the handbook of town finance (advisory) committees.

page 12 in the handbook - Finance Committee: The finance committee is a town’s official fiscal watchdog. Its primary responsibility is to advise and make recommendations to town meeting on the budget and other areas of finance, although in many towns they prepare and submit the budget as well as comment on it. The state statutory authority of the finance committee does not vary from community to community, but the role and process does. (See “The Role of the Finance Committee” at the beginning of the Handbook.)