CROMWELL - The Charter Revision Commission will entertain a proposal for the elimination of the Board of Finance-a move that would come with expanded Town Council membership and a subcommittee to assist on budget matters.

       Mayor Enzo Faizena made the recommendation, which he says is prompted by the town’s â€�"changing government” and a need to â€�"streamline” the budget process.

       â€�"The process has become redundant,” Faizena said during a phone conversation. â€�"It just prolongs the process, having everything go through the Board of Finance.”

       Currently, both the town and school portion of the budget is reviewed by the Council, which moves the proposal on to the Board of Finance. The process concludes with a budget referendum, followed by the Board of Finance’s setting of the Mill Rate.

       Faizena commended the Board of Finance members, saying that the change is being sought in reaction to the town’s shifting government structure.

       â€�"They are all good public servants,” he said. â€�"It’s just as things change, you have to change as a town.”

       The last time such a proposal was on the table was during the 2010 charter revision-right around the time the town was looking to switch from a selectmen structure to a Council accompanied by a Town Manager.

       The Commission ultimately opted against eliminating the Board of Finance, with the thought that it would bring â€�"too much change” at once, according to Faizena, who chaired that body.

       But the proposal has raised eyebrows, and some opposition. Eliminating the Board would mean less scrutiny during a crucial process, said Joe Corlis, who has served on the body for 9 years.

       â€�"It’s not a good deal because it eliminates sets of eyes that would be looking at the budget,” Corlis said over the phone.

       Faizena’s proposal included two additional Council seats to bring membership to 9. He says that he had hoped that Board of Finance members would run for those positions, and that the presence of a Town Manager and Finance Director would provide the expertise needed throughout the process.

       â€�"There are so many sets of eyes now,” he said. â€�"It starts with the Department heads, and they’re professionals.”

       The subcommittee would likely be composed of three Councilors and two members of the public, Faizena said.

       The Commission will review the matter over its next few meetings, and while Chair Mike Calimari is not sure where he stands yet, he says that the option needs to at least be entertained.

       â€�"I’ve always found them easy to work with,” Calimari said over the phone. â€�"Any changes we make is not about the individuals. I’m open to looking at if it’s the right answer, but I’m not ready to say [if it is] yet.”

       He admitted, however, that he’s not sold on the idea of expanding the Council membership.

       â€�"If we’re going to abolish the Board of Finance, and have the budget go [only] to the Town Council, I don’t see how having nine members versus seven makes a difference.”