October 11, 2005
For the Board of Finance
By Kathleen Amoia

Killingworth's Board of Finance consists of six elected members who serve staggered four year terms. Their primary mission is to finalize the annual budget, monitor the town's expenditures, and develop responsible and proactive long-term spending patterns.

The most challenging part of this mission is the preparation and finalization of the annual budget. Once the Board of Finance finishes their budget assessment, they hold the public Annual Budget Meeting, usually in late May. The proposed budget is explained line by line and community input invited. The Board then considers the comments and finalizes the budget for a town vote. Detailed information of the budget, including reports from commissions and boards, is then published in the town's Annual Report.

This November, three Democratic candidates are running for the Board of Finance. They are Gwenne Lally, Arlene Tunney, and Tim Withington. All three have served Killingworth in a number of capacities and are eager to assume their responsibilities as members of the Board.

Gwenne Lally has been involved in town endeavors since her arrival a few years ago. She has a Masters in Information Science from Penn State and has been a Senior Vice President for several marketing firms. In Killingworth, Gwenne has served as Vice Chair of both the Conservation Commission and the Field Study Commission and as Secretary of the Town Office Building Study Committee. Gwenne brings years of computer and management skills to the table. Her management style is collaborative and her business experience has always involved concern for the bottom line.

Arlene Tunney has been a Killingworth resident for 24 years. She has served in an elected position on the Zoning Board of Appeals and is a past Director of the Ambulance Association. She is a Charter Member of both the Killingworth Chamber of Commerce and the Killingworth Creative Arts Council. Arlene has been in her own business since 1973. She is thoroughly familiar with payroll taxes, pensions and office equipment and has helped clients prepare budgets for building projects ranging from $10,000 to $10,000,000.

Tim Withington, like Gwenne Lally, is a newer resident of Killingworth. He, too, has wasted no time in actively joining our community's life. Tim serves as Deputy Director of Emergency Management, and Local Emergency Planning Commissioner. He is part of the Public Health Agency and is on our Land Use Committee . Withington's background in medical emergency preparedness and management, and supervision of clinical data systems requires attention to detail and accuracy. Tim will come to the Board of Finance with strong communication skills and a trained eye for detail.

The Board of Finance and the town of Killingworth will be well served by all three candidates.

(For those not yet registered to vote, an application can be gotten from Town Hall and, filled out on the spot .You may use your driver's license or Social Security card as proof of identification .)

( For more about the Killingworth Democratic Town Committee visit our website at www.killingworth.dems.info)

TOP