Monday, August 7, 2023

 Ashburnham Ma (they have municipal light dept.) annual town meeting of May 2023, article 2 -"to see if the Town will vote to authorize a PILOT payment based on the annual kilowatt sales of the Light dept. multiplied by a per kilowatt value from the municipal light plan funds, to the town treasury, as authorized by its light board in accordance with chapter 164 of the general laws of the commonwealth, or act in relation thereto. (requested by light dept.) Brief explanation, The PILOT agreement is tied to the pilot payment in the annual kilowatt sales of the light dept. multiplied by a per kilowatt value. This was put in place for FY13 to ease the calculation and establish a standard process for future years. In FY24, it is estimated we will receive $65,000.00. So, in Ashburnham for example, the light commissioners work for the benefit of the town, rather than going around and claiming they are all independent from the town. Templeton light commissioners spent money on legal fees to look at structure of town government, but they refused to share it with residents. Big difference in other town/municipal light commissioners and the ones in Templeton.