We have been asked why now for article 26? Why not before? Why didn’t we take town staff help in working towards a solution prior to the extreme step of a citizens petition. Well, we have been trying since 2022. Here is a timeline of our previous efforts.
In Spring 2022, as the creation of the School Building Committee (SBC) was being discussed amongst the School Committee (SC) and Select Board (SB), Sustainable Lexington had asked that a member of their committee should be appointed to the SBC. This was deemed necessary due to Lexington’s resolve to move away from fossil fuels and to make new town and school buildings net zero.
SC meeting discussions continued about the various members and the lens they would bring to the SBC. I realized that we needed to have someone who spoke for the people of Lexington, specifically to their financial interests. I asked SC to put members of the Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) and Appropriation Committee (AC) on it too. Subsequently liaison roles were created for one member from each of the town’s financial committees.
I was concerned that as liaisons the finance team members would not be able to register their input in meaningful ways, as they could not vote. I sent emails to both Chairs which are given below. They both replied to me and informed me that members of the finance teams cannot serve on more than one committee as per their charter. I requested them to be as assertive as the full voting members to ensure that Lexington’s financial interests were well managed.
Over the next two years I continued to advocate for more financial accountability and transparency within the SBC. I quickly realized that answers would only be forthcoming if asked right before a debt funding article in Annual Town Meeting (ATM) or Fall Town Meeting. Hence the timing of some of these emails.
Finally, finding that the SBC was not providing adequate public information on how they were managing themselves and how they were managing the tax dollars appropriated we started the citizens petition which is now article 26 for ATM 2026.
It will be debated on April 15th at Cary Hall, with proceedings beginning at 7.30 pm. Please do join us. Thank you for reading
Deepika Sawhney
For all previous write ups, LHS_MSBA contracts and more, visit:
https://www.mytruthis.org/article26
****EMAILS AS REFERENCED ABOVE
July 2022 emails to AC: liaison vs. voting roles on SBC
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wEwTciGlbbWjR-XgiKYaVbOQ19r66p_2NnwtpF6rue4/edit?usp=sharing
July 2022 emails to CEC: liaison vs. voting roles on SBC
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BDm8BxU7qBw_0TYyQSBFRtbwSy98RuLmLZ4m5luQqrg/edit?usp=sharing
March 31-April 3rd 2024, emails sent on ATM article for $10 Million in LHS project funding. Asking for financial accountability on past funds already appropriated
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P2BLm5Ha7JjyOuo578Eb4hYu13O7s8eKPtMndBdMfPI/edit?usp=sharing
April 2024, Here is a memo I sent to Select Board asking for ‘a meaningful discussion on how the $400 Million project spending can be more transparently managed. We are at the early stages of this project so it’s a good time to figure out how to resolve ambiguities.’
MEMO on LHS_MSBA spending
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DR6dBK6_mEo7e5PFGOXvLdpsN0oMc7Yf/view?usp=sharing