CROMWELL - It looks as if the Board of Finance is here to stay, but the final vote on the budget appropriation-and Mill Rate-may shift to the Town Council.

       The Charter Revision Commission discussed that, as well as a potential joint meeting between the two bodies, during its July 13 session-attended by Mayor Enzo Faienza, Town Manager Tony Salvatore, and Councilor Ed Wenners, as well as members of the Board of Finance.

       â€�"We are involved with the budget from the beginning to the end,” Faienza said during the discussion. â€�"The citizens come to us [with comments].”

       â€�"On top of that, they’re the legislative body of Cromwell,” Salvatore added.

       Commission Chair Mike Camilleri moved to table the matter until their next discussion, because members of the Council had to leave for a meeting of their own, but not before representatives from all three bodies exchanged questions and comments in a spirited exchange about the structure of the entire process.

       Currently, the Town Manager works with his department heads to form a budget proposal that is then forwarded to the Council. The Council makes adjustments, and then moves the recommended appropriation to the BOF for a final review.

       Assuming the proposal passes referendum, the BOF then has five days to set the town’s Mill Rate.

       â€�"What purpose does the Board of Finance serve if they don’t have the final say?” said Charter Commission Member Paul Beaulieu.

       â€�"They perform a very important function in their financial expertise,” Camilleri said.

       The Commission is looking into the possibility of a joint meeting in order to eliminate the need for Department heads to attend often-lengthy budget deliberations at both the Council and BOF level. The Commission opted to first settle the question of who has the final say, because Salvatore pointed out that he would likely send staff to both meetings anyway if the two bodies each make adjustments on their own.