There is/was a picture on face book of Robert Markel and John Columbus at what looks like some kind of a club, perhaps Columbus can inform us all what kind of kool aid they serve there.

From today's Gardner News:

"The town has a capable and competent staff in the financial office. The chaos in record-keeping and accounting of 2013 and 2014 has ended, and the selectmen and town administrator now have reliable financial information for making their decisions"   
Does that include the fiscal year 2017 budget (so called)?  You know, the one we are suppose to have a special town meeting to amend.

"It has been a long and tedious process to reconstruct financial records for 2013 and 2014, and it is now apparent that there was a budget deficit in 2013, which exceeds the $505,000 deficit in 2014. This will compromise the town’s free cash certification by the Department of Revenue; nevertheless, financial records are now in order, and a professional auditing firm will begin their work in January. "

Would that mean that the selectmen can now instruct the town accountant and town treasurer to produce their reports for fiscal year 2015, the ones required by law?

What the hell free cash is being talked about? Would that be the funds John Columbus talked about using to fund some things and when a town resident opined that is how the financial trouble begins, Columbus proceeded to throw that resident from the selectmen meeting. John Columbus was the chairman of the select board then and during which time this 2017 paper was prepared, the one we now have to fix! 


posted by Jeff Bennett