Finance Committee

Finance Committee Meetings

• 7:00 p.m.
• Wednesdays
• Town Hall
  1471 Highland Avenue
   Needham, MA 02492

The Finance Committee generally meets weekly during the winter and spring months as it conducts its review of the operating and capital budget submissions and the other financial warrant articles that will be presented at the annual town meeting.

The Committee also meets as needed prior to each Special Town Meeting to review the warrant articles and during the year to act on Reserve Fund Transfer requests.

Members

The Finance Committee consists of nine registered voters appointed by the Town Moderator. The Moderator shall appoint annually three members to serve for three years. The Finance Committee elects from its members a chair and other officers.

Louise Miller, Chair
Carol A. Smith-Fachetti, Vice Chair
Karen Calton
Barry Coffman
John Connelly
Carli Hairston
James Healy
Joshua Levy
Paul O'Connor
(as of September, 2023)

General Purpose

The Finance Committee considers all matters of business included within the articles of any warrant for a town meeting, and shall, after due consideration, report thereon its recommendations as to each article that it finds to have a financial implication. The Committee provides a report to the annual town meeting together with the motion in the form to be proposed in connection with each article, in the warrant.

Budget

The town by-laws charge the Finance Committee with the responsibility of recommending a balanced budget to Town Meeting for its consideration and vote. The Finance Committee makes recommendations to town meeting on capital requests and on policies and principles of sound fiscal management.

The Committee is mandated by state law to "consider any and all municipal questions for the purpose of making requests or recommendations to the town."

Video

Watch our video from our October 2023 information session on the Town's budget process, Town Meeting Warrant development and role of the Finance Committee: Meet the Finance Committee

Links to Helpful Information on Municipal Finance

Finance Committee Glossary and Term Sheet
The Finance Committee prepared a Glossary & Term Sheet in order to provide some basic definitions of terms that are often referred to during Town Meeting discussion but might not be familiar to everyone or may have a unique meaning in the context of municipal finance.   Please click here.

Guide to Financial Management for Town Officials
A guide for local officials to help gain a general understanding of local government finance. Prepared by the Massachusetts Division of Local Services (DLS). Please click here.

Introduction to Municipal Finance
Virtual training modules providing comprehensive overview of municipal finance prepared by Massachusetts Division of Local Services (DLS). Please click here.