A petition was initiated by new Selectman Edward Maia, who says videotaping the Finance Committee meetings would "show transparency across the board."
Monson Town Hall.MONSON – Videotaping Finance Committee meetings and studying the current governance structure are some of the questions that will come before voters at the May 9 annual Town Meeting.
The petition was initiated by new Selectman Edward A. Maia, who says videotaping the Finance Committee meetings would “show transparency across the board.” Fifteen residents, including Maia, signed a petition asking for the warrant article, which was approved by selectmen at their Tuesday night meeting.
“I was prepping for getting on the selectboard and started hitting the different meetings. The Finance Committee develops the budget. As I’m sitting there listening and watching, I’m thinking, ‘This is like one of the more powerful boards in the town as far as what they’re charged to do. Why are they not being taped?,’” Maia said.
Maia said he has talked to M-Pact, which already tapes selectmen and School Committee meetings, and was told they would be able to cover the Finance Committee’s Monday meetings at no extra charge. Maia said the only change would be that the Finance Committee would have to move its meetings from the town accountant’s office to the selectmen’s room because that is where M-Pact’s equipment is located.
“The more transparent the town government is, the less it gives people the chance to say, ‘They’re hiding stuff. They’re trying to trick us,’” Maia said. “There’s power in knowledge.”
Maia is a former School Committee member; four School Committee members who served with him also signed the petition.
Town Moderator Richard E. Guertin, who runs the annual and special Town Meetings, also signed the petition. Guertin hopes that airing the meetings will entice people to join the Finance Committee, and said it will also help people learn the issues before they get to Town Meeting.
Voters also will be asked if they want to videotape Town Meetings, so they can be aired at a later date, and also will be asked if they want a committee to be formed to review the town’s governance structure.
Meanwhile, the town is facing a shortfall of $129,000 for fiscal 2012, and Town Administrator Gretchen E. Neggers and Finance Director Deborah A. Mahar will be developing a list of potential cuts for Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting.
Neggers said selectmen identified budget priorities, which include meeting the mandatory legal requirements, protecting emergency services and financial operations, meeting net spending for the schools, consolidating services wherever possible, and avoiding a disproportionate cut to the library.
She said they also were asked to show the risk and benefit associated with each proposed reduction.