Holy S post Batman, look at some of the comments! Very long and detailed. Well Robin, be wary when someone is trying to butter your bread!
"Criticism is a healthy indicator of when change is needed. Praise is a motivator unlike any other."
Since I am not a hippy leftover (missed it by a few years) and I am not a product of the new schooling where everyone gets a trophy and life is fair and everyone will always treat you right etc.
If anyone wants praise, the line is over there. If the board of selectmen do not wish to get "banged" whenever they meet, try following their own policies. Looking at the next meeting agenda for BOS on June 12, nowhere is Public Comment listed. Yet, if you look and you can find it, there is a policy on the Templeton town website that says the agenda will have public comment on it. Again, failure to follow a policy and yet the selectmen are going to expect everyone else to follow all of these policies suddenly being created and written. Kind of looks like a military approach in my opinion, do as I say. How about set the example and follow your own policy and then take another step.
Secondly, I am not the one who made the sales pitch that everything is fine and we have a great financial team in place (except we have a treasurer/collector who may not know their job) Perhaps not all on the treasurer/collector.
No reports from treasurer/collector or the accountant, even though there must have been work done in those offices. It does not matter what was or was not done in the past, this current BOS, beginning with elections in May 2014 have been communicating that everything is fine and things are on track but again, the law is not followed.
On the town website, it is one used by a good number of cities and towns so it should not be hard to arrange it in some orderly fashion. Give the Town of Athol a call and ask the Town Administrator what it took to have say a sunshine page where all budgets, contracts and other financial news can be found in one place. Speaking of budgets, where did the FY2017 go on the Templeton town website?
How about the Templeton face book page not look like someones personal page. How about personal pictures and updates be replaced with say a picture of Town hall, Templeton Common and have some real communication by way of facts. I take most of the things posted on this blog and post to my personal face book page as not everyone looks at blogs but many use face book and then things are reposted. The same could happen with the Templeton face book page.
Somewhere, if it is still there, there was a post by a former Town Administrator (interim) concerning audits, the forming of an audit committee and how the selectmen should stay an arms length away from auditors as the audits are really checking selectmen work by proxy, as selectmen hire or appoint the treasurer/collector , town accountant and town administrator. He also stated that the finance/advisory committee should be closer to the audits. Somewhere I have a copy and will try to post it here again.
Next, we have the Templeton Town Accountant at a selectmen meeting stating "I would recommend using Rosselli for the audits." Queswtion is, why the switch in midstream anyway, why did the selectmen not stick with the first audit team who seemed to be taking time but doing a very detailed one which in my opinion, would have been best, to have a really good foundation. In my opinion, the selectmen changed so they could get the audits completed quickly because of the quest to get a yes school vote at town meeting and at the ballot. If you look at when the bad news began to leak out, it was after the December special election. Coincidence? Perhaps, but I do not really believe in them in these circumstances.
Then there is the stabilization number. How did it change, where did the funds go? What were they used for and why or how was a dollar figure arrived at to bring to town meeting to request a transfer to pay some bills if a real number was not known? Remember, the Templeton town accountant stated at a selectmen meeting, "I have never not had perfect audits."
No, there is no high praise, no high fives, no trophy for everyone here. That will come from the selectmen by way of a service pin, which may seem good and in principle be a nice thing but in practicality, not so much. Perhaps wait to have three good budget years where what is voted at Town Meeting (annual) and that stands and dos not require 30 something transfers later on to make it work. Sure as hell no built in shortages at the gate.
Remember, there is no free money out there, it all comes from someones pocket, from taxes and fees.
posted by Jeff Bennett
Cam wants but does not give
ReplyDeleteOK, Holly Batshit Robin. I just read the Headline from the G-Vegas News. On Monday our BOS will be interviewing Sheila Vaidya Dibb for the TA position. I may be completely out of line when I say...........Who in their right mind thinks this person is a realistic candidate for the TA position.
ReplyDeleteA quick "google search" and you find out the Greenfield recorder. In it you can read that Ms. Dibb applied to be the TA of Erving in 2016. They were offering $60-70 per year. Her experience was listed as:
"Dibb is a graduate of Boston College in political science and a longtime selectman in the Rutland. Her nine years in public service gave her a foundation in municipal management, including contract negotiations, budget preparation and policy development.
Before serving as a selectman, Dibb worked in residential property management and commercial property marketing.
Anyone take a deep dive into Rutlands management issues lately?
I'm truly sorry, but we dont need another trainee. I might be being a little bit harsh on this woman I do not know, but from just a quick read she doesn't appear to be remotely who this town needs. Which one of our glorious leaders thought this person was even worth an interview?
I'm really confused. A residential property manager,Commercial property marketing and Selectman does not qualify for the position detailed by Roselli. Last year she thought she was qualified to run Erving for $60-70 and they said NO, but we are seriously looking at these qualifications and saying, Oh yea, thats what we need!
C'mon!
The accountant seem to have her 2 cent inputs to every thing . There is a need for this person to just do the job of an accountant. You don't live in town so why so much input. go to your city and tell what you tell in Templeton
ReplyDeleteTempleton needs someone with managerial experience. Not necessarily in the Public Sector. Someone who understands budgets need to balance. Someone who holds employees accountable for shoddy performance. We've had enough attaboy managers. We need someone who will hold feet to fite when things aren't getting done. Political Science is bullshit, as are degrees in "Government". You need someone who understands that budgets are paid from tax money, that everyone isn't necessarily a winner, and sometimes you have to kick some ass when people are not doing a good job.
ReplyDelete