Barnstable County Commissioners Mark Forest, Ronald Bergstrom and Sheila Lyons.
BARNSTABLE – Barnstable County Commissioners have released a statement voicing disagreement with the Assembly of Delegates on their latest fiscal year 2023 regional budget proposal.
The Assembly’s most recent proposal slashed $835,000 in salaries and benefits for new positions, saying the county has gotten into financial issues before when expanding staff.
The commissioners outlined their official response to the proposal during a special meeting Monday, where Chair Sheila Lyons said the cuts lacked full explanation from the Assembly.
“It does not provide a report explaining the reasons for each recommendation that differs from the recommendations of the commissioners. This information is essential in maintaining openness and transparency.”
She added that the cuts also lacked input from residents.
“There was no public consideration of what areas of the budget should be cut and why. There were no written reports. And neither the commission nor county administration were provided with identification of the proposed cuts,” said Lyons.
The reduced budget could cut planned programs like providing information technology services for towns including Harwich, which town officials expressed their frustration with during a recent Harwich select board meeting.
The town had already approved the agreement between it and the county at its most recent town meeting.
About Grady Culhane
