Templeton dog owners contribute $34,807.50 to town budget via dog license fees for fiscal year 2022. (from July 1, 2021, thru June 30, 2022)
Town fiscal year town clerk budget request for dog licenses and delinquent dog license postcards and postage shows total of $770.00. If a fee is supposed to cover cost of service, dog owners are being fleeced. This is in part due to the town meeting vote to increase cost of dog license to 20 bucks, which is way more than needed to cover cost of dog licenses. Time for a question to town meeting to change the cost of dog license, as these taxes are getting out of hand.
from current town bylaws:
The Town Clerk shall, pursuant to MGL c. 40, § 22F, from time to time fix reasonable annual fees to be charged for the issuance of licenses for dogs. At the adoption of these bylaws, the annual licensing fee shall be fixed at $15 for a spayed/neutered dog and $20 for an intact dog. These fees shall not be increased without a majority vote of the voters present at a Town Meeting.
MGL chapter 40, Section 22F. Any municipal board or officer empowered to issue a license, permit, certificate, or to render a service or perform work for a person or class of persons, may, from time to time, fix reasonable fees for all such licenses, permits, or certificates issued pursuant to statutes or regulations wherein the entire proceeds of the fee remain with such issuing city or town, and may fix reasonable charges to be paid for any services rendered or work performed by the city or town or any department thereof, for any person or class of persons; provided, however, that in the case of a board or officer appointed by an elected board, the fixing of such fee shall be subject to the review and approval of such elected board.
A fee or charge imposed pursuant to this section shall supersede fees or charges already in effect, or any limitations on amounts placed thereon for the same service, work, license, permit or certificate; provided, however, that this section shall not supersede the provisions of sections 31 to 77, inclusive, of chapter 6A, chapter 80, chapter 83, chapter 138, sections 121 to 131N, inclusive, of chapter 140 or section 10A of chapter 148. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any certificate, service or work required by chapters fifty to fifty-six, inclusive, or by chapter sixty-six. The fee or charge being collected immediately prior to acceptance of this section for any license, permit, certificate service or work will be utilized until a new fee or charge is fixed under this section.
The provisions of this section may be accepted in a city by a vote of the city council, with the approval of the mayor if so required by law, and in a town by vote of the town meeting, or by vote of the town council in towns with no town meeting.
