May 27, 2016

The House on May 11 unanimously approved a wide-ranging bill with benefits for veterans, including provisions on housing, education, employment and local tax exemptions.
 
The bill, H. 4285, would establish a special housing office within the Department of Veterans’ Services that would oversee the Chelsea and Holyoke soldiers’ homes and would make recommendations to the Veterans’ Services secretary on all issues related to the housing of veterans.
 
The bill would require that local housing authorities exclude disability income above $1,800 for certain veterans when determining eligibility for housing. (This is currently a local option that has been approved by most housing authorities.) The bill would modify the veterans’ preference provision in certain state and local housing programs.
 
Among the municipal tax provisions, the bill would expand the full property tax exemption provided to the surviving spouse of any service member declared missing in action or who died while on active duty. Such Clause 22D exemptions are fully reimbursed by the state, subject to appropriation.
 
The bill would also extend the full tax exemption provided to paraplegic veterans and their surviving spouses (Clause 22F) to include veterans with service-connected blindness and their surviving spouses.
 
The bill would mandate a motor vehicle excise exemption for service members in active and full-time military service and deployed out of state for at least 45 days. This benefit is currently a local option.
 
The bill would also exempt recipients of the Silver Star Medal from the civil service exam and allow direct appointment. This rule already applies to recipients of the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross or Navy Cross.
 
The bill would allow cities and towns to appoint a veterans’ agent for a term of up to three years.
 
The bill was expected to be taken up by the Senate before Memorial Day.

posted by Jeff Bennett

Municipal Calendar

  September

      School End of Year Report (prior FY)
      Quarterly Cash Reconciliation (prior FYneed for Free Cash Certification)
      Statement of Indebtedness
      Begin Capital Improvement Planning Process
      Finalize Financial Forecast

  October
      Issue Q2 or Semi-Annual Tax Bill
      Submit Schedule A
      Begin work on Tax Recap
      Continue work on CIP
      Begin work on Operating Budget

            Establish Fiscal Guidelines
            Finalize Forms


posted by Jeff Bennett

---------- Original Message ----------
From: "Handy, Mary Jane" <handym@dor.state.ma.us>
To: 'Robert Markel' <townadministrator@templeton1.org>
Cc: "Wagner, Deborah A." <wagnerd@dor.state.ma.us>, "Rassias, Anthony A." <rassias@dor.state.ma.us>
Date: January 25, 2016 at 2:34 PM
Subject: RE: Schedule A

Bob,

Thank you for keeping me updated on the progress in Templeton.

Unfortunately, I have a meeting at the Statehouse Wednesday morning.  I have asked Deb Wagner if she could participate in the conference call in my absence.

Because the Town has made significant progress in the reconstruction of the financial records, I will allow an extension for the completion of Templeton’s Schedule A.

If the Bureau can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact me.

MJ

All - 

I received a call from Matt Hunt of CliftonLarsonAllen, our auditing firm, regarding a Single Audit for Fiscal 2013.  In the spring of 2014, they gave me a quote for conducting audits for Fiscal 2014 and 2015.  Later, we added Fiscal 2013 to the list following a recommendation from bond counsel and the DOR.  Neither they nor I knew that the Town had expended CDBG monies exceeding $500,000 in FY'13.  

We are required to do a Single Audit for FY'13, and this has added to the cost.  I recommend that we pay the additional cost from the $27,000 in surplus funds that is scheduled for transfer into the BoS expenses budget in the FY'16 Financial Transfer article.  

Bob
Robert T. Markel
Interim Town Administrator
Town of Templeton
160 Patriots Road
East Templeton, MA 01438
(978)894-2753

Schedule A

From: Robert Markel [mailto:townadministrator@templeton1.org]
Sent: Monday, January 25, 2016 11:39 AM
To: Handy, Mary Jane
Subject: Schedule A

Dear Ms. Handy -

As we discussed at the MMA Annual Meeting, the Town of Templeton is making good progress towards putting our financial records in order so that they can be audited.  The Abrahams Group has been working with our Town Accountant since November to reconstruct the general ledger for Fiscal 2013, 2014, and 2015.  Our Auditor, Matthew Hunt of Clifton-Larson-Allen will be at Town Hall on January 27 to begin the audit for Fiscal 2013.  We expect to have good data available to permit the audits for '14 and '15 when '13 is completed.  

Our Accountant and the Abrahams Group would like to hold off on submission of Schedule A for FY'15 until they are confident that our financial statements are in good order.  We are requesting permission to delay Schedule A for up to two months so that we can be assured that what we submit is completely accurate.  

Mark Abrahams, Matt Hunt and our Town Accountant are meeting here on Wednesday morning, Jan. 27.  I will be out of Town but they are setting up a conference call for me.   Would you like to participate or just listen in for the update and timetable for completing the work?  

Bob

Robert T. Markel, PhD
Interim Town Administrator
Town of Templeton
160 Patriots Road
East Templeton, MA 01438
(978)894-2753

Municipal Calendar

July 1 Collector Mail Annual Preliminary Tax Bills For communities issuing annual
           preliminary tax bills, the preliminary quarterly or semi-annual bills should be mailed
           by this date.

      15 Accountant Certification Date for Free Cash: Anytime after Books are Closed Two weeks after
           the close of a fiscal year, all accounts are closed out and the resulting balance sheet and
            supplemental documentation submitted to DOR. Free cash is certified any time after
            this date.

       15 Accountant Report Community Preservation Fund Balance: Anytime after Books are Closed
             After the close of a fiscal year, the fund balance is submitted to DOR (Form CP-2)
             and notice given to the Community Preservation Committee and other financial officers.
             The fund balance may be appropriated anytime after that report.

        15 School Business Officials Certification Date for Excess and Deficiency (E&D) Fund Two
             weeks after the close of a fiscal year, all accounts are closed and the resulting balance sheet
             (a pre-closing trial balance or audited financial statements will not be accepted unless
              requested by the Director of Accounts) and supplemental documentation are submitted
             to DOR. E&D Fund is certified any time after this date.

         15 Assessors Deadline for Appealing Commissioner’s Pipeline Valuations to ATB

         20 DOR/BLA Notification of Changes in Proposed EQVs (even numbered years only)

         20 DOR/BLA Notification of Changes in Proposed SOL Valuations (every 4th year after 2005)


posted by Jeff Bennett

BOSTON –  A unanimous vote by the Massachusetts Senate to increase regional school transportation reimbursement funding by $2,000,000 during Tuesday’s budget debate.  The amendment raises the reimbursement rate to 73 percent of full funding, at a total of $61,021,000.

Regional school districts often have higher student transportation costs since they cover larger geographic regions. There are currently 58 regional school districts in Massachusetts with 171 member schools.  The transportation money that is not reimbursed by the state comes directly out of their school budgets.  

“Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools (MARS).  “The Senate funding level will maintain reimbursement at 73 percent for FY17.  MARS continues to advocate for funding regional transportation reimbursement at 100 percent, as stated in MGL chapter 71, Section 16C.”

The House of Representatives approved $60,021,000 and the two amounts will be negotiated by the conference committee.

posted by Jeff Bennett