Finance Commission Leadership Transition Prepares Town for Upcoming Budget Cycle
William F. Collins stepped down as chairman of the finance commission last night, and member Allan D. Howard was unanimously elected to succeed him. Collins, who previously announced he will not run for re-election next year in order to spend more time with his family, stated that he stepped down early to give the incoming chairman adequate time to prepare for the upcoming town meeting budget cycle.
“It’s a lot of work and I don’t think it’s fair to anyone to have to do it cold turkey,” Collins explained, emphasizing that a chairman must be thoroughly familiar with department budgets to effectively present the Finance Commission’s recommendations to town meeting. “The person who’s going to run it has to be on top of it from the beginning.”
Howard Elected Unanimously
Allan D. Howard was nominated for the chairmanship by fellow commission member Joseph R. Adakonis and elected by a 5–0 vote. Following the meeting, Howard admitted he “never expected” to be elected to lead the board. With the leadership transition complete, Howard takes charge of the commission’s fiscal planning as the town prepares its financial warrants for the upcoming year.
Finance Commission Leadership Overview
Departing Chairman
- Name: William F. Collins
- Action: Stepped down early to allow successor time to master town budgets
- Future Plans: Retiring from the board next year to focus on family
New Chairman
- Name: Allan D. Howard
- Election: Unanimous 5–0 vote
- Nominator: Joseph R. Adakonis
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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