One view of Advisory Committee:
The function of the Advisory Committee is to act as an advisor to town meeting of Templeton, with whom, ultimate appropriating authority rests. The Town Administrator, who reports to an elected Select Board, administers municipal functions. The Superintendent of Schools, who reports to an elected School Committee, administers the operation of the School Department. The Advisory Committee is not elected but is appointed by the Town Moderator. Because of this fact, the Advisory Committee functions on an advisory basis and does not set policy. Advisory Committee is not part of either of the two general functions: (a) Municipal Operation and (b) Education, and therefore should remain deliberative in its recommendations. Their job is to study the budget and each warrant article in detail and make recommendations to Town Meeting. The better it's report is, the more irrelevant debate can be eliminated and save time of the meeting. That said, a good report does not relieve the rest of the meeting from thinking and asking questions for themselves.
ATFC Mission Statement
ReplyDeleteTown Meeting is a centuries-old practice but yet a modern forum for local government legislation in New England. A local Finance Committee, by tradition and statute, is a select group of citizens that advise each Town Meeting on the probity, practicality and value of any of the matters before the Meeting.
Since we are talking about Town Meeting. Can you find me anything in Town meeting times that says the Selectman oversee the meeting from the stage?
Anything that says the Selectman, after presenting warrant to Moderator have anything at all to do with town meeting procedure?
Since the moderator and the advisory Committee run town meeting according to town meeting times, why are selectman on stage pushing authority when they have none?
First, town meeting times is, according to Templeton by-laws, "is to be considered the general guidelines of town meetings, except those procedures already provided for by the bylaws." Templeton bylaw, section 28-7 "It shall be duty of the Town Administrator, in conjunction with the Select Board (Board), to consider expenditures and develop a budget for the ensuing fiscal year of the several boards, officers and committees of the Town, as prepared by them in such form and detail as prescribed by the Town Administrator, and further to present and defend the same throughout the review process and to the Town Meeting for action." So, there it is, town by-law states selectmen - administrator will present budget to town meeting, kind of hard to present if you are not there and if moderator says we sit there, that is where we sit, simple as that. From town meeting times, page 33, "In Massachusetts, the finance (advisory) committee's recommendations have no such force (reference to previous pages pointing out powers of finance committee in NH & Conn.) They are purely advisory, so it seems to this old guy, that our local by-law trumps the guidebook in this instance.
ReplyDeleteLets look at this.........Selectman to present and defend, ok.........
DeletePlease tell me why the Accountant, the Administrator are on stage?
Please tell me why we paid $8,000 to fly our accountant to Templeton and house her for the town meeting? I see nothing in bylaw about it? Nothing in Town meeting times......
To the point that moderator and advisory run town meeting, somewhere I think your train went off the tracks, at least in Massachusetts, as you can probably read in your copy of Town Meeting Times, which by the way, I was told by the moderatos association, since town meeting times is baked into our bylaws, we can post some information from it, but if we as a town wanted all town meeting attendees to have a copy for the meeting, we would have to buy them.
ReplyDeleteTown Meeting Times, page 33, "An occasional attempt has been made, by bylaw,(in MA) to restrict the meeting from altering the finance committee's recommendations. in the same year the General Courts nullified a Danvers bylaw that required a 2/3 vote to override the finance committee . . . " Dose not seem that a statement that advisory committee runs town meeting is an accurate one. Advisory committee denied a transfer from reserve fund for $4,000.00 but gives a yes recommendation to article with $4,500.00 for the same item, interesting.
ReplyDeleteBvA from September 30, 2021 (last available) shows a balance in Highway department budget of $585,228.17
DeleteArguing their is no money in the budget and violating Thier own policy the Board brings forth article 1,11,12 using money (not available to Fall Town Meeting) that is only available after approving article 14.........
Policy B(1) only working capital (administrators control) is made available for Fall town meeting once Stabilization money is approved........
$280,000 is being requested in violation of Board policies..............we'll avoid this one like the plague and deny its real until next yr like all the errors from Annual town meeting
Will the Moderator outright lie to town meeting this year? Will the towns attorney back up the BS presented as he did last year.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the amount $585,228.17 slated for, as in what is it's intended use? My phone call with MA division local services municipal finance legal bureau explained to me that using funds from the budget to cover costs of something that was unknown at time of budget or unplanned for would/could lead to a deficit at end of year, against best financial practices put forth by said bureau. Once again, the FMP spells out the procedure that states the town will try to have free cash certified for use at fall town meeting and the first step is the administrator is to deduct for anticipated deficit, snow & Ice, which is allowed by law, then deduct any amount of free cash to use for unplanned items that have come up since the last ATM, then set 50% of what is left available as working capital for the rest of the fiscal year and 50% to go towards reserves. So, town has 1.4 million in total free cash, say administrator sets 300K aside for snow & ice, then sets 300K aside for unplanned items on fall town meeting, leaves 800K available, so 50% for working capital for the rest of fiscal year and 50% for reserves. That is how I read the policy. To the main point of much of this, if advisory works for residents, why would they not support spending tax dollars on 2 projects that directly affect residents; they deny a reserve fund transfer for one of those projects but unanimously support a warrant article with money to pay for those 2 projects. My thought is the advisory committee is trying to manage the budget using the reserve fund and that is not their job. We will see Wednesday evening what is what and what the people actually support.
ReplyDeleteNope,
ReplyDeleteBefore you even start. $1.4 million is 14.7% not 5% as is called for in FMP
Lets say we have 1.4 million in free cash. we deduct for capital budget ($550,000, then lets say (your number) $75,000 snow and ice......That leave about $822,000 He shall then deduct for extraordinary and unplanned (none of which fit loader) so $330,000 leaving $492,000. Divided in half puts $246,000 in stabilization and $246,000 in working capital which
Please find me anyplace on the FMP that says free cash to be used at FTM.
ReplyDeleteWhy would he put 300k into snow and ice........history shows 1/3 that is needed
Quote the actual text rather than your interpretation and explain how your idea fits? Again the only reference to FTM is that "Free cash shall be certified by FTM" nothing states anything about spending at FTM..........thats a Selectboard stretch ( because who is going to hold you accountable, it's only your policy) as reading wasn't a requirement for election.
5 yrs and holding and not one selectboard has followed the policy the promote. It took 3 yrs to get Carter to correct deducting for capital in the calculation as it was not there before.The present Board has signed the present policy, but still are not following it.
This is why they bark at Advisory prior to every FTM and ATM. It's distraction to take the citizens eyes off being overtaxed by $1,447,000+(+ is because uncollected tax, mainly commercial in Templeton is deducted prior to certification)
Advisory Committee is waste of time and lives The general functions: is not a check and balance system The Municipal Operation of the town must be rule by the body public Their advisory check by recommendations is not the opinion of many who do not come to meeting reason being is they watch this neather do many of he members come to converse with very body public our town members , those people who do not show up beside this fact and quorum issue being we have one because we never eliminated it , so the game play is many of advisory vote as to the selectmen and this measure we must address , The job to study the budget and each warrant articles is the people job in detail and make recommendations at Town Meeting then and yes take time to do so this statement >>>> The better advisory makes its report is, the more " irrelevant debate can be " then eliminated and save time of the meeting ???? . That said, you said we should trust those over our own understanding because you all think we know nothing , I would discharge anyone who thinks like this , their is NO good report anymore we should never relieve the body public of its duty in town meeting and any one whom thinking this advisory looks out for public is wrong all the advisory is in simple form is a percentage of body who opinion is their own they truly repersent no one but their selves its really outrageous i would never vote on account of their say so NEVER
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