Report of the Finance Committee 2009

The primary functions of the Southwick Finance Committee are to review departmental budgets and submit a balanced budget to the Town meeting. We must also maintain a reserve fund to make transfers for urgent or unforeseen expenditures that could not have been anticipated before the Town meeting. Additionally, we have been charged to consider and make recommendations regarding any financial business of the Town.
 

Developing balanced budgets has been challenging for the past several years. We have been able to do it only through the extraordinary efforts of our Town Department Managers and the Southwick-Tolland Regional School District in controlling their expenses. On behalf of the Town of Southwick, we thank them for their cooperation.
 

The States’ fiscal situation remains guarded this year and improvement is still questionable for the coming years. We also still have some major financial issues facing the Town, primarily related to our capital expenditure needs and a costly infrastructure repairs. Substantial expenditures for either a new school or extensive renovation of existing School District structures still remain on the horizon. Considering the poor economy, finding the means to pay for these projects will be continue to be challenging.  More so than ever before, the community will have to work together to successfully solve the problems facing us, now and in the future.
 

Respectively submitted,
 

Richard Buley, Chairman

Robert Horacek, Vice-Chairman

Linda Bathel

Chris Garvey

Sheila Chamberlin

Joe Ricco

Joe Lemieux

Robin Solek, Secretary