Sudbury FinCom reappoints Chaffee to capital panel, sets liaison roster

SUDBURY — June 26, 2023 — Sudbury Finance Committee reappoints Susan Chaffee to capital panel and maps fall agenda. The committee voted 9-0 at its June 26 meeting to return Chaffee to a three-year term on the Capital Improvement Advisory Committee after one outside applicant emerged for the joint Select Board / FinCom posting. Co-Chair Mike Ferrari said the committee should push for input into revenue estimates and the guidance set for the three cost centers, citing last year's $750,000 SPS override gap that state aid ultimately closed by roughly $350,000. Member Henry P. Sorett pressed for a line-item budget at town meeting, calling the current approach a "black box" and arguing "bureaucratic inertia is to preserve, protect and procreate budgets." Co-Chair Eric Poch went further, questioning the Select Board's duplicative role: "You can't have the policymaking branch judging their own budget." Member Ryan Lynch proposed shifting to activity-based budget presentation. The committee approved Feb. 27 minutes 9-0 and skipped August; next meeting is July 24.