Budget Season

As surely as the leaves start changing color, the annual Budget Season is upon us once again. The Budget Season you may ask? It is that 7 or 8 month process that the Town of Salem (and thus the library) works through to achieve an annual operating budget. This month is the most interesting of the process, with the budget being carefully scrutinized by the Budget Committee line by line. I know there are those that see this as a tedious process, or a nit-picky one, but as someone relatively new to the concept of a Budget Committee I find it fascinating.

I have had to produce budgets my whole career, and defend them as well. However, the process elsewhere was entirely different. There was no real philosophical discussion of the purpose, need, or use of the funds in a line. There was no lively repartee between committee members or between the committee and those of us defending the budget. It wasn't televised so that the meeting could be followed remotely, or followed at an individual's convenience. Generally it was done in quiet obscurity, nearly forgotten by the citizenry, who were confident that it was somehow being handled by someone.

Here in NH, we savor the process, watching the interplay of concerned citizens, elected committee members, and employees, learning the inner workings and needs of the various departments, coming to understand the complexities of funding town services just enough. What a wonderful way to see our government at work. If you have never taken the opportunity to experience the process, be sure to at least dip into a session or two. You can always drop in at the meetings, or more easily, watch it in the comfort of your home (but you really miss some of the nuances on TV). You can find the schedule here. I highly recommend giving it a try.