On Wednesday, April 10, 2019, board of selectmen approved the warrant for the upcoming Annual Town Meeting; they did not read each article, the town administrator skimmed through it, but the warrant nor the budget that will be presented to Town Meeting was not gone over. Perhaps the selectmen did not wish to high-lite the fact that they are asking voters for a $500.00 per selectmen stipend, per year. I would think that a board that has over the last several years pointed out that they are the leaders of the Town, that they would enthusiastically point out the product of the work they intend to present to Town Meeting.

To me, this is another example of a board looking to complete a meeting sooner rather than later, in my opinion. So, perhaps a question should be, why did none of the sitting selectmen as for a clear presentation of the warrant; the article number and subject of it. It would have been very clear that evening that the Town by-law concerning the Templeton Advisory Committee, submitted by that committee, was absent from the warrant in a separate article, which would have been in line with other by-law change articles contained in the warrant. It seems apparent that the selectmen did not wish to put that out at that meeting, they planned on it coming to light after the fact, after they signed it. My conclusion is any change to the Town by-law concerning Advisory Committee is now buried in the codification draft that has many changes as well as classification or organization of the Town's by-laws. In my opinion, this should bring pause and concern to all Town residents, as the Advisory Committee is a committee that represents town meeting when there is no town meeting in session. Advisory is a committee that Town Meeting can direct to investigate town governance with further direction to report back to the body at the next Annual Town Meeting. Again, it is my opinion that this action is a result of the current chairman of the board of selectmen and the town administrator to manage the Advisory Committee, thus taking from Town Meeting, the ability to have an independent watch over town affairs for them, Town Meeting, otherwise known as the legislative body of the town; a check on the selectmen and town administrator as well as town counsel.

This is another subject that will have my attention if elected to the board of selectmen in the upcoming election. Town Meeting has to be respected, Advisory Committee has to be respected and the board of selectmen and town administrator need to be reminded of their duties and obligations to residents! True discussion at open meetings such as a selectmen's meeting. There is no good reason that a selectmen meeting cannot be both orderly and productive, yet very open and transparent.

In case the town administrator tries to spin this; the draft town meeting warrant provided to the advisory committee is different than what was voted on by selectmen; in true open governance and a true working together attitude, it would have been a joint meeting of selectmen and advisory to go over the warrant, the election ballot and the town budget, as it will be presented to Town Meeting. This did not happen, if elected to the board of selectmen, this will be one of my personal goals to work towards, as I feel it would be a benefit to residents, as well as selectmen and Advisory Committee. After all, this effort would only require some time and if one runs for elective office or seeks appointive office, you should be willing and able to give up some of that commodity. I am both willing and able to do just that and I volunteer to do so without pay; none is desired nor expected.