All the rant - an example of one transfer request; from conservation commission, "we are asking for a transfer of funds from conservation administer assistant salary account for the amount of $31.00 to go to our conservation commission expense account to cover $65.98 for ink and $21.00 for name plates a total of $86.98. Our balance in the expense account is $65.44, we are short $21.54." The transfer request put before advisory committee at last meeting was for $30.00 for the above issue. Perhaps the superior board, the selectmen could have taken care of this out of the selectmen office expense, as that is something the town administrator said the selectmen could do at the end of the year, which if you view the dvd of town meeting, that was one of the reasons given for the $16,000.00 transfer into the selectmen office expense account. Remember, the selectmen used the office expense to pay for repairs o the police chief vehicle rather than use the town reserve fund. That would have been an appropriate thing to bring before advisory committee as it is an unexpected item an a good reason to use the reserve fund.
Again, at some point, town departments and employees have to live within their means, ie; a budget, and I believe that has to start now. There has to be consequences for failing to do that and people need to be held accountable. Sweeping it under the rug with more financial transfers is just enabling this practice to continue. That in my opinion is a bad use of YOUR money. You have to run your house with what you have and the town should be no different. That is why I voted no on all transfers. Yes, this may create some other issues but perhaps something will be learned from this and it will not be repeated. Different selectmen, treasurer, accountant, deputy assessor, town coordinator/town administrator and there are more transfers now than ever and that is not progress or moving forward, that is going backwards and that is not good.


posted by Jeff Bennett