Timely Information From Essex Boards, Especially FinCom, is Critical

To the Editor:

As a new resident of Essex, over the past few years, I’ve worked hard to pay closer attention to the workings of town government, trying to better understand the roles of the Essex Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee.
However, in trying to follow financial discussions and decisions in Essex, I’ve had repeated challenges with the Essex Finance Committee.
For example, in Massachusetts, town boards and committees are legally required to create and maintain meeting minutes under the Open Meeting Law (OML) (M.G.L. c. 30A, §§ 18-25). Public bodies must create written meeting minutes that include date, time, place, members present/absent, and a summary of discussions and decisions. Minutes must be approved in a timely manner.
Several times, I’ve had to ask the Finance Committee to share draft minutes for meetings dating back several months because approved minutes were not yet available. While it should be normal practice to promptly share meeting minute notes, it’s especially important to be informed during budget season.
This year, I’ve found Essex Finance Committee meeting minutes are being approved and posted 3-4 months after a meeting takes place. For example, the meeting notes for the October 3, 2024, finance committee meeting were sent out on February, 27, 2025. As I am writing this letter, the last minutes posted were for December 5, 2024. Not only is that more than 3 months, but the Committee has met five times in the interim (not including four joint or observation sessions). They have had ample opportunity to approve outstanding minutes.
In another example, last March, I asked if the Finance Committee would consider recording their meetings, as is the practice for the Board of Selectmen. I was told that they are not considering it. As a result, citizens have had to step into the gap, as is their right.
Last year, a resident attended a Finance Committee meeting and asked to record it. The Committee members questioned if this was legal, citing the fact that board meetings for companies are not recorded and open to the public. Public recording of open meetings is, in fact, expressly allowed by law. Their response is therefore disappointing not only because they didn’t know this, but also because of the general disdain it showed for transparency regardless of the law.
Perhaps this person forgot that the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee are not CEOs and CFOs; they are elected/appointed by Essex residents and serve on our behalf, presumably to represent our best interests, including allocation of our tax dollars. After all, it’s the town members who actually approve all spending. Luckily, this resident came informed and cited open meeting law to verify that she was allowed to record despite the objection.
With these things in mind, I’m happy to hear that there will be a citizens’ petition on the warrant at town meeting that addresses some of my concerns. It calls for a clarification and supplement to open meeting law for our town, asking for remote access to all meetings, recordings of all meetings, and timely publication of all meeting minutes.
I appreciate that the members of these bodies are volunteers, but I also expect that those volunteers meet these minimal standards. In the meantime, I’ll continue to advocate for increased openness, trust, and collaboration.
What can you do?
•Continue to ask for more information and advocate for transparency from our town leaders.
•Attend the meetings in person.
•Sign the petition article and support it at town meeting
•Sign up to receive meeting minute notes on the Essex town website here: https://www.essexma.org/subscribe
Sarah Conway
Essex