Board of Finance chair urges keeping appointed structure, lays out budget and governance details

Todd Labieri, chair of the Board of Finance, spent a substantial portion of the Jan. 6 meeting explaining why New Canaan's appointed finance structure has delivered stable fiscal outcomes and why the commission should be cautious about converting that board to an elected body.

Labieri described the board as "open, accessible, and requiring a team with skills," saying appointments allow the town to recruit lawyers, CPAs, CFOs and construction experts who might not run for election. He noted checks and balances: the selectmen present a budget, the Board of Finance votes on recommendations, and the town council has the final approval authority. He said the board has overseen approximately $1.5 billion in spending over the past decade and pointed to strong pension funding and recent audit performance as evidence that the system works.

During Q&A commissioners raised governance questions: whether the treasurer should report to other committees, whether the charter should specify a vice chair, how special assessments are authorized, and whether clearer lines of accountability or reporting language belong in the charter. Labieri acknowledged some technical ambiguities (for example, language around one-time special assessments) and committed to providing follow-up materials and to working with a smaller subgroup to review the charter's finance chapter line-by-line.

Legal perspective and caution: Ira Bloom, who identified himself as the town attorney with experience representing several Fairfield County towns, offered observations that both elected and appointed commissions can work and urged the commission to examine specific local trade-offs. One commissioner objected to the town attorney's comments as inappropriate advocacy; the town attorney said he was offering experience and perspective, not a policy recommendation.

Next steps: Labieri and the board agreed to provide the commission with technical clarifications, to look into whether treasurer reporting or vice-chair language should be codified, and to meet in smaller groups to go through the finance chapter in detail.