Douglas Finance Committee Elects New Chairman

Finance Committee · Meeting of September 22, 2026

Douglas Finance Committee elects Dick Vanden Berg chairman, opens review of fall warrant. Committee members reelected Robert Leonardi vice chairman after Chairman Ryan Hogan did not attend the September 22 meeting. Finance Director Jean Lovett walked members through a preliminary special town meeting warrant showing a roughly $30,000 police budget request after a planned retirement fell through, a nearly $15,000 town counsel increase driven by rising land and conservation counsel costs, and a water and sewer enterprise fund shortfall requiring a transfer from retained earnings.

Police Chief Nick Miglianico told the committee the department's 17 officers fall short of an FBI benchmark ratio that would call for 20 to 21 for a town Douglas's size. The committee also approved a $203 Association of Town Finance Committees membership and heard the town administrator search has narrowed from 25 applicants to five, with Select Board interviews set for October 20.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,353 words

Source: the Finance Committee meeting of September 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.