West Bridgewater Finance Committee Reviews Budgets, Debates Appointment Bylaw Reform

WEST BRIDGEWATER -- March 6, 2025, West Bridgewater Finance Committee reviews six department budgets and weighs overhaul of its own appointment process. The committee heard presentations from the Council on Aging, Planning Department, Board of Health, Conservation Commission, and Town Clerk at its March 6 meeting, with nearly all budgets limited to a contractual 3 percent salary increase. Council on Aging Director Marilyn Mather reported 38,228 visits to the COA in 2024, roughly 4,000 more than the prior year, and said two new vans will allow a resumption of pre-COVID day-trip programming. Town Planner Tracy Aldrich reported approximately $187,000 in net new grants this fiscal year, bringing the total grant portfolio under management to roughly $500,000. The meeting's longest discussion concerned the Finance Committee's own appointment bylaw, which Town Administrator David told the committee has produced inconsistent terms, missing appointment letters, and transparency gaps for years; he proposed shifting appointment authority to a joint body of the Town Moderator, Town Clerk, and Select Board meeting in open public session, with terms standardized to run October 1 through September 30. No vote was taken, and the administrator said he would next consult the Bylaw Study Committee and the Select Board before any warrant article is drafted.