WEST HAVEN — Commissioners of the West Shore Fire Department are looking for volunteers to staff two new committees — one to revise the outdated home rule ordinance and one to act as a financial advisory board.
Both ideas were unanimously approved by the West Shore Fire Commission at its Aug. 14 meeting.
“It’s kind of archaic,” Commissioner John Biancur said of the home rule ordinance, which dictates the way taxpayers approve the annual budget and how the district will be governed.
The budget adoption process as laid out in the ordinance is complicated. Residents have the chance to approve or make amendments to the proposed budget at the annual meeting in May.
If amendments are adopted, the commission is given time to study the proposed amendments and then must come back to a second meeting and present the findings to the public.
Then, if residents approve the amendments, the budget is adopted as amended.
If the amendments are not approved, the original budget as proposed by the commission is adopted.
Mark Milano, president of the West Shore Taxpayers Association, supports the idea of having a referendum instead of the current process to decide on the budget. He thinks the committee to study home rule is a good idea.
“It’s long overdue,” he said this week.
Milano said the home rule ordinance was formed when the district employed few people and consisted of mostly volunteer firefighters. He said the department has grown a lot since then and the way the district is governed must be brought up to date as well.
Any recommended changes to the district’s home rule ordinance by the committee must be approved by residents at a special meeting.
Assistant Fire Chief David Collins compared the financial advisory board to the Building Oversight Committee, “which has been pretty successful at the city level.”
The board would be responsible for overseeing financial decisions in the district and making informed recommendations to the commission.
Collins said there are many talented citizens in the community who could lend financial expertise to the board.
Commission Chairman Robert Pimer said the financial advisory board should include an everyday taxpayer in addition to financial experts and members of the taxpayers’ association.
“You can get all the experts you want, but it doesn’t always mean they represent who is paying the bills,” he said.
In addition to supporting the idea of a financial advisory board, Milano thinks the district needs an ethics board to which the commission is answerable.
Anyone wishing to be considered for the home rule study committee or the financial advisory board can call the West Shore Fire Department at 933-8420. All candidates must live in the fire district.
Abbe Smith can be reached at asmith@nhregister.com or 789-5615.