Templeton new growth:

Looking back through some Templeton annual Town reports, I found these numbers;
From the report of Templeton Assessors -

2010 shows new growth of   $58,417.00
2011 shows new growth of   $87,149.00
2012 shows new growth of   $34,386.00
2013 shows new growth of   $33,592.00
2014 shows new growth of   $50,761.22
2015 new growth of              $69,582.00  (from 2017 revenue document)
2016 new growth of              $94,321.00  (from 2017 revenue document)

Average for this time frame  $61,172.00

Please do the math and check that out and ask yourself this: Why would someone with a PH D use a figure of $80,000.00 for a new growth figure in a 2017 budget (so called) document and to use that number to state you have a balanced budget. What fact did that individual, Robert Markel, have or use to come to that conclusion?   The Gardner News, Wednesday, August 10, 2016, Robert Markel, PH D writes that Templeton has a balanced budget for 2017 and he further writes that there were balanced budgets in fiscal 2015 and 2016 while he was Town Administrator. So why, may I ask, are we faced with another special town meeting to fix, amend, adjust, whatever, the 2017 budget, (so called) and one item is to restate estimated new growth and motor vehicle excise tax? Those two items were some of the changes proposed at a meeting back in July. Who knows what the selectmen will propose in the end.


posted by Jeff Bennett