Looking at costs of operating a Town and a School district may require doing "business" in a different way

Templeton dispatch costs may require some research and a history lesson.

Annual Town Report of 2011, page 89 shows Templeton receiving an E911 grant of $119,204.00 and on page 90, it shows dispatch total payroll of $221,161.00 with $19,179.00 turned back in to town (as unspent).

Then on page 168, it shows Town meeting appropriation for communication commission wages of $222,995.00. Back on page 18, there is a report of communication commission and no mention of that wage figure of $222,995.00, but I believe back then, that was dispatch wages.

Now if the total payroll for dispatch was $221,161.00 and town gets a grant of $119,204.00 (Phillipston paying about $57,000.00 back then) why does town meeting have to appropriate $222,995.00? If it only costs taxpayers $37,000.00, why is only $19,179.00 turned back to the town as unspent?

Forgive me, but I lost track of which cup the pea is under.

This is some of the system I walked into when elected to the board of selectmen back in 2011. So, perhaps first question is, does the money Phillipston pays to Templeton really go directly to dispatch, or it is just general revenue to the town?

There are rules and guidelines for E911 grant funds. Have those rules been strictly followed over the years?

The breakdown of the dispatch budget does not show the E911 grant money being used as part of dispatch payroll, so how does one make the point that dispatch only costs Templetom $37,000.00?

The goal of the proposal was an effort to save Templeton tax dollars while having dispatch available. The feasibility study showed potential savings to Templeton at $89,000.00. The only real way to know or realize the outcome is to do it and that did not happen. Think of this, Phillipston is scheduled to pay $65,000.00 for the same dispatch service that Templeton gets, except they do not pay retirement costs, health insurance costs nor do they cover costs of the building improvement, but you do as a Templeton resident. If it works for Phillipston, why would it not work for Templeton?

Some more history:
2007 Annual Town report, page 83 - police department:

Dispatcher: July 18, 2006, board of selectmen voted the day to day operations of dispatch center and jurisdiction to the chief of police. Former control of the dispatch center and dispatcher fell under communication board.

In that same annual town report, there is a listing of all town employees with their salaries, (pages 97-99) why is that absent from the annual town report these days? How can people who pay the bills check on what they are told, that Templeton salaries / wages are on the low side? If you question what I post, for instance, how or where can you check on that? Is there something to hide? It would be the accounting of public money after all.