Pursuant to a special act of the General Court, Chapter 315 of the Acts of 2002, the Town was authorized to place the above question on the State Election ballot. The special act, if accepted, will establish a consolidated Department of Finance and Budget in the Town to be overseen by a Director of Finance and Budget appointed by the Board of Selectmen and responsible for coordination the fiscal management practices of the accountant's department, collector-treasurer's department, assessing department, and administering budgeting including financial reporting, accountability and control, financial and programmatic implications on current and future policies to all Town departments and the Board of Selectmen. The office of Collector-Treasurer shall become part of said Department and the Collector-Treasurer shall be under the supervision of said Director. The Board of Assessors shall be appointed by the Board of Selectmen for three-year terms and shall retain their statutory duties, with incumbent assessors to serve the remainder of their current terms unless the term is vacated earlier. Upon establishment of the Department of Finance and Budget, the Town Accountant may become the Director of Finance and Budget, and may be provided by the Board of Selectmen with an employment contract for a period not to exceed three years.