It has been two years since a Maplewood Citizens' Budget Advisory Committee reviewed the town's budget and provided suggestions to the Township Committee. I write to ask if anyone is interested in joining such an effort this year.
In past years, the CBAC:
- Formed sub-committees to mirror the township’s organization (e.g. public safety, recreation)
- Interviewed the heads of the departments, learned about their operations and reviewed their sections of the budget
- Followed along with the budget process from October through February or March
- Ultimately wrote and delivered a set of observations & recommendations to the Township Committee, usually in early February
I find it to be a valuable education. Working in the CBAC, you get to see close-up how our town works and where the money comes from and goes. You get to know a number of the people who work for the town and you learn about the challenges they handle every day. And frankly, at least in Maplewood, you get a lot of respect for how well the town is managed.
To be effective in the CBAC, expect to commit between 10 and 20 hours over the 4 to 5 months of the budget cycle, attend a couple of weekend meetings (with coffee & cake of course) and if possible meet with a department head on a weekday. If you can write, that will come in handy when we are preparing a report to the TC. If you can crunch numbers, even better - budgets do have lots of numbers after all. If you want to learn - well, that's what makes it worthwhile.
Interested? If so, please let me know. If I get a critical mass - 5 or 6 Maplewoodians - then I will start work on a schedule. Feel free to let me know here on MOL or contact me directly at 973-378-3472.
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