Fiscal Sustainability Committee

Purpose

To understand the existing financial landscape for the Town of Gorham and the Gorham School Department; to evaluate the future financial landscape, and to use this knowledge to make recommendations for how to maintain sustainable taxes while continuing to manage the present and future growth of our community over the next five to 10 years.

Establishing Authority

Order #23-153 voted by the Council on October 3, 2023.

Member Expectation/Time Commitment

• Monthly or every other month meetings of 1.5 hours each, with initial meeting tentatively scheduled for February 2024.
• Reading/research between meetings.

Total Membership

18 members plus one facilitator.

Deliverables

• Development of a series of recommendations to the Town Council and School Committee for how to reduce costs (or mitigate continued cost increases) through efficiencies.
• Development of a series of recommendations to the Town Council and School Committee for how to increase revenues that will offset direct taxpayer expenses at both the municipal and school levels.
• Development of a series of recommendations to the Town Council and School Committee for how to improve communications between various stakeholder groups within the community of Gorham to aid in understanding current and future financial limitations moving forward.

Timeline

This work will begin in February of 2024 and will be targeted to start impacting the development of the Fiscal Year 2026 budgets at both the municipal and school levels in Gorham.