Tuesday, August 23, 2016

from the MMA website, which is a good place to check on what is going on that can have an effect  cites and towns in different ways.


The slump in state tax collections over the first half of 2016 made it much harder than expected to close the books on fiscal 2016 and has led to worries about fiscal 2017 just as the new budget year gets underway.
 
Fiscal 2016 finances won’t be finalized until the fall, and a first good look at fiscal 2017 will have to wait until early October, when first quarter tax collections can be analyzed.
 
Concerns about the budget have been increasing even as the state’s economy continues its strong growth, with a low unemployment rate and total employment at an all-time high. According to the July edition of MassBenchmarks, economic growth is expected to continue, although somewhat more slowly, while risks to the pace of growth are expected to increase due to the possibility of both domestic and global economic events.
 
Currently available numbers for fiscal 2016 show tax growth of only 2.2 percent over fiscal 2015, with total collections running nearly $500 million below the $25.4 billion forecast for the year. In July, Revenue Commissioner Michael Heffernan said the below-expectations finish to the year reflected the impact of volatile stock markets on the investment-related parts of the state income tax.
 
Some fiscal 2016 budget features remain in doubt, including the amount of any year-end surplus that could be added to the state’s stabilization fund and used for Community Preservation Act distributions. (Section 159 in the fiscal 2017 budget act would transfer one-half of any fiscal 2016 surplus, up to $10 million, to the Community Preservation Trust Fund for distribution.)
 
The final spending plan for fiscal 2017 approved by the Legislature on June 30 was a pared back version of earlier budget bills due to a more than $600 million reduction in tax projections compared to assumptions that were originally adopted by the governor and Legislature in January. The new lower forecast took into account the weak collections in the spring of 2016, offset in part by the expectation that a slight reduction in the personal income rate, to 5.05 percent, would not be triggered for next Jan. 1.
 
In signing the budget bill on July 8, Gov. Charlie Baker vetoed $256 million in spending to provide room in the budget to cover possible additional revenue losses. Most of the governor’s vetoes were overridden during the final formal sessions of the Legislature in late July, however, including $3.7 million that had been vetoed from the special education “circuit breaker” account and nearly $220,000 that had been trimmed from the two library aid accounts on the Cherry Sheet.
Written by MMA Legislative Director John Robertson

posted by Jeff Bennett


How things go for a Committee tasked by state law and Town by-law to advise and recommend on financial business of the Town of Templeton. What can a citizen expect if they ask for accountability of their tax dollars. Probably get a good long book and wait, wait for the sound of Silence!

What was received in these emails looks like enterprise fund debt rather than debt of the Town that is on the tax rate, big difference. The big financial team of Templeton should be capable of providing Town debt information fairly easily and quickly.


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kelli Pontbriand <accountant@templeton1.org>
Date: Mon, Aug 15, 2016 at 7:57 AM
Subject: RE: Debt Exclusions
To: Selectman Caplis <selectmen.caplis@templeton1.org>, Diane Haley Brooks <seldhaleybrooks@templeton1.org>, Doug Morrison <SelDMorrison@templeton1.org>, Julie Richard <SelJRichard@templeton1.org>, John Columbus <SelJColumbus@templeton1.org>
Cc: "Templeton, MA Advisory Board" <templetonadvisoryboard@gmail.com>, Carter Terenzini <townadministrator@templeton1.org>, Beverly Bartolomeo <bartsfarm@comcast.net>, Gordon Moore <GordonGMoore@yahoo.com>, Jeff Bennett <jpb01468@comcast.net>, Julie Farrell <jfarrell59@gmail.com>, Katharine Fulton <fultonkate@hotmail.com>, Wilfred Spring <185wilberdr@gmail.com>


Why am I doing the Treasurers work again?   DEBT is 100% the treasurer’s job.

I will do my best to get this done today before I leave, but I can’t make any promises.  I am in the office one day this week and had my work planned out.

Kelli Pontbriand
Accountant
Town of Templeton

From: Selectman Caplis [mailto:selectmen.caplis@templeton1.org]
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2016 5:53 PM
To: Diane Haley Brooks
Cc: Templeton, MA Advisory Board; Carter Terenzini; Kelli Pontbriand
Subject: Re: Debt Exclusions

Good day all
  The accountant will assist and I know it's been a few weeks but a lot is going on just be patient we will get it done. Don't forget the account has day to day operations that need to get done throw in vacations, surgery, death in distant family, a new TA getting caught up to speed ect
 As you can see we have limited staff and all department heads have to prioritize the week and day to day operations for the BoS and the TA to track all your request is it possible to go through the BoS office this way we and the TA have visibility of the request and we can track and monitor for our end of year report.

Respectfully 
John Caplis

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 11, 2016, at 5:31 PM, Diane Haley Brooks <seldhaleybrooks@templeton1.org> wrote:
I believe that we are in transition again with a new TA, The paperwork for the budget, audit, daily tasks, vacations and Kelli just had surgery and she is working on all the paperwork for the meetings.  

We have limited manpower as Carter has stated to the BOS and in meetings.  I am sure Kelli is working on this.  

Please can we have some patience as she works through all the challenges we have.   

My thoughts.  Thanks!! 


Diane Haley Brooks, Realtor 

Jackie Leger Real Estate
362 Elm Street
Gardner, MA 01440

Direct: 978-430-2751
Office: 978-630-3600
Fax:  855-276-1049

Visit my website!  TuesdaysInTempleton.com

On Aug 11, 2016, at 3:14 PM, Templeton, MA Advisory Board <templetonadvisoryboard@gmail.com> wrote:
Carter,

Can you see what the issue is as to why it is taking so long to get this information.

The Advisory Committee requested a list of the present towns Debt exclusions information from the Treasurer/Collector on June 27 and asked for a status on July 28 and have not heard any thing.

We would like to know the following

1. Reason for the debt  
2. List the dates they were taken out.   
3. The length in years they are taken out
4. What year will they expire
5 What the charges for FY17 budget would be as there was an increase on the FY17 budget document. 

This information will help in our review of the FY17 budget and also going forward to FY18

The DE1 does not contain all of this information

Wil

TAC Chairman













---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Templeton, MA Advisory Board <templetonadvisoryboard@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jul 28, 2016 at 3:12 PM
Subject: Re: Debt Exclusions
To: Treasurer <treasurer@templeton1.org>
Cc: Nodrog here <GordonGMoore@yahoo.com>, Wilfred Spring <185wilberdr@gmail.com>, Kate Fulton <fultonkate@hotmail.com>, Jeff Bennett <jpb01468@comcast.net>, Beverly Bartolomeo <bartsfarm@comcast.net>, Julie Farrell <jfarrell59@gmail.com>, Selectman Caplis <Selectmen.Caplis@templeton1.org>

Kate,

Have you made any progress on the 6 debt exclusion (5 permanent and 1 Temporary) in getting the information the Advisory Committee requested last month?

Wil

On Tue, Jun 28, 2016 at 5:45 AM, Treasurer <treasurer@templeton1.org> wrote:
I’ll work on that…

Kate Myers
Town of Templeton
Treasurer/Collector

From: Templeton, MA Advisory Board [mailto:templetonadvisoryboard@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2016 4:35 PM
To: Town Treasurer
Cc: Nodrog here; Wilfred Spring; Kate Fulton; Jeff Bennett; Beverly Bartolomeo; Julie Farrell
Subject: Debt Exclusions

Kate,

The Advisory Committee would like a list of the present towns Debt exclusions.  

1. Reason for the debt  
2. List the dates they were taken out.   
3. The length in years they are taken out
4. What year will they expire

The DE1 does not contain all of this information

Thank You,
Wil Spring

Advisory Committee Chairman
No answers yet - when will they come?

From: Robert Markel [mailto:townadministrator@templeton1.org]
Sent: Friday, January 8, 2016 12:29 PM
To: Mark Barrieau; Bartolomeo, Bev; Fulton, Katharine; Greene, Michael; jpb01468; Moore, Gordon; Spring, Wil
Subject: Re: Request from Advisory Board

Mark and All-
The most recent update of the Town's debt schedule is attached.  There are two charts provided by First Southwest Bank.  
We also have a version that was done by Matt Angell which turned out to be inaccurate.  Kelli started to update and correct that document last week.  It shows interest and principal payments on all debt through 2045.  I will forward it to the TAB as soon as I have the update.  
Bob

Robert T. Markel
Interim Town Administrator
Town of Templeton
160 Patriots Road
Memory Lane concerning Templeton debt exclusions:

On December 22, 2015 at 5:52 AM Mark Barrieau <mbarrieau@verizon.net> wrote:
Hi Bob,
What is the amount that will come off the tax rate due to expiration of this debt exclusion?
Thanks,
Mark
On Dec 21, 2015 11:37, Robert Markel <townadministrator@templeton1.org> wrote:
FYI:  Have learned that the first debt exclusion of $550,000 for school design, authorized in 2010, was not bonded.  The Town issued BANs, but used available funds and MSBA reimbursements to pay down the debt.  The downside is that this will affect our free cash certification, since using available funds on hand means that money that would ordinarily be certified as free cash was spent.  
This is not a disaster, but it will likely reduce free cash by about $209,000.
Bob

---------- Original Message ----------
From: Mary Carney <Mary.Carney@firstsw.com>
To: 'Robert Markel' <townadministrator@templeton1.org>
Cc: "treasurer (treasurer@templeton1.org)" <treasurer@templeton1.org>, "accountant@templeton1.org" <accountant@templeton1.org>
Date: December 15, 2015 at 12:48 PM
Subject: Templeton Debt
Hi Bob
The $550,000 Feasibility loan was never issued as a long term obligation and therefor would not have been included in either of the reports I sent you this morning.  The project was financed through the issuance of Bond Anticipation Notes originally issued in 2010.  Payments were made against the loan as follows: Reimbursements of $77,495 in June 2011 and $9,000 in November 2012 were received from the Mass School Building Authority and paid against the loan.  Principal payments of $148,505 on 11/12/2013 $158,000 on 11/11/2013 and $157,000 on 10/30/2014 (fiscal 2015) were made to finally extinguish the authorization.

Thanks,
__________________________________Mary Carney 
Senior Vice President
First Southwest Company, LLP

direct 508.797.3035   fax 508.797.3096   cell 508.332.0311     
255 Park Avenue, 10th Floor, Worcester, MA  01609


Neither First Southwest Company, LLC nor any of its affiliates (collectively, "First Southwest") is responsible for any recommendation, solicitation, offer or agreement or any information about any transactions, customer account or account activity in this communication. Confidential or time-sensitive security-related communications should not be transmitted to First Southwest via the Internet as there can be no assurance of actual or timely delivery, receipt and/or confidentiality. Neither can there be any assurance that messages transmitted by electronic mail will not be corrupted, lost, deleted or modified. First Southwest reserves the right to refrain from processing or executing electronic mail until verification of the information is obtained in another format acceptable to First Southwest.

 
Bob

Robert T. Markel
Interim Town Administrator
Town of Templeton
160 Patriots Road
East Templeton, MA 01438
(978)894-2753