Selectmen appoint new FinCom member tonight
BY MARY LANCASTER
The selectmen tonight will choose from three applicants vying to fill the seat on the nine-member Finance Committee left vacant by Lindsey Perry who moved off-island. The committee is charged with advisory oversight of municipal spending and makes recommendations on Town Meeting warrant articles. Members are prohibited from holding any official town position or having direct association with local government spending.

The three candidates are Peter A. Morrison, Matt Mulcahy and Christopher C. Perry. In their applications each wrote of his interest in serving on the FinCom, his relevant experience and what he would like to accomplish as part of the group.

Morrison wrote that he wants to assist in formulating the town’s fiscal responses to changing times and to help find options for addressing ongoing fiscal issues. He cites his service on the airport’s Noise Advisory Committee and experiences with the Congressional Research Service, National Academy of Sciences, U.S. Census Bureau and California Energy Commission in his background as well as skills in demographic analysis and strategic planning.

Mulcahy’s reasons for applying include wanting to serve the community and having an affinity for the municipal budgetary process. He is currently an at-large member of the Capital Programs Committee and has run the operations of a small business for more than 16 years. He would like to work with the committee to establish goals and policies for the town, help build consensus over complex fiscal issues and assist in providing the town with a firm financial future.

Perry wrote that he has had an interest in being on the FinCom for many years. His previous experiences include nine years on the School Committee, the Long Range Planning group and serving on the board of Nantucket Cottage Hospital. He further wrote that he hopes to bring a practical sense of fiscal planning to the committee as well as new perspectives to assist in finding the best financial solutions for the island community. I