Apparently someone does not like this alternative blog, oh well. It is here to stay for as long as it seems relevant. At tonight's selectmen meeting, one thing on the agenda was changing the boards meeting night to Wednesday, apparently there is a problem with getting selectmen into the office on that day to sign the weekly warrant, which is required to pay the town's bills. I guess some want the title of selectmen but are unable or unwilling to to do the things required of them, some required by state law! Apparently there is a big stone that was dug up on Boyton road and it was said that the highway boss Bud Chase told the Town Administrator that it would probably take $1,000.00 to put it on a truck to remove it. It seems there will be some discussion on what to do with it, the large stone. It is really not that large.
Looking over the warrant for the upcoming special Town meeting, there are again more money transfers. I am personally in favor of a new school but how are residents to support it when it seems the finances are not yet in order? If additional funds go the accounting department, that will equal about $100,000.00, which I was told would be used in part to hire outside help to do the FY 2013 - 2014 books so the Town Accountant can concentrate on FY 2015 books.
Boyton Road paving is done, good job by the contractors who have the equipment and expertise to do the work, which is only paid for when needed, no additional fat like benefits or free boots, only pay when actual work is done. With the required budget item for OPEB, other post employment benefits, people will now see at least part of what it costs to have all of them town employees. The state of Massachusetts owes or needs 15 Billion over the next thirty years just to pay retiree health insurance. The 351 municipalities in the state are no better off and this could be the thing that brings more and more cities and Towns to the brink. It is something that is not going to go away and when government of any size grows, so does this EXPENSE. So badmouth contractors all you want, ignore cost saving things like regionalization of some services and reduction in other avenues or any of the other option to help reduce these long term costs, it is not cheaper to have a large in house work force because that thing that is at the very end of many financial reports is not going away, it is always growing and that is OPEB.
Jeff Bennett
