The Harwich Charter Commission is moving to overhaul the town’s fiscal calendar, proposing to shift the annual budget submission deadline from February to mid-January to resolve perennial friction between town administrators and the Finance Committee. The proposal, fueled by a comparative study of neighboring Eastham’s governance, aims to eliminate the "last-minute" rush that commission members say has left oversight boards without adequate time to vet multi-million dollar spending plans.

Commissioner Sandy Hall presented a detailed grid comparing Harwich’s timelines to Eastham’s, noting that the neighboring town manager submits a comprehensive draft budget to both the Select Board and Finance Committee simultaneously at least 120 days before Town Meeting. We've seen over the past number of years that all of a sudden the Selectmen are up against it and everything is last minute, Hall said, arguing that Harwich’s current February 10 deadline puts the Finance Committee in a reactive posture. They are a whole month ahead of the game on these critical timelines. Early in the session, the commission formalized recent records as Motion Made by S. Hall to approve the minutes July 17th as submitted. Motion Passed (6-0-0).

The discussion tapped into deep-seated frustrations regarding the level of detail provided to town oversight boards. Linda Cebula noted that the town’s original deadlines were shifted in 2013 due to concerns about school district data and state receipts, which she argued are no longer significant hurdles. The big problem and the big disconnect is getting information to the Finance Committee, Cebula said. They're not getting anything on time and they're not getting the information they're used to because it's all so rushed at the end. We need to think about phrasing for the level of detail because right now it just says 'present a budget.' That leaves it open as to what is provided, and that is not good.

The commission reached a consensus to draft charter language requiring simultaneous budget delivery to the Select Board and Finance Committee, along with a mandate for more granular financial data. Tony Lord voiced strong support for the change, emphasizing the inefficiency of the current two-week gap between executive and legislative review. Having to sit there and wait for two weeks is ridiculous, Lord said. You've got two and a half months to figure out what the hell you're going to do. Lord also advocated for the Finance Committee to have direct access to Munis, the town’s accounting software, to ensure they have the tools necessary to verify departmental memos and financial reports.

Noreen Donahue, Chair of the Water and Wastewater Commission, provided a perspective from within town departments, noting that budget work often starts much earlier than the public realizes. The budget was due last year on August 23rd... It bothers me that they're killing themselves in the summer and nobody even knows that that information sits there, Donahue said. She highlighted that 80% of the budget consists of fixed costs like payroll and benefits, leaving little room for philosophical debate unless oversight begins earlier. Donahue urged the commission to mandate annual debt statements and long-term tax impact projections in the charter, noting that residents were asked to vote on large dollar amounts last year without clear data on how those votes would affect their tax bills.

This call for long-range planning resonated with the board. Herb Bell argued that mandating five-year and 10-year financial plans would provide a necessary strategic framework for residents and the town's executive leadership. Making projections for a five or 10-year period is not that difficult, Bell said. You can look backwards and get a trend line. From a strategic perspective, it's very easy. It helps the individual who says, 'I might have to move away in five years' and needs to plan. Chair John Sebany agreed that such assessments should be codified as a core responsibility of the Town Administrator. So we should write down that whenever the Administrator sends information to the Select Board, the same copy is sent at the same time to the Finance Committee. Move the budget from early February to mid-January. Info to both, in detail, Sebany noted.

The commission also scrutinized the internal mechanics of town boards, specifically whether the Finance Committee should maintain its unique nine-year term limits or if the charter should require leadership positions to revolve. Judith Underwood pointed to section 4-3-2 D of the current charter, noting the Town Administrator's existing responsibility for budget administration. I'm looking at 4-3-2 D in the Harwich charter, Underwood said. It says the Town Administrator is responsible for seeing that the budget is administered and expended as adopted by Town Meeting. However, members debated if current practices align with that intent, particularly regarding the ability of committees to call department heads to meetings—a practice that some members claimed has been discouraged under previous town administrations.

Addressing the 35 current vacancies on Harwich’s various volunteer boards, the commission discussed whether term limits are practical when positions go unfilled. Cebula suggested that even if term limits are removed or expanded, the charter should perhaps mandate that board chairs rotate to prevent a single individual from holding leadership for five or more years. Sandy Hall noted that the town’s citizen activity forms can be off-putting and suggested a warmer, friendlier outreach strategy to encourage residents to apply for open seats.

Looking ahead, the commission plans to invite incoming Interim Town Administrator Tony Schiavi and outgoing town accountant Megan Green to testify on the feasibility of the proposed January budget deadline. The commission is seeking professional confirmation that moving the goalposts by three to four weeks will not cause an undue burden on the finance department while still providing the transparency requested by the community.