Yesterday while watching a recent meeting of the advisory committee, I saw and heard something that is indicative of the financial problem in Templeton. One member stated the town administrator should go pound on the desk of John Driscoll, manager of Templeton light & water and demand that the light dept. give the town some money. That should not happen. Templeton needs to look at how much it can raise by way of property tax and local receipts. From property taxes, realize you will probably not collect more than 92% of that total. The town should attempt to collect as close to 100% as possible while understanding that a collection rate of 96 - 97% is very good. The town needs to stop holding it's hand out in order to provide services. Do not even count on state aid, especially if the selectmen plan on begging the state for a school loan and use state aid as collateral.
The town administrator is trying to say that the school loan will not put the town outside of the 5% loan max and that school debt is not part of that equation. My only question is this; if borrowed, will the town owe that money/ Is the town ultimately responsible for all borrowed money on behalf of the town, such as the new water tank?
In my opinion, we cannot say we have to live within our means then turn around with your hand out to the light department, or any other entity, and ask for money to help us out.
posted by Jeff Bennett
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Saturday, January 14, 2017
My opinion on the subject of Templeton selectmen and town accountant: they are all law breakers for failing to keep records according to state law. So why should they be trusted with Town finances? Then look at prospective town administrators, none with experience on the job, just more on the job training and more bad news for Templeton. Another item in the newspaper with bad information from john columbus; a private road does not have to be accepted before the town can spend any money on them to bring them up to acceptable standards. There are laws on the books that allow this. Of course, selectmen have to follow the laws in order for any of this to work.
The selectmen and Templeton town accountant, in my opinion, are right up there with the secretary of the commonwealth, bill galvin, all law breakers for failing to follow the law. Selectmen should stop coming up with new policy until they follow existing ones, like state law.
Also, the selectmen seem more interested in firing one town employee so they can say they are solving a problem rather than admitting they made several, such as giving out too many raises over the pas few years when they should have been holding everything even. When a few employees get what looks like 16 and 15 % pay increases, that just goes above any business sense at all. When selectmen decide to not have a fire chief just so they can balance the cost of town health insurance cost, they are not solving anything, they are just making that item look good for now. Eventually that thing will show its head again because this board of selectmen seem to like to let employees run the show rather than management. Again, john columbus lies and the rest of the selectmen go right along with him. The town does not have to accept the private roads before the town may spend public money on them. They just have to look at MGL chapter 40, section 6N. I will continue to do research and provide this information to the residents of laurel view road. All of the selectmen lied in the past when they stated it is a matter of law that the NRHS building and grounds director had to be on the school building committee, that was/is another lie and they are all guilty. All of the selectmen lied at the annual town meeting when they told all that their spending plan was correct, balanced and proper. Seems like what this board of selectmen does best is lie, I think it is time for some different selectmen, who will at least tell the truth. That is my opinion.
See, if these selectmen did not vote to spend all the chapter 90 money on an un-needed excavator, perhaps there would be some funds to repair laurel view road.
posted by Jeff Bennett
The selectmen and Templeton town accountant, in my opinion, are right up there with the secretary of the commonwealth, bill galvin, all law breakers for failing to follow the law. Selectmen should stop coming up with new policy until they follow existing ones, like state law.
Also, the selectmen seem more interested in firing one town employee so they can say they are solving a problem rather than admitting they made several, such as giving out too many raises over the pas few years when they should have been holding everything even. When a few employees get what looks like 16 and 15 % pay increases, that just goes above any business sense at all. When selectmen decide to not have a fire chief just so they can balance the cost of town health insurance cost, they are not solving anything, they are just making that item look good for now. Eventually that thing will show its head again because this board of selectmen seem to like to let employees run the show rather than management. Again, john columbus lies and the rest of the selectmen go right along with him. The town does not have to accept the private roads before the town may spend public money on them. They just have to look at MGL chapter 40, section 6N. I will continue to do research and provide this information to the residents of laurel view road. All of the selectmen lied in the past when they stated it is a matter of law that the NRHS building and grounds director had to be on the school building committee, that was/is another lie and they are all guilty. All of the selectmen lied at the annual town meeting when they told all that their spending plan was correct, balanced and proper. Seems like what this board of selectmen does best is lie, I think it is time for some different selectmen, who will at least tell the truth. That is my opinion.
See, if these selectmen did not vote to spend all the chapter 90 money on an un-needed excavator, perhaps there would be some funds to repair laurel view road.
posted by Jeff Bennett
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Selectmen in the past have tried to go after the betterment money and there has been transfers from sewer to aid the Town general fund budget, it is in town meeting "minutes" and annual town reports. There have been past attempts by selectmen to take over the sewer department. There now seems to be the same attempt to repeat history and take from there to cover here. What happens when there are no places left to take from? The audits are general fund expenses and should be paid as such.
So when will the selectmen be meeting with the light and the water departments to look at thier budget? How much will the Templeton Municipal light and water departments be contributing to Town audit expense? I hope selectmen Brooks is looking at those items as well. We did have to have a town meeting to see if the voters would allow the borrowing of money to build a new water tank. Remember, when a town gets a certain amount of federal dollars, a separate audit from the Town's audit is required and none of those federal dollars are suppose to be used to pay for that required separate audit.
posted by Jeff Bennett
So when will the selectmen be meeting with the light and the water departments to look at thier budget? How much will the Templeton Municipal light and water departments be contributing to Town audit expense? I hope selectmen Brooks is looking at those items as well. We did have to have a town meeting to see if the voters would allow the borrowing of money to build a new water tank. Remember, when a town gets a certain amount of federal dollars, a separate audit from the Town's audit is required and none of those federal dollars are suppose to be used to pay for that required separate audit.
posted by Jeff Bennett
Monday, January 9, 2017
Annual Town Meeting, May 13, 2003:
Article 27 To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Town to borrow Six Million Dollars ($6,000,000) to upgrade the Town’s Publicly Owned Wastewater Treatment Facility as required by the Department of Environmental Protection Administrative Consent Order, subject to the successful passage of a debt exclusion, or take any other action relative thereto. On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to raise Six Million Dollars ($6,000,000) to upgrade the Town’s Publicly Owned Wastewater Treatment Facility as required by the Department of Environmental Protection Administrative Consent Order, subject to the successful passage of a Debt Exclusion Question. Passed/May 13th.
Special Town election on November 17, 2003
Article 27 To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Town to borrow Six Million Dollars ($6,000,000) to upgrade the Town’s Publicly Owned Wastewater Treatment Facility as required by the Department of Environmental Protection Administrative Consent Order, subject to the successful passage of a debt exclusion, or take any other action relative thereto. On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to raise Six Million Dollars ($6,000,000) to upgrade the Town’s Publicly Owned Wastewater Treatment Facility as required by the Department of Environmental Protection Administrative Consent Order, subject to the successful passage of a Debt Exclusion Question. Passed/May 13th.
Special Town election on November 17, 2003
ONE BALLOT QUESTION AS FOLLOWS:
1. Debt
Exclusion for Sewer Department
Shall the Town of Templeton be allowed to exempt from the
provisions of Proposition 2-1/2, so-called, the amounts required to borrow to
upgrade the town’s publicly owned Wastewater Treatment Facility as required by
the Department of Environmental Protection Administrative Consent Order. The
cost of the debt exclusion for this project would be six million dollars ($6,000,000),
with 25% of the project costs paid through sewer betterments and 75% paid
through tax levy.
democracy in action, so how about the selectmen find another source of money to pay for there mess up!
posted by Jeff Bennett
Templeton Sewer debt
On the new Templeton Master plan, page 18, there is reference to the Templeton Sewer treatment facility. "Citizens of Templeton approved a proposition 2 1/2 override to fund a WWTP upgrade."
Templeton annual Town report, 2005, page 111, states Town Meeting approved as well as at the ballot, both Town meeting and by ballot vote, monies in the amount of $6,000,000.00 for WWTP upgrade. The money was to come by way of 25% from users by betterment and 75% by way of taxation through a proposition 2 1/2 override. Lets not have another afront to democracy by trying to change this and then go after sewer betterment money to attempt to come up with funds to run the town because selectmen can not come to grips that the spending has to stop until someone is able to present a truly balanced expense (spending) plan that actually shows there are enough funds available to pay for it without stealing from one time revenue sources. 75% of expense comes from taxation and if that needs to be audited as part of the Town's books, that is a general fund expense, therefore, the Town needs to have those funds set aside and not to take from one time sources, which just creates more issues down the road.
posted by Jeff Bennett
On the new Templeton Master plan, page 18, there is reference to the Templeton Sewer treatment facility. "Citizens of Templeton approved a proposition 2 1/2 override to fund a WWTP upgrade."
Templeton annual Town report, 2005, page 111, states Town Meeting approved as well as at the ballot, both Town meeting and by ballot vote, monies in the amount of $6,000,000.00 for WWTP upgrade. The money was to come by way of 25% from users by betterment and 75% by way of taxation through a proposition 2 1/2 override. Lets not have another afront to democracy by trying to change this and then go after sewer betterment money to attempt to come up with funds to run the town because selectmen can not come to grips that the spending has to stop until someone is able to present a truly balanced expense (spending) plan that actually shows there are enough funds available to pay for it without stealing from one time revenue sources. 75% of expense comes from taxation and if that needs to be audited as part of the Town's books, that is a general fund expense, therefore, the Town needs to have those funds set aside and not to take from one time sources, which just creates more issues down the road.
posted by Jeff Bennett
Templeton General Town by-laws Article IV - Advisory Committee
Section 4. - It shall be the duty of the Advisory Committee (there is no TAB or advisory board) annually to consider the expenditures in previous years and the estimated requirements for the ensuing year of the several boards, officers, and committees of the town, as prepared by them in such form and detail as may be prescribed by said committee. The said committee shall add to such statement of expenditures and estimates, another column, giving the amounts which in their opinion should be appropriated for the ensuing year, and shall further add thereto such explanations and suggestions relating to the proposed appropriations as it may deem expedient, and report thereon as provided in section five of article II.
That is what the Town by law states and it, along with Massachusetts general law, is what some members of the Advisory Committee has stated and made a case for for some time. In fiscal year 2014, that committee got their shot and some mistakes were made. Then the town's people, in my opinion, decided to go back to listening to the selectmen and so we got fiscal year 2017.
Now who is blaming who for the 2017 mess, the selectmen, so Bev, were the selectmen setup too?
You cannot have it both ways, mess up in 2014 and blame management for everything. You can of course, get information that is wrong, which in my opinion, is why several sources should be used.
If you want responsibility for something, then you must also take responsibility when things go wrong as well as when they go right. Can't blame the selectmen for 2017 then turn around and blame management for something you put together. That does not fly and people will see that. You lose elections, faith and belief from the people. You also lose trust which is very hard to get back, in my opinion. Past Town meeting records were available, past annual town reports were available along with past town tax recap sheets were available. There are many sources of information as well as the advisory committee having access to the Massachusetts division of local services technical division.
Some mistakes were made, not the first and apparently not the last. Which is why I believe that two entities rather than one should be looking, discussing and voting on the expense appropriations to be presented to the town, rather than only one.
I wonder if Dave Smart has ever file charges in court against the Town?
posted by Jeff Bennett
Section 4. - It shall be the duty of the Advisory Committee (there is no TAB or advisory board) annually to consider the expenditures in previous years and the estimated requirements for the ensuing year of the several boards, officers, and committees of the town, as prepared by them in such form and detail as may be prescribed by said committee. The said committee shall add to such statement of expenditures and estimates, another column, giving the amounts which in their opinion should be appropriated for the ensuing year, and shall further add thereto such explanations and suggestions relating to the proposed appropriations as it may deem expedient, and report thereon as provided in section five of article II.
That is what the Town by law states and it, along with Massachusetts general law, is what some members of the Advisory Committee has stated and made a case for for some time. In fiscal year 2014, that committee got their shot and some mistakes were made. Then the town's people, in my opinion, decided to go back to listening to the selectmen and so we got fiscal year 2017.
Now who is blaming who for the 2017 mess, the selectmen, so Bev, were the selectmen setup too?
You cannot have it both ways, mess up in 2014 and blame management for everything. You can of course, get information that is wrong, which in my opinion, is why several sources should be used.
If you want responsibility for something, then you must also take responsibility when things go wrong as well as when they go right. Can't blame the selectmen for 2017 then turn around and blame management for something you put together. That does not fly and people will see that. You lose elections, faith and belief from the people. You also lose trust which is very hard to get back, in my opinion. Past Town meeting records were available, past annual town reports were available along with past town tax recap sheets were available. There are many sources of information as well as the advisory committee having access to the Massachusetts division of local services technical division.
Some mistakes were made, not the first and apparently not the last. Which is why I believe that two entities rather than one should be looking, discussing and voting on the expense appropriations to be presented to the town, rather than only one.
I wonder if Dave Smart has ever file charges in court against the Town?
posted by Jeff Bennett
Friday, January 6, 2017
Looking at the past to help the future.
There was some discussion on the past with regards to Templeton with a statement being made about how the advisory committee did the budget and presented it to town meeting in 2013 - for fiscal year 2014, the year of the %505,477.00 short fall. In looking over a document that was used to explain
how this happened, there is one item that stands out: Town meeting articles and the dollar figures associated with them. The total expenses of town meeting articles should have been $212,694.00 in the FY 2014 budget presentation. Unfortunately, the figure of $52,694.00 was used, leaving off the figure of $160,000.00 of the ambulance receipts, which should have been included in the expenses under articles. These figures are available from the town clerk and or the town reports of previous years. This was one mistake made in the budget presentation and it shows the detail approach that is needed to present a municipal budget. This was not an error of management, it was an error by the advisory committee, which to my knowledge has never been owned by that committee. As to the entire short fall, it was a result of some error and bad information, again, demonstrating the effort that is required along with the knowledge of what to look at. As far as I know and I have paid attention for quite a while, there was and is no missing money, no one has stolen it. Until there is proof of that, I stand by that statement. The only thing missing were the correct numbers on paper, which has happened again in fiscal year 2017. Which should demonstrate that the selectmen and the advisory committee should agree to disagree but agree to work side by side to check the numbers and information for the benefit of the entire town. For the record, at that time, I was part of management and I have back in 2013, stated at a public meeting, that if you, the people wanted someone to blame, blame me, as I am the current sitting chairman of the board of selectmen, having been voted in at the first selectmen meeting after the election of 2013. That happened with me participating remotely because I had been in Afghanistan during that time and as such, I was not even in the country when this budget presentation occurred. Not an excuse, just a fact. As far as I know, I am still the only one who publicly owned that error. Hopefully, perhaps not this year but next, the two entities, selectmen and advisory, will get together and do what is best for the WHOLE town. We really cannot put one department on a pedestal and say they are untouchable, the whole ship must be kept afloat. We sail as one or we sink slowly, compartment by compartment.
posted by Jeff Bennett
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