Your money, your government, you should know about it. You can find this information under MA division local service, then gateway application, login, then free cash, then cities & towns free cash.

Templeton Net free cash:

July 1, 2018 = $1,572,732.00

July 1, 2019 = $1,455,158.00

July 1, 2020 = $1,327,538.00

Templeton real estate receivables:

July 1, 2018 = $281,406.00

July 1, 2019 = $275,150.00

July 1, 2020 = 369,953.00

Templeton gross free cash:

July 1, 2018 = $1,848,843.00

July 1, 2019 = $1,735,289.00

July 1, 2020 = $1,653,989.00

So, gross free cash has been going down, which means net free cash drops while uncollected real estate taxes are on increase. Why keep budgeting off dollars you have financial history showing you will not have all of those dollars to spend. Perhaps change policy of letting one years unspent free cash roll into the next year and hang onto it for reserve. Doing this would give a clearer picture, dollar wise, on how the town is really doing. Which would be better for the residents so they could see clearer hoy they are doing, moneywise.