Looking back through financial documents, I find that one of the largest departmental budgets to be that of Fire/EMS. They are surpassed by only the police department. Remember that 100 thousand dollar transfer at the special town meeting this past fall? That was for the fire/EMS department, because two full time positions were added as a requirement of the AS license. There will most likely be two more this year and the next as part of the license requirements for ALS.

So, is Templeton working towards a full time fire department as well?
What will be the resulting increase of financial requirements to pay for this?
What is the increase in cost for full time fire personnel?
What is the increase in cost for full time EMS personnel?
Did Town Meeting vote for a full time fire department?
If they did, was Town Meeting told of the financial costs for this service?
Was Town Meeting told of the increase costs for full time EMS service?
Are these expenses sustainable now and in the future?
Will other Town services and departments suffer because of this?

Explaining these items and making taxpayers aware of the financial costs and responsibilities does not mean anyone is against these services per say, it means "they" are attempting to ensure that all are aware of these things so taxpayers can make a decision based on all available information.

Perhaps anon can share their face book page with us and inform all about the above mentioned items. I would turn to anon for this because it seems that anon is informed about ambulance requirements, which should include costs.

When it comes to costs, I would not try to look or get that information from a Town supplied budget versus actual because what you will find is this: (that is if you have a "directory" of numbers)

220 - unnamed
Personnel     $387,500.00 (please let me know if can tell me how much of the fire chief's salary has been paid to date)

employee support      $32,500.00

purchase of services   $56,000.00

supplies                       $23,000.00

other                            $70,000.00

Total                            $569,000.00



What you use to be able to see:
                                                     allocated                       expended                   ending

Ambulance receipts reserved      $232,000.00                  $231,590.93               $   409.07       
Fire chief salary                           $  74,500.00                  $70,924.78                $3,575.22
deputy fire chief                                 2,020.00                       2,020.00                        0.00   
captain/lieutenant salary                    6,000.00                        3,228.00                2,772.00
firefighter/EMS salaries                 163,792.00                   161,451.00                2,340.04
maintenance/fire equip.                      6,000.00                        5,447.46                   552.54
fire/EMS expenses                            50,000.00                     49,733.31                    266.69


The change came last summer in July with the reason (s) being Town Meeting voted for these changes. I looked and found no warrant article asking Town Meeting about the budget versus Actual reports. I looked and found no warrant article regarding any change to revenue receipt documents. I looked and found no warrant article (s) with regards to any variance financial documents. Yet those are the reasons given by the Town Administrator and accountant for these changes. Since the selectmen appoint the Town Administrator and accountant, it stands to reason they support these changes, as they are aware of them. So, my question is this; how do these changes result in more accountability and transparency regarding taxpayers dollars? How do these changes make it easier for departments to check the budgets of departments they oversee? How did these changes make it easier and more efficient for the Advisory Committee to look at these things?

Perhaps anon can explain this to all.