MA Division local Service reports fiscal year 24 meals tax paid to town of Templeton.
first quarter - $23,990.00
second quarter - $23,189.00
records show fiscal 23 payments to town from meals tax:
1st qtr - $19,909.00
2nd qtr - $20,687.00
3rd qtr - $17,384.00
4th qtr - $19,366.00
Wow, looking like collections from the meals tax have gone from around $42,000 when it was started to something more like $92,000 this year if averages hold.
ReplyDeleteNow we need to solidify the items that this money is used to replace on an ongoing bases.............so the TA/Selectboard dont spend it.
Just want to mention one other thing regarding the meals tax plan as it was presented.
ReplyDeleteThe meals tax plan was designed if memory serves, to purchase a cruiser and assist with truck for dpw. The meals tax was then suppose to, supported by the then TA and Selectboard, remain a funding source for Capital items going forward.
If we actually created an account to place the meals tax revenue in to use for Capital we would be securing the FIRST yr over yr funding source for capital within the town of Templeton.
As most know, free cash, the unknown, unspent prior years cash is the only funding we source Templeton has had in the past. If things continue to go as they have we will be broke very shortly.
Today concludes the 2nd qtr of FY 2024 and we have spent over 50% of our budget. It would suggest that free cash is not going to be available next year and we'll be digging into that General Stabilization Fund just to pay bills, stay open.
How long do you think 1.5 million is going to last.............The Selectboard blew threw 1.8 million last month wrapping up ARPA and nobody noticed. Seriously, Adam talks about this $1.5 million like a child. $1.5 million as a safety net for an $19 million dollar budget is almost laughable today. It's 7.8% of our Budget, less than 1 month of revenue. We just went through a period of 8+% inflation and did we not learn anything?
If housing markets stay flat how much revenue to we lose compared the past 2-4 yrs? I've been seeing revenue of 102,103% when we usually collect more in the area of 97-98%
Right now we are about 6% ahead of "average" on yearly expenses. we are fully 6% above fy23 as of Novembers BvA, so tell me, what happens if revenue drops 2-3%? I ask because fy 23 only had 4.26% was left over which gave us $674,000 in free cash.
This is what going broke looks likes folks......................all based on bad budgeting practices set in place by Adam Lamontagne and Mike Currie and the "yes" members over the past few years.
Do you realize we are spending around $2,000,000.00 on Capital items to support departments we wont be able to fund and equipment we dont have operators to run...............millions in sitting depreciating equipment bought to increase employees hours, not taxpayer safety
All while our bridges collapse, roads have no drainage and salt gets washed into all the farmlands..........
2018 annual town meeting voters guide, article 28: Summary: This article seeks the necessary appropriations and authority to
ReplyDeletepurchase a new police cruiser (replacing a 2011 which is expected to have 150,000
miles on it by the time of replacement and currently has numerous transmission,
drive train, and electrical problems) and a fully outfitted one-ton pick-up for the
DPW (replacing a 2001 vehicle we have had to recently take out of service due to the
numerous repairs needed that would that far exceed its value). It solidifies the
intent of the Selectmen to use the Local Option Meals Tax for exactly the purposes
articulated above. If carried forward this will support one cruiser every three
years. It will also support our intended complement of four one-ton pick-ups, each
of which we hope to get twelve years of service from.
Keeping a pickup truck for 12 years is rather a dumb thing to do, especially for a town, three years and down the road they should go. Buy an extended warranty with them and ensure it is transferable, then after 3 years the truck can be auctioned off with a selling point of a one year warranty from manufacturer and the town can get something for truck with minimum Maintenace costs to taxpayers.
ReplyDeletefrom the flyer that was put out; We propose to use funds by creating a capital rolling
ReplyDeletestock program for police and highway vehicles.
Voters will act upon how the meals tax funds will be
used at Town Meeting.
Would this be enough to cover our equipment needs?
No but it’s a start. Meals tax revenues would be used to
pay for three-year leases on a one-ton and cruiser.
We've already started to limit the benefits of the cruiser program cause the TA doesn't understand that we cannot take the "replaced cruisers" in as Developmental service vehicles, or any other usage or we ruin the goal of avoiding the maintenance costs.
ReplyDeleteThese vehicles need to be traded in. Look at the waste from the Fire Department. How many vehicles has the "Chief" had between 2018 and now............How many times are we going to hear some excuse. What happened to thousands of feet of replaced hose? What happens to all the old helmets, gear? Why do we still have scrap vehicles stored on the fire department lot? Supposed to be returned years ago......blamed on State by Dickie