from the Association of Town Finance Committee handbook.


True zero-based budgeting, in which all programs are reviewed annually and budgets are built from the bottom up, often does not work very well in the municipal arena. Many programs are mandated by state or federal law or by the realities of everyday life. However, it does make sense to review each department’s mission and resources every few years. Finance committees, town managers, employees and citizens should work together and re-examine priorities, think about whether and how missions can be redefined and how resources can be reallocated to better meet a town’s changing needs. This kind of planning, while more difficult in the short term, pays off in the long run if only by keeping the budget process from devolving into a series of ad hoc reactions to year-by year changes in the town’s financial picture.

from the Town website, under Town Administrator: FY 2019 budget presentation:

My Premises –
Zero Based Budget: From the Ground Up; –

 Reflected on our review of work-flow & structure to date;

No payroll checks?  Vacation?  What about the assistants?

The assistant to the Town Administrator was in the office of the board of selectmen.
What about the assistant Town Accountant? I thought that was one reason for having assistants, so the work can be done when the lead person is out. Perhaps the policy that covers this situation should be looked at for the answers.

I hope all Town employees attend the next selectmen meeting and under public comments, these questions are asked and they get answers. From some conversations I have had from residents, things are not much better in the Treasurer / Collectors office. I hope the elected sewer commissioners stand their ground and keep control of those enterprise funds. It sometimes seems there is nothing more than a big ponzi scheme going on with regards to Templeton finance. Time for some management costing to be done? An outside payroll service does not seem like such a bad idea right now.

Maybe it is time for a tax underride? Since there is 20 million dollars being spent on a regional lockup facility, to include drug rehab and medical services, is there a need for any small town to have their own jail cells, that come with all those requirements such as additional personnel to watch the prisoners, transport to hospital for any medical problem, real or possible, feeding them, etc.

Of course, the people just voted for a tax increase, just re-elected a selectmen so they must be happy with the government they have. Maybe time to just sit back, smell the coffee and have a good laugh. Now, about them pot holes and beetles in all the trees out there?

On page 65 in the spending plan book for FY2018, (Treasurer/Collector) there is an item listed as Harpers payroll for $12,190.00. Presumably, that is to cover cost of processing Town payroll.

On page 47 in the spending plan book for FY 2019, (Town Accountant) there is an item listed as Harpers Payroll for $12,190.00. Again, presumably to cover cost of processing payroll.

Looking through the Town Administrators reports for the year (weekly) almost every one of them contain the same thing: Finance team - Town Accountant and Treasurer/Collector; nothing to report.


Probably won't hear much about this at a selectmen meeting because the Town Administrator will handle it and he is not covered by the open meeting law. Things like employee evaluations are not done at selectmen meetings, where people who pay the bills and salaries, can hear about qualifications and quality of work completed by the employees they pay for. Taxpayers should be able to hear this information.

No fluoride, no smart meter, no trump conspiracies, just some information:

Wednesday, May 30, 2018, selectmen held a meeting and financial transfer was on agenda.

So two transfer requests were signed and forwarded to Advisory Committee for action.

 

One transfer was from benefits to snow & ice deficit in the amount of $25,000.00.

That transfer was approved.

Second transfer request was for $15,000.00 from benefits to highway department:

That transfer was not approved.

purchase of services - $9,000.00

supplies -                    $6,000.00

problem / issue: memo showing the breakdown of what the funds were needed for;

MS-4 / storm water report @ $2,000.00

arborist / diseased trees      @ $2,150.00

Equipment services            @ $2,850.00  (cylinder rebuild & body repair)

So, those total $7,000.00 which leads to the question: did the requester mean to ask for $7,000.00?

Did the requester make an error in the summary and really need $9,000.00/

Since the Town Administrator and accountant are both out on vacation and no one in selectmen office answered the question and it seems as if the selectmen do not read what they vote or sign or discuss, the chairman signed it and forward it to Advisory and no one came to the meeting to answer the question (s)

Tin foil is in aisle 6

House-Senate budget differences headed to conference committee

May 25, 2018

The House and Senate have each approved budget bills for next year, with some important differences in local government accounts and on policy issues that will have to be resolved by a six-member conference committee.
 
With state finances more stable this budget season than over the past two years, some of the concern about funding levels for state and local government programs has diminished a bit, and in some cases there is an opportunity for growth. Last year at this time, state collections were falling almost half a billion dollars behind the forecast. This year, collections through the end of April are about $800 million ahead of the target.
 
Policy differences in the House and Senate fiscal 2019 budget bills include some controversial issues that affect cities and towns, including Senate-approved updates to the Community Preservation Act fee schedule, a provision to establish a new car rental fee to help fund the municipal police training program, and a measure that would prohibit state and local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. The House is acting on a police training program funding plan in separate legislation
.

Apparently, the state Senators think there should be no rule of law in Massachusetts. 

Do Templeton selectmen read and understand what is put in front of them? Do they understand everything that is asked of them?

On page 73 of the spending plan binders, an explanation in detail, of what is planned for purchase of service; Town Clerk, for the fiscal year 2019. One item listed is General Code - Codification @ $3,998.00. There is a notation showing this is year 3 of a 3 year contract with a further annual $1,195.00 fee for FY 2020 and thereafter.

So why would the selectmen tell people at annual town meeting that only $100.00 to no more than $1,000.00 was spent on codification?

So, did the selectmen lie to the Annual Town Meeting or did they really not  know how much they agreed to spend on a contract they signed? It was nice of the Town Administrator to take the blame, but he did not sign the warrant for town meeting.

Okay, here is a math problem for you:

Templeton local required contribution . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,385,110.00
additional appropriation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,272,179.00
Templeton transportation difference . . . . . . . . . . . . .  $   675,463.00
debt service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $   417,911.00
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6,750,663.00



Now, from Templeton Town Meeting:
 warrant article # 33  NRHS district . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6,332,752.00

to pay NRHS district for educating, transporting students and capital and debt expenses.

Is the debt expense included in the motion dollar figure presented by the selectmen?

I guess the answer will be, no problem, we will do it over in the fall.

Not so fast . . . . . it just may be a Grand Illusion!

Looking at the Town web site to look at recently posted Moderator Rules for the up coming Templeton Annual Town Meeting. The rules in part state that materials placed on the table have been pre approved.

It further states If you would like to make such materials available to Town Meeting members, please submit them to me for approval at least 48 hours before the start of Town Meeting.

It states you can drop off these material to the Templeton Police department.????


After reading an email from the moderator to a couple of people with the same reply which contains the following:

"I absolutely have the authority to determine what is or is not allowed at the town meeting. For example you or anyone else is not allowed to smoke or bring any alcohol or firearms to the town meeting. Town Meeting Time page 136."

So I contacted the Moderators Association and purchased a copy of Town Meeting Times for $25.00.
Came in the mail on Saturday and I quickly turned to page 136 to see what it says.

I found that chapter 9, with a subject of Debate, begins on page 134 and goes to page 138. On page 136, the only reference to any rule or power of the moderator I found was at the bottom of the page;

"Carlyle not withstanding, ("the substitution of tobacco smoke for parliamentary eloquence is by some held to be a great improvement"), with a footnote 9. it is improper (footnote 10) and in Massachusetts, illegal to smoke or carry intoxicating liquor in a town meeting (footnote 11)

Looking at the footnotes, #11 states Mass. Gen. Laws, c. 54, section 73. Note that this empowers the moderator to cause the offender to be removed, but not confined.

This seems to state that rather than having the authority to determine what is or is not allowed at Town Meeting, it simply gives the moderator the authority to have one removed from the meeting for violating the law or a rule.

There may be a copy of Town Meeting Times available for reading at a library. You can always buy a copy or perhaps the moderator will allow you to read his copy and read page 136 for yourself.

I will have my copy at Town Meeting.