LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Finance Committee hopes to be more involved earlier in the budget process this year. 

The committee has already sent out letters to department heads about returning budgets by Feb. 15. Committee Chair Jodi-Lee Szczepaniak-Locke said she hopes to reduce the budget as much as possible. 

"I really think that this is the year that we need to be more visible in the pre-planning stages of the budget, before they get to the Board of Selectmen, before they get to the town administrator," she said. "... It's really time for some of those harder conversations to be had." 

The board had issues at last year's town meeting, primarily stemming from salary increases approved with the budget. The town ultimately voted on the Select Board's version of the budget, which had the salary increases, and not the Finance Committee's version. Szczepaniak-Locke said they are working with the Department of Revenue for an answer to what is actually correct. 

Committee member Stephen Wentworth said he wants to make things easier for the incoming town administrator. Gina Dario, who the Select Board hired in November, starts on Feb. 15. Beth Carroll was appointed as the interim town administrator until her start date.

"The last thing to worry about is the new town administrator comes in, spends a couple of weeks getting situated in the job, and then somebody says, oh, by the way, you got an annual town meeting," he said. 

Board member Robert Reilly said he would like the town's omnibus budget to be complete in time to be in this year's town report. He said having more people involved in the process has occasionally caused confusion, and having the info available sooner would help. 

"In recent years, because so many other groups, the town manager, the Board of Selectmen, and whatever else process was on that side of government. They started getting involved in it, and it got later and later, to the point that it couldn't get to the printer to be in the town report," he said. 

Board member Ronald Tinkham said he would like the committee to be more involved with financial aspects of the town. He highlighted several things that have financial impact where the committee is not involved, such as the American Rescue Plan Act Committee and the town's solar projects. 

"There's a lot of things that have been talked about at various levels that affect finances," he said. "In the long run, we haven't necessarily been involved. All I'm asking is, should we be?" 

The other committee members explained these things, specifically town ARPA funds, are not necessarily under the preview of the committee. 

"The bylaws do not say that the Finance Committee is to stick its nose into anything and everything that has to do with finances," Wentworth said. "That stuff tends to fall under the town administrator and then the Select Board, in particular." 

The board plans to meet next on Feb. 6, and intends to invite any department heads interested to present their budget. 

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