out of view work on fiscal 2017 budget:

I have spoken with the town administrator.

Our budget numbers work. There was a summing error in one of the codes. He has told me he is fixing it and we should have correct print outs. 

Gordon

Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.

From: Robert Markel Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 3:01 PM To: Barrieau, Mark; Bartolomeo, Bev; Fulton, Katharine; Greene, Michael; jpb01468; Moore, Gordon; Spring, Wil Reply To: Robert Markel Subject: Budget

I was about to print the FY'17 budget with Advisory Committee recommendations.  Decided to check all formulas and found that the TAB budget recommendation is $19K over. 
Recommend that you convene tomorrow and vote changes.  The Selectmen are going to vote the change that I implemented with regard to the Veterans Services budget, although they have already approved the changes. 

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

posted by Jeff Bennett

in case you missed it:

From: Robert Markel <townadministrator@templeton1.org>
To: "Brooks, Diane" <seldhaleybrooks@templeton1.org>, "Columbus, John" <seljcolumbus@templeton1.org>, John Caplis <selectmen.caplis@templeton1.org>, "Morrison, Doug" <seldmorrison@templeton1.org>, "Richard, Julie" <seljrichard@templeton1.org>
Date: May 12, 2016 at 11:20 AM
Subject: Advisory Committee Recommendations

The proposed operating budget for Fiscal 2017 with Advisory Committee recommendations is attached.  

Their approach is based upon a reduction in expected revenue from New Growth.  For Fiscal 2016, new growth brought in an additional $94,000.  In the prior year, it was $69,000.  

I estimated new growth producing an additional $80,000 in revenue for FY'17.  Thought that this was a conservative estimate, below the current year, in an economy that is doing better.  The Advisory Committee cut the expected new growth revenue to $50,000, and they reduce the Town Administrator salary to $52,000 from $80,000 and they reduce the line item for wage and salary adjustments from $35,000 to $12,000 while giving a raise to the Deputy Assessor, the only Town employee given a raise directly in the budget of the Advisory Committee.  

Assessors are always ultra-conservative about estimating new growth.  Have never encountered Assessors who do it differently.  If our Assessors stand up at Town Meeting and support the lower number, the ATM will likely go along with Advisory Committee recommendations.  Singling out their Deputy Assessor for a raise will likely increase the pressure on the Assessors to support the AC new growth figure.

The BoS and I have supported a higher salary for the Deputy Assessor during the past year.  Her salary in FY'15 was $43K.  She was given two increases in FY'16 that brought her salary to $54K, and she was given an additional $2K in t our FY'17 budget.  Luanne is an excellent employee and she deserves a good salary.  I question why a $12K increase over two fiscal years is inadequate.  Is the AC attempting to influence the Assessors to support for their view of new growth?

I had $25,000 in the Selectmen's budget for raises for non-unionized employees.  It was raised to $35,000 in case we need to increase the Fire Chief's salary during recruitment.  The current Chief is paid $64K.  I put $70K in the FY'17 budget and an additional $10 buried in the BoS budget in case we need it.  

Also, the BoS has said that they want to recruit a permanent T.A. during Fiscal '17.  Why reduce the T.A. salary in the budget when it will have to be raised back to $80K or beyond during recruitment?

Kelli said that Jeff Bennett prevailed upon the AC to raise the budget for Veterans Benefits to $95K.  Not sure why.  AC supports the revolving fund which will use state reimbursements to fund Veterans Benefits.

Rm

Two days before Annual Town meeting and politics at play for the budget. Looks like selectmen wanted to make sure it was their budget that got voted on. 

posted by Jeff Bennett

According to the annual town report of 2015 for Templeton and the budget for 2017, there is an item of $4,000.00 for Templeton scholarship fund. This item appears under the "operating budget and salaries of the Town. So here is the question; is this proper? A scholarship fund is not required for the town to run. It is a nice gesture and has been appropriated in the past, as a separate warrant article. As a matter of good business practice, perhaps it would be best to keep the business expenses and gifts separate and have separate articles. It was going to be a separate article this year, but the selectmen forgot to put the article on the warrant so at the last minute, it was put into the operating budget. On a budget spread sheet dated April 20, 2016, it was listed under warrant article appropriations and if you look at the Town budget spread sheet on the Templeton website, you will find scholarship under "total miscellaneous" which is different from what the selectmen voted. Yup, everything is fine with Templeton finance.

posted by Jeff Bennett

Looking up the required courses that a Collector or Treasurer has to take in order to become a certified treasurer or Collector, I also saw this statement attached:
Notice to all Treasurers and Collectors:
The use of CMMC or CMMT without having been formally certified by the association is strictly forbidden.
The committee on ethics has the authority to investigate any breach of the code and recommend to the executive board censure, probation, suspension or expulsion from the association.
Question: If Templeton treasurer/collector is not certified, why is there an item within the budget for CMMT in amount of $500.00? Remember, Massachusetts general law states this designation and stipend is only for those treasures and collectors who have taken the training and passed an exam demonstrating a certain amount of knowledge and professionalism. Is it time for a letter to the association to expose this in Templeton?

posted by Jeff Bennett

Massachusetts General Law
chapter 41

Section 108P. In any city, town or district that accepts this section, a collector or a treasurer who has completed the necessary courses of study and training and has been awarded a certificate by the Massachusetts Collectors and Treasurers Association as a certified Massachusetts municipal collector or a certified Massachusetts municipal treasurer or a certified Massachusetts district treasurer, shall receive as compensation from such city, town or district, in addition to the regular annual compensation paid by such city, town or district for services in such office, an amount equal to 10 per cent of such regular annual compensation, but not more than $1,000 per year. A collector or treasurer who has been awarded both certificates referred to above shall receive such additional compensation for only one such certificate. In order to qualify for such additional compensation, a collector or treasurer shall submit to the mayor or the board of selectmen of such city or town, or the governing board of a district proof of the award of either or both such certificates. The additional compensation provided in this section shall be prorated for any 12 month period in which an eligible person does not hold the office of collector or treasurer for 12 consecutive months. Such additional compensation shall be discontinued when certification is discontinued or withdrawn.

According to the fiscal budget line item document, it shows $500.00 for cmmt under the treasurer/collector, assistant treasurer/collector and town clerk. So why is the town clerk being singled out for an extra $500.00?

On the most recent budget versus actual document provided by the town accountant, it shows cmmt for treasurer/collector at $405.00, so what gives, does the treasurer/collector not want the money? Was/is the treasurer/collector certified or not. Remember, you only qualify for this item if you are certified, it is not training funds, it is paid after you receive the training and become certified and maintain that certification.

Under the assistant treasurer/collector, on the most recent budget versus actual, it shows $349.80 left, so same questions/concerns.

Under the town clerk, it shows a zero balance on budget versus actual, so apparently the town clerk wants the money and if certified, deserves it. So my question is this, was the town clerk certified for the entire fiscal year, July 1, 2015 until June 30, 2016? If yes, why was there only $500.00 set aside under the so-called budget for fiscal year 2016?

posted by Jeff Bennett

Massachusetts General Law, chapter 41;
Section 19K. 
In any town, that accepts this section, a town clerk who has completed the necessary courses of study and training, and has been awarded a certificate by the Massachusetts Town Clerks' Association as a certified Massachusetts municipal clerk, shall receive as compensation from such town, in addition to the regular annual compensation paid by such town for services in such office, an amount equal to 10 per cent of such regular annual compensation, but not more than $1,000 per year. In order to qualify for such additional compensation, a town clerk shall submit to the board of selectmen of such town proof of the award of such certificate. The additional compensation provided in this section shall be prorated for any 12 month period in which an eligible person does not hold the office of town clerk for 12 consecutive months. Such additional compensation shall discontinue when certification is discontinued or withdrawn.

According to the Massachusetts city and town clerks association web page, a Town clerk who becomes certified is eligible for this extra money with the designation of CMMC or Certified Massachusetts Municipal Clerk. 

posted by Jeff Bennett

The following link should open to show you the detail information which contrary to one current selectwoman feels, is your business, in my opinion, as it deals with public funds. This information will be used by the Advisory Committee at their next meeting on July 6, 2016 to consider these financial transfers.

posted by Jeff Bennett

 20160628162751288 2

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