Upcoming special town meeting of November 3, 2021, has an article concerning Advisory Committee and even as this very by-law was changed in June, 2020, to some benefit to residents, the committee seems to want to benefit themselves rather than residents; change the time requirement when the recommendation report to town meeting from advisory committee must be available to residents from the current 5 days before annual town meeting and 4 days before any special town meeting to 2 days before any town meeting. Why would a committee that is suppose to lookout for residents want to reduce the amount of time the people have to read recommendations / report of advisory committee? Giving a reason for the change due to time constraint or the fault of others seems to be passing the buck. Perhaps put more effort in acquiring what you need and work on time management before penalizing the very people you claim to work for. 100 years ago has nothing to do with what will be in front of the people on November, 3, 2021.

 This might take some effort to fact check, but I have "the book" a copy of Templeton 2010 by-laws, something use to be printed by the town every 5 years. Now, back in 2013, Templeton did not have a by-law stating the budget was the job of selectmen and town administrator. Fact is, our by-laws, along with a state law, gave that job to the advisory committee. See state law, MGL, chapter 39, section 16: Every town whose valuation for the purpose of apportioning the state tax exceeds one million dollars shall, and any other town may, by by-law provide for the election or the appointment and duties of appropriation, advisory or finance committees, who shall consider any or all municipal questions for the purpose of making reports or recommendations to the town; and such by-laws may provide that committees so appointed or elected may continue in office for terms not exceeding three years from the date of appointment or election.

In every town having a committee appointed under authority of this section, such committee, or the selectmen if authorized by a by-law of the town, and, in any town not having such a committee, the selectmen, shall submit a budget at the annual town meeting.

Right there, in the law, it was the Advisory Committee's responsibility to create and present the town budget to town meeting. No getting out of the responsibility or any errors by stating "selectmen refused to do the budget" as the law states, that is responsibility of advisory committee.

Our town by-laws also gave this responsibility to advisory committee in 2013: article IV, section 4 - it shall be the duty of the advisory committee annually to consider expenditures in previous years and the estimated requirements for the ensuing year of the several boards, officers, and committees of the town, as prepared by them in such form and detail as may be prescribed by said committee. The said committee shall add to such statement of expenditures and estimates another column, giving the amounts which in it's opinion should be appropriated for the ensuing year, and shall further add thereto such explanations and suggestions relating to the proposed appropriations as it may deem expedient, and report thereon as provided in section 5 of article II. So in 2013, advisory did just that.

About half way through FY2014, mistakes in the budget totaling around 500 thousand dollars were discovered and in my opinion, there was reaction by town meeting, with a change to our town by-laws giving budget preparation responsibility to the town administrator and selectmen, thus changing the role of advisory committee in Templeton. Statutory authority of advisory committee in Templeton has not changed, the committee is still responsible for making recommendations to town meeting, still responsible for oversight of town reserve fund, still must consider end of year transfers in conjunction with selectmen, still must consider changes to spending limits of revolving funds in conjunction with selectmen.

Again, this post is aimed at clarification on some things involving town governance and how we have arrived at where we are in the budget process.