SOUTHAMPTON — In a razor thin margin, Southampton residents voted 53 to 50 in favor of making the Finance Committee an appointed rather than elected body at the special Town Meeting last Saturday.
The 100 residents that filled Norris Elementary School that morning approved all 13 articles on the warrant, but the changes to the Finance Committee generated the most debate with more than a dozen residents and town officials speaking on the matter.
Known as Article 2, the Finance Committee Bylaw calls for the town moderator to appoint the five-member body and gives the panel more fiscal responsibility during the budgeting process. The committee have been elected posts for years.
Those who argued in favor of the change highlighted that in the past Southampton has had a shortage of residents willing to run for election on committees, and that this change will make it easier to fill open seats. Those against the change were reluctant to lose voting authority to select members to such an important financial role for the town.
Town Administrator Scott Szczebak said this change is necessary because the current system simply does not work.
“It’ll be more efficient and with multiple vacancies, this makes it easier for the town moderator to interview and appoint members … there are currently no qualifications to be elected to the committee,” he said at the Dec. 6 meeting.
Szczebak said this change is recommended best practice and more than 85% of finance committees in the state are appointed.
“This change would institute an actual vetting process based on qualifications and experience just like we currently do with other appointed committees,” he said.
He said since 2019, positions for the Finance Committee have appeared on the ballot 23 times, and in 13 of those occasions, the spots were filled by write-ins or left vacant. Furthermore, there hasn’t been a contested election for the committee in more than a decade.
More residents spoke against the change and showed concerned than those in favor. Besides not being able to elect members, different residents questioned why authority is given to the town moderator to make the appointments. Others asked if it is really necessary to give a moderator that power when the Select Board can appoint a member if one is not elected.
Additionally, concern was shown that the moderator may not be qualified to appoint members and there would be discrimination based on financial background. Members of the Select Board said this would not be the case and while there will be a vetting process, people will still be able to volunteer for appointment.
While the amendment does give more responsibility to the committee, there are no specific qualifications required to be appointed.
“It’s really hard to get people to volunteer for almost any committee in town, let alone stand for election,” said Select Board Chair Christine Fowles.
“The town moderator is the leader of the legislative body and this elected official is trusted to make decisions that directly impact the town on a regular basis. If we trust the position of moderator to guide Town Meeting, the position can certainly be capable of appointing the finance committee,” said Szczebak.
Other articles
Article 1 passed with a majority vote, approving the transfer of $327,185 to cover the costs of the Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust (HCGIT) increase that kicked in on Oct. 1.
The funding comes from multiple sources — $150,000 from operating, $125,000 from capital, $2,185 from ambulance funds and $50,000 from general highway wages.
After two midyear increases from the HCGIT, the town began looking for ways to patch the funds and then began fishing for new providers. Szczebak said there is another increase coming from the HCGIT to Medicare patients effective Jan. 1 and another double-digit increase is anticipated next year.
Southampton has become one of the first communities to switch to the state’s Group Insurance Commission (GIC), having made the decision late last month after union negotiations.
At the meeting, Szczebak said the move should save the town almost $7,400 for each employee on a family plan and individual employees are expected to save nearly $3,000. Additionally, the move should save the town close to $400,000 next year compared to the trust.
Szczebak said there will be some risks depending on which plans employees choose and what the costs may be from the rest of the the town’s time in the trust.
However, the approved article does not affect that decision, and Szczebak said at the meeting that this approval is the best way the town could patch funds without cutting employees.
“Right now, this is the only way that we could fund this without cutting operational costs or personnel,” he said.
Szczebak said moving to the GIC will help correct some lost funds by July next year and hopefully the town can replenish some of the stabilization funds then.
One resident who is a retiree did show concern about the switch at the meeting, saying they are happy with their current plan’s coverage and did not want to lose services.
The other two articles that passed by majority with few dissenters were Article 3 — which removes the personnel policy and procedures board in the hiring process of new employees — and Article 12 — which appropriates $150,000 from Community Preservation Act funds to install a walking path and spray pad in Conant Park.
All other articles passed unanimously.