By ARIELLA MONTI
Each year the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee receives a copy of the village's proposed budget for review, and offers its recommendations to the board of trustees and the mayor. "They all have some kind of financial-sector expertise, and they just provide us with another set of ideas, reviews of the information and any kind of suggestions they may have," Mayor Mary Bossart said of the committee. "Everybody does pay the taxes, so we want to tap those people in the community that have the ability to give us another perspective."
While the size of the Budget Advisory Committee is flexible, this year it numbers 15 people. Bossart appoints all of the members, who generally stay as long as they can dedicate themselves to the work.
"We take it seriously, because the budget hearings are not necessarily well attended," Bossart of the committee's influence on the board's decisions. "We want to be sure that we've heard from people here in the community."
"Last year I think it did have an impact, because the board withdrew their initial proposal and modified it somewhat," said former co-chairman Jack Brull, who was a member of the committee since 1996 before stepping down last year.
The group was set to meet for the first time on Tuesday, to go over the first draft of the 2009-2010 budget with village comptroller Michael Schussheim. The final budget must be voted on by the board by May 1.
According to its chairman, Jim Fagan, the committee has a responsibility to review the budget and offer the best advice possible. "Because of the current economic environment, we want to be looking at if there are ways we can think collectively and creatively about what's happening within our own village, and how the economy's impacting that," said Fagan, a certified financial advisor and the former CEO of a local company. "More importantly, what are the challenges we are facing as a village going forward?"
The committee was formed in 1989 under former Mayor Eugene Murray during a time of financial hardship in the village. Along with reviewing the budget, committee members also take on various assignments such as reviewing police contracts.
According to former co-chairman Bob Pagnotta, organizations that establish credit ratings look favorably on governments that have citizen involvement.
"It gave me a level of being comfortable with the decisions the board was making," said Pagnotta, who was part of the committee from 1997 to 2008, "so that I felt that we were getting a fair shake for the monies that we were paying."
Committee members
Jim Fagan, chairman
Vincent Bohn
Edward Oppenheimer
Nick Demeo
Tom Gallucci
Eric Sussman
Mike Fineo
John Wachter
Eileen Alexanderson
Peter Dordal
Ralph Bumbaca
Lester Wilensky
James Foley
John Burke
Eileen White Jahn
