Board of Finance Special Meeting
The Goshen Board of Finance held a special meeting on May 10th, 2023 to discuss and allocate funds for the town’s various departments in the upcoming fiscal year of 2023-2024. The meeting, chaired by Allan Walker, commenced promptly at 7:30 p.m. and was attended by several board members, town officials, and representatives from different departments.
During the meeting, the board members deliberated on each budget proposal and took a series of votes to appropriate funds. While most motions were passed unanimously, a few instances saw recusals due to potential conflicts of interest.
Bill Lane, as the head of the Fire Commission, abstained from the vote on the Fire Commission budget. Similarly, Bill Lane, Scott Tillman, and Jim Korner, who are all members of the Fire Company, recused themselves from voting on the motion to appropriate $291,000 for the Fire Company's budget in the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Such recusals avoid potential conflicts of interest, including the appearance of any conflicts of interest, in adherence to ethical principles.
The Fire Company's budget reduction of $50,000 from the original proposal was acknowledged during the discussion, highlighting their efforts to address the financial impact on the town.
Aside from the recusals, the majority of the budget motions passed unanimously, indicating a broad consensus among the board members. Some noteworthy budget appropriations included $13,000 for the Animal Control Officer, $93,007 for the Board of Assessors, $16,812 for the Board of Finance, $81,101 for the Building Official, and $4,072 for Cemeteries. Each of these motions passed unanimously without any reservations or further explanations.
In the case of the Conservation of Health budget, a question was raised regarding the potential impact of early voting, approved by legislators but set to take effect in 2025. However, it was clarified that the budget was not affected by this change. The motion to appropriate $75,246 for Conservation of Health passed unanimously.
Similarly, during the discussion on the Public Works budget, Bob Valentine questioned the necessity of allocating $17,000 for Mechanic Services, citing underspending in previous years. However, Todd Carusillo, the First Selectman, conveyed the importance of this account for major equipment repairs. The motion to appropriate $1,130,370 for Public Works passed unanimously after the clarification.
With respect to the Library budget, a motion was made to appropriate $164,804, emphasizing the significance of supporting community education and resources. This motion passed unanimously.
Throughout the meeting, the board members actively engaged in reviewing and assessing each budget proposal for funding the town's various departments and services.
The meeting concluded at 8:10 p.m. with a motion to adjourn, which passed unanimously.
