from MGL chapter 164:

Section 56. The mayor of a city, or the selectmen or municipal light board, if any, of a town acquiring a gas or electric plant shall appoint a manager of municipal lighting who shall, under the direction and control of the mayor, selectmen or municipal light board, if any, and subject to this chapter, have full charge of the operation and management of the plant, the manufacture and distribution of gas or electricity, the purchase of supplies, the employment of attorneys and of agents and servants, the method, time, price, quantity and quality of the supply, the collection of bills, and the keeping of accounts. His compensation and term of office shall be fixed in cities by the city council and in towns by the selectmen or municipal light board, if any; and, before entering upon the performance of his official duties, he shall give bond to the city or town for the faithful performance thereof in a sum and form and with sureties to the satisfaction of the mayor, selectmen or municipal light board, if any, and shall, at the end of each municipal year, render to them such detailed statement of his doings and of the business and financial matters in his charge as the department may prescribe. All moneys payable to or received by the city, town, manager or municipal light board in connection with the operation of the plant, for the sale of gas or electricity or otherwise, shall be paid to the city or town treasurer. All accounts rendered to or kept in the gas or electric plant of any city shall be subject to the inspection of the city auditor or officer having similar duties, and in towns they shall be subject to the inspection of the selectmen. The auditor or officer having similar duties, or the selectmen, may require any person presenting for settlement an account or claim against such plant to make oath before him or them, in such form as he or they may prescribe, as to the accuracy of such account or claim. The wilful making of a false oath shall be punishable as perjury. The auditor or officer having similar duties in cities, and the selectmen in towns, shall approve the payment of all bills or payrolls of such plants before they are paid by the treasurer, and may disallow and refuse to approve for payment, in whole or in part, any claim as fraudulent, unlawful or excessive; and in that case the auditor or officer having similar duties, or the selectmen, shall file with the city or town treasurer a written statement of the reasons for the refusal; and the treasurer shall not pay any claim or bill so disallowed. This section shall not abridge the powers conferred on town accountants by sections fifty-five to sixty-one, inclusive, of chapter forty-one. The manager shall at any time, when required by the mayor, selectmen, municipal light board, if any, or department, make a statement to such officers of his doings, business, receipts, disbursements, balances, and of the indebtedness of the town in his department.

So, are there salaries for L&W commissioner's? If so, how much and who set them?

For the Athol Daily News

Published: 6/16/2019 9:50:17 PM

PHILLIPSTON – The Select Board recently received a report on the financial health of the town following an audit conducted by public accounting firm Roselli, Clark & Associates of Woburn. The management letter received by the board covered the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018.

Company partner Tony Roselli briefed the board on a number of items, but began his presentation by discussing the impact of interest rates on municipal finances.

“One of the things that is appearing in most of the management letters that I’m looking at across the state,” said Roselli, “I have about 60 communities that I do audits for, is the interest rate. The Federal Open Market Committee has had a lot of action in the last year. They are the arm of the federal government that increases or decreases interest rates. They’ve moved interest rates up in the past 12 months. What’s happened is, that’s had a nice effect on bank interest; it’s moved bank interest rates up to close to three percent.”

“So, what I’m noticing,” he continued, “and it’s not just here, it’s not an indictment of what’s going on here, it’s more that this is what I’m seeing everywhere. And that’s that the (town) treasurers for years didn’t worry about interest rates because back in 2008 and 09, after the financial collapse, interest rates dropped to 0.1 percent. Well, those rates hopped up last year and it kind of caught treasurers off guard.”

Roselli explained that the town currently has about $1.5 million in deposits sitting in accounts bearing interest of only 0.0 to 0.5 percent. As a result, he said, the town earned only about $11,000 on its deposits.

The management letter said, “We recommend the town treasurer evaluate the town’s depository balances and accounts and evaluate the possible benefits of reallocating other portions of the town’s excess funds to...financial institutions that offer very liquid safe short-term investments.”

Such a move, he said, could earn the town upwards of $25,000 on its deposits.

He then zeroed in on the town’s Community Preservation Fund.

“The Community Preservation Trust Fund,” said Rosell, “showed no interest earned, which is impossible. The CP Fund should either be in its own bank account or, if it’s in a pooled account, there should be an allocation to put interest in the fund. I recommend just putting it in its own bank account and having it earn its own interest.”

Town Accountant Kelli Pontbriand said many of the steps outlined by Roselli have in fact been taken in the past year.

The management letter pointed out that the town is still owed $708 in property taxes back five years or more. He suggested the town simply write off the loss.

He also pointed out that more than $6,600 is owed to the town for motor vehicle excise takes bills that are 10 years or older.

“What’s great about motor vehicles,” said Roselli, “is if you don’t pay your taxes the Registry tags you, so, if you don’t pay your motor vehicle (taxes) you’re not going to be able to renew your license or your registration. However, the Registry just did a massive computer conversion last summer and they basically got rid of anything greater than 10 years old. So, you’re never going to collect that, in my opinion. I would suggest just writing them off. I think this would help really clean up the ledgers.”

Among recommendations made in the management letter is the development of a more centralized procurement process.

“Department heads,” said the letter, “essentially handle their own purchasing with no input from the executive level or town accountant's office...We discovered that that there is no requirement that the town accountant or executive secretary maintain copies of any contracts and there is no central purchasing function.”

Overall, Roselli seemed to express confidence that the town is financially healthy, while adding steps remain to be taken to tighten up certain bookkeeping procedure.