Just for the record, when questions, complaints and Templeton department heads spout off, recall this: Fiscal year 2013 began on July 1, 2012 and ended June 30, 2013. Then Templeton Town accountant Scott Sawyer, who was a vendor, not a Town employee, put together the budget for fiscal 2013. He submitted a letter of resignation sometime in April, 2012 which became effective June 30, 2012 and he would not stay on to close out fiscal 2012. If anyone recalls, 2012 was the year of recall, fire Jeff Ritter, fire Town Attorney and rehire K&P, bring back a fired Town Coordinator as interim Town Coordinator. This is also the year when Town meeting stretched out for about a week, because in the middle of Town meeting, it was discovered that money from another year was used to bring this budget forward. There were also changes made to Town meeting warrant after it had been voted on by selectmen and sent off to attorneys. The changes made were not voted on in an open meeting of the selectmen. The special Town meeting later that year in November, 2012 did not really make the usual adjustments to address any of the unknowns used at the spring annual Town meeting. All of this is part of the record of Templeton for that year. August 2012 is the time I left for Afghanistan, so not being present at the special town meeting, I have gone by the record of the meeting on Templeton Town web site and annual report. I believe the biggest concern Templeton now has is how large, if any, is the deficit for fiscal year 2013, is it on expenditure or revenue and how will the deficit be addressed? I damn sure think this would absolutely be the wrong time for selectmen to be thinking of or talking about bringing back pay for elected people, be it selectmen, school committee, etc.


posted by Jeff Bennett