Thomas Jefferson wrote, "There is a debt of service due from every man to his country, proportioned to the
bounties which nature and fortune have measured to him." With this in mind I reflect on this past year, as well as my past eleven years of service on Finance Committee.
Franklin continues to be a great place to live. Witnessed by so many people who are willing to step up in public service and give back to the community. Over my tenure I have directly served with thirty-six different
FinCom members. For most of my time, FinCom was a one year appointment. Yet the average tenure of these 36 is just over 3 years, while the average of the longest serving five members is just over seven years.
In the democratic process, change happens incrementally. Therefore it is important to maintain some institutional knowledge to maintain consistency of direction. Due to the many public servants in Franklin,
be they volunteers on various committees and projects or paid employees, we do a great job maintaining the
consistency needed for this well run town. Kudos to all.
Our fiscal year, which started July 1, 2012, began with one of our seven year tenured member & long time Clerk, Phyllis Messere choosing not to be renewed. Let me be the first to thank her for years of service. Once again great citizens stepped forward to volunteer and we added Paul Aparo to the committee.
It was a very busy year for FinCom, although somewhat quiet relative to financial issues. During the year the
committee met nine times. Four of those meetings were focused on the Fiscal 2014 budget process.
Additionally, several members participated in the annual meeting of the Association of Town Finance
Committees held at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School. We also continued the efforts to
maintain departmental communication with an active joint budget subcommittee meetings attended by
Councilors, School Committee Members and FinCom members.
Incremental Progress
Our accomplishments over the years were many. And while towns must proceed amidst a cacophony of
Federal, State & local laws, rules & regulations continued focus and public debate enables improvements to occur. Some change impacts few, such as the merging of school and town financial systems or an improved budget presentation. Some change is more visible and impact all, such as capital improvements. We can be inspired by the people who are willing to be involved in the public discourse as it is open for all to have their say. And I am proud of all the improvements to our town.
My farewell
As many know by now, the Finance Committee will have a new Chair this upcoming year. After 11 years on
the committee, six as Chair, I have decided not to seek reappointment. I leave knowing there were good people on the committee before me, good people remain and good people will continue to step up. I thank all who have served, all who have helped me serve better and all who will step up in the future. Trust that your service does make a difference.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jim Roche
Chairman, Franklin Finance Committee
Chris Quinn, Vice Chair
Susan Dewsnap, Clerk
Paul Aparo
Michael Dufour
Brett Feldman
Pat Goldsmith
Linda Poole Huempfner
Tim Smith
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| Franklin Municipal Building |
The full annual report can be obtained from the Town Clerk's office (hard copy) or viewed and/or downloaded from the Franklin website here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/2013report.pdf
Annual reports of prior years can also be found online at
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/
