Former selectman and present light & water commissioner rankled??
After reading a letter to the editor authored by Mr. Edwards, I noticed there was lots of "talk" about the past but not much on the future. I noticed there was reference to past administration members of select board and Advisory Committee but no mention of present numbers or issues.
On October 12, 2016, I posted some information on Massachusetts General Law chapter 164; the MGL that Templeton light general manager and commissioners always seem to point to or refer to when anyone questions their actions. So I went to the online site of MGL and looked at chapter 164. I posted section 56c, which among other things, Every municipal light commission or manager thereof, who makes or executes a contract on behalf of a municipal lighting plant, where the amount involved is five thousand dollars or more, shall furnish said contract or a copy thereof to the city or town auditor within one week after its execution.
Also within that section is; An index of the subject matter of the contracts and to the names of the contractors shall be made semi-annually, and shall also be open to public inspection in some convenient form.
The last item within section 56c is A city or town auditor, municipal light commissioner or manager willfully failing to comply with this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than ten nor more than one hundred dollars.
I also made mention that since a certain light commissioner was allowed to have his wife pick up his nomination papers, I should be allowed to have my brother pick up my future nomination papers. In fact, there should be no reason to have anyone running for office to have to pick up their nomination papers in person when any family member can do it for them, as the Town has already allowed this one time.
Now back to the point of that letter; I did not see Mr. Edwards make any reference to the actual cost, as in the affect on the tax rate on residents with regards to paying for a bond for the school project. What will become of the skate park? Where will it go? So far, I have not seen, read or heard anyone deny that the cost to taxpayers will be greater than the highly touted rate of $1.74 per thousand. What there is here is an opportunity for two yes votes for the school. The school district, as I recall, had no problem going for a yes vote until they got it, even after three no votes from the Town of Templeton.
So, back to the future, how much will be borrowed for the school project? What will it cost, by way of the tax rate, to pay for the school? Where will the skate park go?
posted by Jeff Bennett
Once again the children in Templeton Center will come in last. How will they get to Baldwinville to play at Gilman Waite, safely ? They won't !! Almost every time I go down South Road, there are people with their children at the playground. The skate park has been a haven for the kids that practiced their jumps, and the things kids do with their skate boards, for so many years. This whole mess is sad, another conflict the people of this Town do not need, but we have to deal with it one way or the other.
ReplyDeleteMr.Edwards seems to have missed the very fact that the Town of Templeton does not have it financial house in order, and this has been an ongoing problem that has not been solved. I say it is about time that it was done. I do not know about any of you, but I am sick of the Town being the laughing stock of Worcester County. As I said before, a Advisory Board never sees or handles any money. The $500,000. error was because of the numbers that were used, that came from the Treasurer at that time. This Treasurer was appointed by Bob Columbus and his crew. Mr.Edwards can try with all his might to try to discredit the people on the Advisory Board, but with out the work of the majority of it's members acting as citizens, the town would not even have a Town Hall. It is only fair for the people of this Town to have a chance to vote on the "School Project" with more of the facts that have come to light. Oh yes, maybe our Town would be in better financial shape if the Light Company had done what the Department of Revenue had strongly suggested back in 09, and actually paid the Town a PILOT. That is a payment in lieu of taxes, or also called paying your fair share. Think about that for a while. Bev.
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