Who's on first, I don't know is pitching!
Having spoke with the chairman of the Templeton board of selectmen and having read the face book page of Diane Brooks, Templeton selectmen, the message seems to be that if the school project is halted, Templeton will have to pay some money back to MSBA, which would be at least one million dollars or more. Not so fast says long time school committee member and member of Templeton school building committee. Mr. Mason says that money would come off the "top" if Templeton were to get in the pipeline later down the road. That is, in any future "grant" award, the past payments would be subtracted from any future grants. Example; Templeton would be awarded an MSBA grant of 22 million, then say 2 million already paid out to Templeton, would be subtracted and the future grant would only be 20 million. Seems there is no big debt with associated debt exclusion which would add to the tax rate for stopping the school project. So it would seem both selectmen were speaking out of their hats or were/are trying to scare people into voting a certain way. Seems like it is right up there with the mythical large "free cash" that the selectmen talked about right up until after the yes school vote.
Just remember why we are having a special town meeting to begin with; to fix the numbers document that the selectmen and town administrator told everyone was all fine, proper, balanced and fully funded. While the Advisory Committee raised questions, some still unanswered by way of the selectmen. Advisory Committee pointed out the lack of separation of long term debt principle and interest, lack of separate warrant article for a scholarship fund, lack of a salary number for a library janitor, too high new growth figure, which is reliably available from the Board of Assessors office and the still questionable vehicle excise tax figure. Also was an apparent short fall for unemployment insurance and the ever increasing health insurance costs. The superior board would have none of it, because as selectmen Brooks stated, "we are elected and you are only appointed."
posted by Jeff Bennett
I would bet some of us old folk forgot more than Ms.Haley Brooks knows. As far as appointed vs elected, you can vote for a person but that does not mean they have any knowledge. It does not mean they are aware of the history of this Town we live in. If their only interest is in the "schools" or getting their "road fixed", then maybe that is what they know, and nothing else. For years Templeton had problems getting a Advisory Board that could keep enough members to have a meeting. I am happy to say we have active members, and no we do not agree on everything, but we can work together.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking, I think you should have to take a test to be a selectman and a mother.
ReplyDeleteAre you a mother Bev? Did you take a test? You must not know Diane if you think that her only interest is the school and the road. You and everyone else that writes on this blog and say crap about Diane need to get a life. Obviously you have too much time and your hands and you have no room what so ever to judge her. Grow up
DeleteAt least they don't quit when the going gets tough.
ReplyDeleteThe advisory board has had problems getting enough for a meeting? That's wrong! My father was the chairman for a couple years and he had PLENTY of meetings, people liked him, respected him. Know your facts
ReplyDelete-Stacey
I am very happy to hear from you young ladies. You must know that the Town was warned about using "uncertain sources of income (additional state lottery receipts for example) to routinely reoccurring expenses.(I.e. "operating budgets)" Dan Keeney did run the best Advisory Board back in 1999/2000. If people had listened to him when he spoke about the need for the Town to start long and short planning, we would not be having this meeting tonight. Dan did say the "failure to do so would guarantee continued fiscal emergencies, every year" and he was right. Historically the Town has had difficulty maintaining a full board. The numbers required to run and have a quorum had to be dropped a few years back. We were warned to stop using free cash and money from stabilization on many occasions. Selectmen did not listen. In fact the Dept. of Revenue came to this Town and told us to stop using these accounts to balance the budget. I do not believe that there is another Town in New England in the position we are in. This is no joke ! I believe as Jeff Ritter said that "we have a structural defect in our budget process". I believe we do not have the funds to run a full time Town Hall. We do not have the funds to fix the pump on a fire truck, unless the Select. Board lets them come to the Advisory Board to use the reserve account. Another fire truck needs a engine, there is no money for that. We need to sit down and figure out just how much money this town can really afford to run our government, and live with it. Spending money that we do not have only pushes us further in debt.
DeleteThe Advisory Board had problems getting quorums around 4 years ago. That is a fact.
ReplyDeleteThank you Anonymous. I forgot to mention that the Town does not even have the funds to pay for the truck that Bud needs for snow plowing, unless we take it from another account. Selectmen never should have kept the raises that Markel gave out. Mr. Markel knew the Town did not have the money available, but he did it anyway. He lied when he stood there and told the people in this town that everything was just fine. He lied to them and that is just so wrong. I do not think I can ever forgive him for doing that.
DeleteThe selectman do not have to allow anyone to come to the advisory board. The fire dept could come to you when they so choose. Free cash to balance a budget? Yes, millions. That is partially why we are in trouble. Audits where done before our time and yet look at all the issues in management letters that were ignored. This board has been dealt crisis after crisis and yet no one speaks out about the major $505,000 error? But, I digress.
ReplyDeleteI am not he only Selectman on the board, yet you choose to single me out. Your comment was uncalled for and downright rude. Julie doesn't deserve that backhanded comment either. Just because you don't like the way it is does not give you that right. Please tell me one time I have been rude to you. Personally rude to you. We are elected and answer to the town and can be recalled. You cannot. That is a fact. I did not call us the superior board, mr Markel did. That is a fact. Continuing to belittle people isn't serving any purpose is it? I am for the school. I always have been and that won't change. However, I don't make any decisions lightly and if there is something that comes along I feel is a detriment I will say so.
There are so many reasons we are where we are at and it begins when the schools regiinslized and money was dumped into our town by the state and we didn't use those funds wisely. We used them to keep our tax rate low. Another fact.
Our community needs to move forward. I am of that mindset and will do all I can to keep it in that direction. Forward thinking.
Our town will not move 'ON' until we get our books straightened out. If you think about it, the $505,000. problem was not the fault of the Advisory Board. It was the numbers that were used by the Town Treasurer at the time. The Advisory Board has no access to any funds, only the reserve account. The Advisory Board approves the request for funds and the Treasurer writes the check. Bad numbers in equal bad numbers out, no matter how you slice it. Tonight's meeting may mean the difference between if young and old people will be able to live in this Town. All of the financial issues are a factor in the future of these people. I would say that until we were certain of our bond rating, this plan never should have gone forward. We are where we are, so we have to deal with it. Going forward we have to clean up our act. I should not be so hard on you Dianne. My grandmother always said "you can't put a old head on young shoulders". Bev.
DeleteHard on me? You were downright condescending and rude. Yet again Beverly, you insult me with an offhanded cliche that invokes I have not enough wisdom? I grew up here. I've been back since 2003 and the budget may have been balanced, but it was with free cash and the L&W payments. Why weren't those funds used more wisely for capital expenditures? How come the town always said no to fixing what was wrong in those schools? How come it was always no to badly needed equipment? How come the BOS house wasn't being watched as closly as L&W and the school? Same story, different year after year and that stopped when I was elected as we need to work together. Since I've been elected it's been crisis management and also some bad advice. Not my fault. We are supposed to trust those in that position. That's neither here nor there, we have to keep going and fix it. Please don't imply that we are not. We are. W
ReplyDeletee don't have free cash to certify and our Board has made the promise it will never be use for operating expenses. The advisory board may not have access to funds, but it certainly has access to report etc. We have to stop the arguing and again move on.
Our town is moving onward. We have to in order to keep up with the communities surrounding us. Their tax rates are higher. Look at Winchendon, they are in a world of a mess and they are working it out and also moving onward and upward. How about Athol? Yes, they got the mall, but even prior to that they decided it was in their best interest to move onward and upward.
The taxpayers voted. They knew there was no bond rating. They said yes. 597-806. We need to honor that.