Selectmen wish to transfer $500.00 from Town Clerk expense to Town Clerk CMMT account. CMMT is an extra money incentive to some employees who attend classes and get educated and show professionalism at their position, such as treasurer, collector, Town clerks. So first question is this, has the Town Clerk been certified for the entire fiscal year of 2016? If so, why did the selectmen not ask for the entire $1000.00? Why is there no CMMTC for the assistant treasurer/collector. I believe Carol Lee Eaton is certified. Why was there $500.00 CMMTC for the treasurer in fiscal year 2016 when she is not certified? At last notice, the treasurer may become certified this August. Also, at this past Town Meeting, selectmen stated there was a 50 thousand dollar surplus or unallocated funds within their budget so why were the vests and tanks not paid for out of that money? Perhaps the great, superior elected ones do not know the process or did not pay attention. Hopefully, that will change going forward, but for now, I lean to telling the selectmen that since it is your budget, you are stuck with it. Next time ask for what you need and learn that just moving money around is not the solution.

posted by Jeff Bennett

Templeton Town officials try to put all blame on fire chief Ray LaPorte with regards to spending. However, it was those same officials who said it was okay to transfer $111,000.00 from fire/ems to pay for snow & ice deficit back on November 9, 2015 special town meeting. Then in March 2016 special town meeting, put back $45,000.00 into fire/ems salary account and now they wish to transfer another $7,000.00 into fire/ems salary to cover salaries through end of the fiscal year. Guess they should have left that salary account alone and paid for the deficit out of FY2017 state aid. Maybe it is those officials who need to be fired rather than the fire chief.

posted by Jeff Bennett