Budget Working Group Staffed — Now the Real Work Begins
Submitted by Rick Trapilo
I am pleased to announce that, as promised during my campaign for the Fairhaven Select Board, the Budget Working Group is now fully staffed and organized.
This is an important first step — but it is only the beginning. Now the real work starts.
The Budget Working Group will examine responsible strategies for balancing Fairhaven’s municipal budget while seeking to avoid operational overrides that place additional financial burdens on our taxpayers.
That work will require us to look honestly and objectively at how our Town operates. Issues such as: smart economic growth, regionalization, privatization, shared services, and other cost-saving opportunities are not easy subjects for any community to address. Change is, by its very nature, uncomfortable.
But responsible government cannot avoid difficult conversations simply because they are uncomfortable.
As elected officials, Town leadership, and members of the Budget Working Group, we have a responsibility to ask the difficult questions, examine the facts, and consider every responsible option available to protect the financial health of Fairhaven.
As the Select Board’s appointed liaison to the Budget Working Group, I am committed to transparency and public participation. I will provide relevant updates through social media and other public channels, and I encourage residents to become actively involved by sharing ideas, offering constructive comments, and watching the meetings to see how this process develops.
I will also be announcing monthly office hours where residents can ask questions about the Budget Working Group or other issues affecting our community.
I have always believed that elected officials have a fundamental obligation to honor the commitments they make to the voters. During my campaign, I promised to establish a Budget Working Group. That promise has now been fulfilled.
The challenge before us is greater: we must deliver tangible results.
Our responsibility is to protect the taxpayers of Fairhaven, improve accountability, pursue greater efficiency, and build a financially sustainable future — not just for today, but for the generations that will follow.
Staffed, Focused, Ready to get to Work!
BWG Members: Ken Blanchard, Robert Baldwin, Kevin Gallagher, Gunnar Hexum, Daniel Lopes, Jason Lanagan, Mark Rees, Keith Hickey TA and Rick Trapilo Select Board Liaison.
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