Saturday, March 24, 2018

from the meals tax propaganda / information on Town Website.

Would this be enough to cover our equipment needs? No but it’s a start. Meals tax revenues would be used to pay for three-year leases on a one-ton and cruiser. One-Ton Dump Truck With Plow & Wing.

Is leasing smart when you have money on the table - certified free cash, that could be used to pay for these items outright, as in no future worry about having the sum of taxpayer money available to cover the lease, whether or not you have a bow out clause or not in the lease arrangement.

With a three year ease (or any length) you have to have those funds available each year, what if something comes up, shortfall for fire department, or for school funding and every dollar counts.

When you have $160,000.00 of "cash" on hand, is it smarter to use 40 thousand to buy outright a new police cruiser or accept a three year promissory note that now has to be funded for three years and what if there is a year of low revenue from meals tax? More scramble, more crisis management.

Why create more future revenue problems when you have the means to avoid that. More bad management policies and decisions? The Templeton light and water commissioners do not wish to "give" the town money, rather they wish to fund a specific project, because they do not trust the town (selectmen) to spend the money wisely. Why should taxpayers be different. You have the cash, spend some on a new cruiser and put the rest in savings, where Town meeting can decide whether to spend it or not. Why let that cash roll over until next year? Plans for it to cover shortfalls in fiscal year 2019 spending plan?

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