Town of Littleton, Massachusetts

The general Laws of the Commonwealth provide for three Commissioners to administer those funds that have been bequeathed or acquired by the Town for special purposes and which use primarily the annual income, as derived from the investment of such funds. Whereas the Treasurer has the full responsibility for all the funds of the Town, the Commissioners participate as advisors to the Treasurer for the investment of these funds in order that there is a steady income for the purposes intended. It is also the policy of the present Commissioners, that the invested funds should increase in value, as consistently as possible, as conditions allow. The funds therefore are pooled, or combined into one major fund, participating in the congregate investment in proportion to the basis of their individual value.

Fund balances increased as the stock market rose in 2009. The total market value of the Trust Funds ended 2009 at $3,249,586 generating $84,764 in income. Total distributions from the funds were $171,204 based on income generated in the previous calendar year. The funds currently have over $1.1 million in available expendable funds. It is the policy of the Commissioners however to expend only the portion of the funds generated by interest and dividends. Capital gains are allowed to accumulate within the funds enabling additional income in future years.

The entities that will participate in the distribution of this money include:

The Cemetery Perpetual Care Fund supports the operating budget of the Cemetery Department. It usually grows each year from the sale of burial lots.

The Town Library - 2 separate funds from several bequests and the fund raising efforts of the Library Trustees. A portion of fund these funds partially offsets the Library operating budget.

The School Department - there are five contributing funds that benefit projects for the Town Schools.

Scholarships - there are seven scholarship funds. The Littleton Scholarship Trust administers four, the Commissioners administer one and the Littleton Lyceum administers the final two.

The detailed accounting and distribution data for these funds appear every year in the Annual Town Report. The Commissioners are elected for a term of three years.