House to Start FY26 State Budget Debate on Monday, April 28

 

Lawmakers Will Decide All Municipal and School Amendments

 

Please Call Your Representatives TODAY

and Ask Them to Support Increases to

Unrestricted General Government Aid,

School Transportation Accounts,

Local Road and Bridge Funding

and Other Key Priorities

 Questions on Town Finance:

From Melanie: “Thank you for forwarding me the email from Liz Toth. I was going to respond to her directly, but thought I should go through you, and you can disseminate this information how you see fit.

 

1. Advisory Supplies: Jeff Bennett notified me this week that the previous accountant entered the voted beginning balances incorrectly. This will be rectified on the next BVA.
2. There was no “losing account” for the 155-5200 account as the funds were never actually sent anywhere. This was an error in the payroll report uploading, which was caught by Nancy, and was reversed. It was done as a beginning balance as there was no other clean way to enter the correction. Unfortunately, only so many of the comments entered are seen on the report. If they all showed up, you would also see the note, “To Reverse Entry”. Good eye on this one, though.
3. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. This looks like another beginning balance entry error made by the previous accountant. This will be fixed for the next BVA release.
4. As was voted at the FTM 10/23/2024, Article 9: “On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to transfer from certified free cash the sum of Forty Thousand Dollars and No Cents, ($40,000.00) to the account of Development Services for additional compensation for the Building Commissioner, plumbing/gas and electrical inspectors, to account for the additional inspection work load created by the construction and renovation at 12-16 School Street (the former Baldwinville Elementary School). Passed Unanimously/Oct. 23rd @ 7:57pm”.
5. I cannot answer your question regarding a contract for Sealer of Weights and Measures.
6. Cell Phones: I would suggest asking both department heads who their contract are with, how long the contracts have been in place and what incentives they receive.
7. I would suggest changing 430 in the budget book to the 630, as it would cleaner. I wasn’t here when the accounts were set up so am not sure why they were entered into Vadar that way.
8. I wasn’t here when the Economic Development Grant was applied for, but after asking around, I understand that the finalization of the grant was in the control of the Select Board. To my knowledge the grant has not been received. If you have any other information on it, I am happy to look into it for you (with Holly’s permission) as I hear the EDIC is no longer in place.
9. Debt: I cannot speak to how the budget was constructed.
10. Demo Revolving Account: I am not sure who is in charge of that account, but no revenue has been turned over so there is nothing to be updated. I would suggest reaching out to who is in charge of the revolving account to determine when revenue may be expected.
11. Brine Revolving: While I cannot speak for Director Szocik, I am aware that he is in the process of billing the other towns now that the winter weather is hopefully over.
12. Negative Balances:
1. E911 Grant: Reimbursable Grant. Not to speak for him, but Chief Dickie is in the process of submitting his expenditures for reimbursement.

Correction: 12.a. is incorrect. I had originally thought this would have been a great for emergency management but see      now that it is for the 911 Dispatch. Please let Liz know that their revenue will be posted to the account before the next BVA is sent.

2. CDBG: Reimbursable Grant. Thank you for pointing this one out as I’ve learned that it is periodically reimbursed throughout the year. I will update with the received revenues as beginning balances for the next BVA release. Please be mindful that this leger may, from time to time, have a negative balance as reimbursements are requested.
3. FF Safety Grants: Reimbursable Grant. Not to speak for him, but Chief Dickie is in the process of submitting his expenditures for reimbursement.
4. Hazard Mitigation Grant: Reimbursable Grant. Not to speak for him, but Chief Dickie is in the process of submitting his expenditures for reimbursement.
5. Chapter 90: Reimbursable Grant. Again, I cannot speak for Director Szocik, but am aware that he is in the process of the expenditure reimbursement with the state, which is the typical process.
6. Sewer Roof/Crotty Ave: Thank you for noticing this. I need to add the beginning balance from the debt issuance.
7. Water Enterprise Fund: We are not supplied with a budget for the water department so this will always be negative.
8. Transfer out to General Fund: With the way this account is linked in Vadar (and has historically been used), it will show negative and then hit their cash when it is closed out at the end of the year. The cash is not transferred to the “transfer out” account and then again to the general fund. I hope I explained that via email okay.
9. Light Plant: We are not supplied with a budget for the light plant so this will always be negative.
12. Trust Funds: The Treasurer Collector holds the information on those.

 

 

The answers to your questions that Melanie did not have the information for are as follows:

 

For Sealer of Weights and Measures, #5 above, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Division of Standards handles that service/inspections and Development Services invoices local businesses for their use and we pay that to the Division of Standards.

 

For the cell phones, #6 above, The Police Department, and Fire Department both have their own account through FirstNet/AT&T. The Sewer Department has their account under the Town account with FirstNet/AT&T, for the Highway dept, Buildings & Grounds, Emergency Management, Development Services, and Veterans, those phones are under the Town’s account with FirstNet and paid through the Technology account. The accounts with FirstNet give all users the best service especially in an emergency situation at a great price.

 

For the Demo Revolving Account, #10 above: That account is managed by the Town Administrator. The funds received from the sale of 10 Pleasant Street have been transferred into the account which is now in the amount of $86,984.94.

 What town meeting voted for, November 15, 2023 - ARTICLE 6: ADOPT M.G.L. c. 90, § 17C

To see if the town will vote to accept the provisions of Chapter 90, Section 17C of the General Laws, to authorize the Select Board to establish a speed limit of 25 miles per hour on town-owned roadways within thickly settled or business districts.

Or take any other action related thereto.

Submitted by the Select Board

Majority Vote Required

On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to accept the provisions of Chapter 90, Section 17C of the General Laws, to authorize the Select Board to establish a speed limit of 25 miles per hour on town-owned roadways within thickly settled or business districts.

Passed/November 15th @ 7:17 pm

The law states this: Section 17C. (a) Notwithstanding section 17 or any other general or special law to the contrary, the city council, the transportation commissioner of the city of Boston, the board of selectmen, park commissioners, a traffic commission or traffic director of a city or town that accepts this section in the manner provided in section 4 of chapter 4 may, in the interests of public safety and without further authority, establish a speed limit of 25 miles per hour on any roadway inside a thickly settled or business district in the city or town on any way that is not a state highway.

(b) Upon establishing a speed limit under this section, the city or town shall notify the department. The operation of a motor vehicle at a speed in excess of a speed limit established under this section shall be a violation of section 17.

I am not sure when they were put in place, but on April 9, 2025 around 10:30 A.M., 

A Templeton town highway dept. employee just removed the 2 25 MPH speed limit signs that were on Brooks Village/Carruth Road. My opinion, this was a case of good use of face book. The process was not followed so a town employee (s) wasted time and material, to place a couple signs and then took them up all because someone did not follow procedure.

 Templeton 3rd qtr. meals tax =

$17,630.00. Total so far = $63,686.00.

Looking back to fy2021, 3rd qtr (March) has always been lowest qtr., with June climbing back up, hope that trend continues for a fifth year.

 From The Gardner News - December 2024https://www.thegardnernews.com/story/news/education/2024/10/16/narragansett-regional-school-districts-top-earners-for-fiscal-2024-superintendent-principal-teacher/75622276007/

The top 20 highest-earning Templeton employees during fiscal 2024 all made six-figure salaries, many of whom were from the Police Department or Light Department.

The town spent $6,670,193 in FY24 on the payroll of 240 employees. In FY23, the town paid a total of $6,183,928 on the salaries of 215 employees, and only 13 employees earned a six-figure salary.

The highest earner is Police Sgt. Derek Hall, who earned a total of $170,339, which included $47,752 in overtime. After Hall is Detective Eric Smith, who earned a total of $154,557 with $35,251 in overtime. The third highest earner is Nicholas Malnati, a patrolman who earned a total of $150,354 with $46,203 in overtime in FY24.

The fourth highest earner is John Driscoll, the Municipal Light and Water Plant general manager, with a salary of $147,914. Following Driscoll is the department's Lead Lineman Nicholas Houston, who earned $11,997 in overtime and made a total income of $131,925. The sixth-highest earner is Joseph Parker, a lineman for the light department, who earned $11,971 in overtime and earned a total of $129,948.

Michael Bennett, the town's police chief, earned a salary of $128,251, which makes him the seventh-highest earner. Electric Superintendent Thomas Berry earned $125,386, making him the eighth-highest earner. The ninth-highest earner is Shane Egan, a lineman for the Light and Water Department with a salary of $125,386. Egan earned $8,563 in overtime this past fiscal year. Steven Flis, a police sergeant, earned $31,329 in overtime, giving him a total salary of $120,723 in FY24, making him the 10th highest earner.

Last Name	First Name	Employee Position	Total Earnings	Overtime/Other
Hall	Derek	Police Sergeant	$170,339.01	$47,752.76
Smith	Eric	Detective	$154,577.62	$35,251.77
Malnati	Nicholas	Patrolman	$150,354.78	$46,203.06
Driscoll	John	Municipal Light and Water Plant General Manager	$147,914.84	0.00
Houston	Nicholas	Lead Lineman	$131,925.83	$11,997.76
Parker	Joseph	Lineman	$129,948.49	$11,971.18
Bennett	Michael	Police Chief	$128,251.45	$0.00
Berry	Thomas	Electric Superintendent	$125,386.54	$0.00
Egan	Shane	Lineman	$123,830.49	$8,563.16
Flis	Steven	Police Sergeant	$120,723.83	$31,329.68
Welch	Noah	Police Officer	$114,777.97	$14,335.72
Daniels	Kyle	Firefighter/ Paramedic	$114,315.05	$44,439.05
White	John	Lead Lineman	$109,661.10	$391.50
Lamontagne	Adam	Town Administrator	$107,850.00	$0.00
Donahue	Daniel	Police Officer	$107,785.08	$14,158.04
Deschenes III	Robert	Police Officer	$106,519.65	$21,418.71
Schwinger	Scott	Water Superintendent	$105,649.47	$14,962.68
Gearin	Tyler	Groundsman	$104,614.06	$5,945.18
Matson	Caleb	Police Officer	$103,881.07	$19,969.05
Chapman	William	Police Officer	$103,122.03	$10,579.20

Templeton Town employees who had the top 20 highest earned salaries in FY24. Overtime/other earnings are included in the total earnings.