email sent to Templeton Advisory Committee, and I hope all members received it.
Since Mr. Spring stated on December 2, 2021 at an advisory committee meeting (beginning at 1 hour 23 minutes and 52 seconds) that some 30 towns have advisory committees (finance, advisory, warrant, appropriation) who appoint members to fill vacancies. There are some important facts (you will also see this on face book)
Town of Beckett - by laws state ARTICLE 16A--FINANCE COMMITTEE (Adopted 5/12/07; effective 9/24/07) SECTION 1. The Finance Committee shall have all duties and powers given to it under Massachusetts General Laws and the Town of Becket By-Laws, including but not limited to MGL Chapter 39, Section16. SECTION 2. The Finance Committee shall consider any and all municipal questions for the purpose of making reports or recommendations to the town. It shall be the duty of the committee to investigate all proposals in the articles of the warrant for any town meeting that shall in any way affect the finances of the town and to recommend to the town at the time of said meeting a course of action thereon, and in general to make recommendations to the town in regard to any financial business of the town. The committee shall make recommendations on each warrant article involving an appropriation. The committee may or may not endorse warrant articles, as it deems appropriate, where there is no appropriation requested. SECTION 3. The committee shall have the authority to vote transfers from the Reserve Fund per MGL Chapter 40, Section 6. The Treasurer and the Town Accountant are to be notified of any action or transfer of fund requests. SECTION 4. The Committee shall annually elect its own chairman, clerk and other necessary officers. All vacancies in the membership shall be filled by a majority vote of the combined Select Board and Finance Committee; the term to be until the next election. SECTION 5. The Finance Committee shall report annually in the Town Report, the financial condition of the town.
Big difference in a committee alone filling vacancy and a combined committee doing it (especially if you are calling someone else a liar)
Also mentioned was town of Orange (1 hour, 24 minutes and 23 seconds into meeting) as a community where advisory appoints members to fill midterm vacancies. Town of Orange MA bylaws state:
[Adopted 2-15-1937 ATM by Art. 19, approved 3-19-1937 (Bylaw 36)]
There shall be a Finance Committee consisting of seven members who shall reside in the Town and shall be registered voters therein. No officer or employee of the Town shall be eligible to serve on said Committee. Within 10 days after the final publication of this article, in case it shall be approved by the Attorney General, the moderator shall appoint two members of the Finance Committee to serve for three years. All appointments to the Finance Committee heretofore made and in effect at the time of the adoption of this article shall continue in force until the expiration of the respective terms of appointment. Within 10 days after each annual meeting after 1936, the Moderator shall appoint for the term of three years such number of members of the Finance Committee as shall be necessary to replace the members whose terms have expired. In the event of a vacancy for any other cause than expiration of term of office, the Moderator shall forthwith fill such vacancy for the unexpired term. The Finance Committee shall elect its own Chairman and Secretary.
If you are going to call someone a liar, best to not follow up with several lies of your own.
