In case you are paying attention:

If you look on the Templeton Town web site under departments and click Town Administrator, then click on the FY2019 Town Meeting Warrant, look at article 21; fiscal year 2019 General Fund operating budget (OPEX) and you will see a dollar figure of $8,220,298.00.

If you stay at the same place and look through the budget book presentation, sections 1-3, move down until you come to the summary - General Fund Operating budget and look down at the total: $8,315,481.00 is what you will see.

In the hard copy (paper) book that was handed out to selectmen and Advisory Committee members, we go to the same page, General Fund Operating Budget and we see a total of $8,220,231.00.
That was an "update"passed on to Advisory on April 9, 2018. So, which one is correct? Which one did the select board vote on? Do they know?

What is voted on at Town Meeting will be, but why don't all the dollar figures match?
How is putting conflicting information on the Town's website for taxpayers helping anyone out?

Does anyone remember the MA DOT complete streets program? Templeton is a compact member. According to the website, Templeton does not have or it did not work on the complete streets best practice policy. The website does not show any projects for Templeton. I recall this grant program was going to be used to aid in the design / re do of Wellington Road and part of South Road with regards to the area around the new school. I wonder if this is going to be another good opportunity left untapped by the selectmen like the CDBG program. That is the program used to rebuild infrastructure in the Back Bay area of Baldwinville. Water lines, drainage, sidewalks and road beds. Perhaps they are too busy with writing policies. Of course if you do not show up for meetings, it is hard to bring these things up.

The key word or phrase is complete streets best practice policy and the DOT web site shows a no for Templeton. No projects approved for FY 2017, rounds 1 and 2. No projects approved FY 2018 round 1 and 2. No prioritization plan approved yet either according to the website.

 VOTE

for Jeff Bennett for Selectmen

They may call themselves the superior board, but they cannot make me serve past my appointed term, if at the end of said term, I no longer wish to serve.

Proposed Town by-law change:

Town Meeting Warrant, article 4 - Advisory Committee:

in part, reads: "Annual Town Meeting at which their successors are appointed, provided however, that, in the event of a failure to appoint a successor, members shall serve until their successor is appointed and duly qualified." 

This proposed Town by-law change is brought forward by the board of selectmen.

They could not make me resign and they sure as hell are not going to make me serve longer than my current appointed term, unless I choose request further appointment. If after three years,, I say I am done, I am done. No volunteers, sorry about that, but I am on my way.

If someone volunteers or agrees to stay longer, that is one thing, but selectmen thinking they can tell people they have to serve beyond their term, sorry, the Advisory Committee is not the military!

Question; if you force someone to continue to serve after their term is up, that means their sworn in time has expired, so how long will the Town Clerk be told to swear that person in for? Six months, one month, one year???? You can not really participate if you are not sworn in by the Town Clerk?

Remember also, taxpayers are spending money to codify the Town's general by-laws, so why not wait until that process is complete, have a Town Meeting to repeal in their entirety and then vote in the new codified Town General by-laws? I don't think the superior board put much thought into this evolution.

From the 2016 Westminster annual Town report, salary for cemetery supt. listed at $53,028.72.

FY 2019 DPW director - Templeton salary listed at $72,287.00, to look after cemetery, building & grounds and highway. Not sure what the fiscal year salary will be in Westminster for Cemetery, but I am thinking it is close to Templeton DPW director and a whole lot less stuff to deal with. Add to that, something you really enjoy doing. 

Again, good luck to Alan Mayo!

Now the question becomes, who will lead the new Templeton DPW? Will the selectmen find a manager or will they simply promote from within?

According to the latest Ton Administrator report, 

Alan Mayo has resigned as Director of Public Works for Templeton.

I wish Alan well!

Alan mayo is apparently headed to Westminster to be superintendent of parks and cemeteries. I truly believe that is where Alan is happiest and that is a gain for Westminster.

VOTE Jeff Bennett for Selectmen

Does Templeton have a Town Collector or a Tax Collector?

On Monday evening, April 23, 2018 at Town Hall, Conference Room, selectmen by way of the Town Administrator (part-time) stated Templeton has a Town Collector (result of a question by the Auditor during his presentation).


So off to research to see what available Town records state:

from Special Town Meeting - February 1, 2015:


Article 2. To see if the Town will vote, pursuant to M.G.L.c. 41, s.1B, to have its elected Collector of Taxes become an appointed Collector of Taxes of the Town, or to take any other action relative thereto.
On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted, pursuant to M.G.L.c. 41, s.1B, to have its elected Collector of Taxes become an appointed Collector of Taxes of the Town to be appointed by the Board of Selectmen.

 Passed @ 7:14 

TOWN OF TEMPLETON 

WARRANT FOR ANNUAL TOWN ELECTION 

MAY 2, 2005 

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS 

Question 2. Shall the town vote to have its elected Tax Collector become an appointed Tax Collector of the town?                                       YES_____ NO____ 

QUESTION #2 APPOINT TAX COLLECTOR. 

Yes                                                                      369 312 681

No                                                                       264 193 457

Blanks                                                                   26   32   58 

TOTAL                                                              659 537 1196 

Apparently, a Town Collector has greater leeway in collection of receipts, so the collector could then collect not only real estate and personal property taxes, but sewer receipts as well, I would assume water and electric receipts also.

What the law says:

from the Division of Local Services:

Although a city/town collector has greater collection authority than a tax collector, their statutory duties and compliance standards are the same. 

 As a tax collector, the office possesses the authority to collect only real and personal property taxes, excises, betterments, and certain other charges added to and committed as taxes (MGL c. 60 sec. 1, 2). 

 As a city or town collector under a local acceptance statute (MGL c. 41 sec. 38A), the office has expanded authority to receive and collect all monies or accounts due a municipality. 

So, is there a word game going on in Town Hall, as in a Collector of taxes being called a Town Collector, presumably to make the case that sewer bills should be received in the Treasurer/Collector's office?  Did the selectmen have legal counsel (new) research to find the acceptance of Tax Collector or Town Collector statue vote from a past Town Meeting ? Is it possible selectmen are playing a word game (Collector of Taxes) to make the case we have a Town Collector. Either way, if selectmen try to have sewer bills paid in Town Hall for a "one stop shop" approach, as was quoted in the Gardner News by select board chairman John Caplis, will the effort follow suit with light & Water receipts being paid in Town Hall. It was presented that it is not a good idea to have the same person create the bills and collect the bills. (something about the goose and the gander comes to mind). Clearly, this requires more time to research the vote on which MGL was accepted creating the Tax Collector position.

WTF?? question one on the ballot for Templeton May 7, 2018 election.

Shall the Town of Templeton be allowed to assess an additional $470,246.00 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of protection the public safety including the provision of fire services, advanced life support ambulance service, additional training of police officers beyond state minimums, a community notification system, supplemental funding of the highway and snow and ice budgets and the associated costs of insurance and benefit programs for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2018.

Here I thought the selectmen said it was for ambulance service.
What about the $40,000.00 in raises? If the Town is hurting that bad financially, why not level fund and avoid raises this year. Selectmen need to be management and look out for the whole Town.

 Seems like few if any current selectmen have learned from past mistakes. Just like not having a stand alone Town Meeting article concerning ambulance receipts appropriation, this override is hard to support as written and presented.

I guess the current selectmen don't have the moxy to tell people we do not have enough of your money to run the government the way we wish to so give us some more. They have to put it on "public safety" and the Ambulance service (because that way, it might pass) My thoughts on Town ambulance service have been put forward many times, but even I see this approach as an unfair, cowardly approach. Also, put the spot light on ambulance service and then slide this other stuff in there too.

A stand alone question for override for ambulance service is one thing, but this question is going to be hard to support.