It is Public safety damn it!!!
Phillipston school assessment goes down, Templeton stays the same, Templeton debt goes up, big. . . really big, as Papi says, Phillipston dispatch cost stays the same, Templeton dispatch costs goes up, Templeton needs to transfer more money into the council on the aging, Phillipston comes in to Templeton COA and pays nothing, as far as I know. Templeton taxpayers fund more costs for Phillipston and they pay practically nothing! Are you happy Templeton? Templeton fire department needs a pump, call them and tell them to contact the Advisory Committee for the reserve funds for this purpose. Do not let the selectmen shaft you more!
posted by Jeff Bennett
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Town finance still not right and Templeton fire department needs your help! Call them and the selectmen to tell them to go to the Advisory Committee to request funds from the Templeton reserve fund to pay for a pump repair or replacement. 25 thousand is needed and it is public safety!!
According to Templeton Town Administrator, Templeton group insurance (health insurance) will probably need a transfer of +$50,000.00 by May 2017. Templeton unemployment insurance fund will need a transfer by May. Town building and vehicle maintenance will need five figure transfers by next May (or before). Selectmen are also taking money (actually asking you at town meeting) from many accounts to cover their shortfall as it is demonstrated their so called budget was not balanced after all. They promised more than they had to promise.
On another note, the fire department needs about 25 thousand dollars to pay for a pump repair/replacement. Call them and the selectmen and tell them to come to Advisory Committee to request a transfer from the Town reserve fund, that is what it is there for. Public safety!!!
Selectmen want to keep the reserve fund in place to cover their ill-advised spending of snow & ice money on a truck. Which is actually more gambling and credit spending, remember, deficit spending on snow & ice is allowed. Tell them to take care of public safety now and allow fire department to come to advisory committee and request funds, that is what it is there for, unforeseen and unexpected emergency funding. Public safety is at stake!!
posted by Jeff Bennett
According to Templeton Town Administrator, Templeton group insurance (health insurance) will probably need a transfer of +$50,000.00 by May 2017. Templeton unemployment insurance fund will need a transfer by May. Town building and vehicle maintenance will need five figure transfers by next May (or before). Selectmen are also taking money (actually asking you at town meeting) from many accounts to cover their shortfall as it is demonstrated their so called budget was not balanced after all. They promised more than they had to promise.
On another note, the fire department needs about 25 thousand dollars to pay for a pump repair/replacement. Call them and the selectmen and tell them to come to Advisory Committee to request a transfer from the Town reserve fund, that is what it is there for. Public safety!!!
Selectmen want to keep the reserve fund in place to cover their ill-advised spending of snow & ice money on a truck. Which is actually more gambling and credit spending, remember, deficit spending on snow & ice is allowed. Tell them to take care of public safety now and allow fire department to come to advisory committee and request funds, that is what it is there for, unforeseen and unexpected emergency funding. Public safety is at stake!!
posted by Jeff Bennett
Some more town finance for Templeton.
From the DOR; Templeton's new growth dollar figure will be $69,000.00. This is 11 thousand lower than what the selectmen voted in to present to town meeting back in May 2016. Even as the Board of Assessors were saying 65 thousand was probably a likely number. Advisory Committee recommended a dollar figure of $50,000.00. I believe it is better to get the "surprise" that you have a little bit more money coming in rather than learn you counted on more and you end up short.
At the recent meeting of Advisory, the Town Administrator informed the committee that the Town's group insurance (health insurance) fund may run out and require a transfer before the annual town meeting in May 2017. The administrator did say the time frame is a little flexible, as in it could be sooner than that. In my opinion, this shows again that Templeton selectmen need to open a can of moxie and change the health insurance approach. Put the lower cost plan on the table along with the cadillac plan now available. Then change the town / employee cost split. employees are going to have to pay more. With union contracts in place and pay adjustments in place to be more competitive or in line with other area towns, this can and should be done. Time for selectmen to think about the good of the whole town. Looking at town finances and the numbers, the system in place now cannot keep going without some changes. Back to the health insurance cost, when I was a civilian federal government employee, I had a yearly choice to pick the health insurance plan I wanted. If I wanted the cadillac plan, which I mostly chose after one year on the cheap plan, I agreed to pay more for it by choice. If town employees wish to keep the current plan, they have to pay more.
We need to take a close look at the amount of Templeton Town debt, Town median income, property valuations and a five year look back at revenue. The current interim Town Administrator stated "we budget on expense, not on revenue." Regardless of how it is done, you cannot spend more than you have or expect to have. If you spend 20 dollars every week even as you only take in 15 dollars every week, sooner or later, you are in trouble. It does not change no matter how many zeros you add in, 20 dollars or 20 million. Spend more than you have, you get in trouble.
watch the Advisory Committee meeting of September 28 to see!
posted by Jeff Bennett
From the DOR; Templeton's new growth dollar figure will be $69,000.00. This is 11 thousand lower than what the selectmen voted in to present to town meeting back in May 2016. Even as the Board of Assessors were saying 65 thousand was probably a likely number. Advisory Committee recommended a dollar figure of $50,000.00. I believe it is better to get the "surprise" that you have a little bit more money coming in rather than learn you counted on more and you end up short.
At the recent meeting of Advisory, the Town Administrator informed the committee that the Town's group insurance (health insurance) fund may run out and require a transfer before the annual town meeting in May 2017. The administrator did say the time frame is a little flexible, as in it could be sooner than that. In my opinion, this shows again that Templeton selectmen need to open a can of moxie and change the health insurance approach. Put the lower cost plan on the table along with the cadillac plan now available. Then change the town / employee cost split. employees are going to have to pay more. With union contracts in place and pay adjustments in place to be more competitive or in line with other area towns, this can and should be done. Time for selectmen to think about the good of the whole town. Looking at town finances and the numbers, the system in place now cannot keep going without some changes. Back to the health insurance cost, when I was a civilian federal government employee, I had a yearly choice to pick the health insurance plan I wanted. If I wanted the cadillac plan, which I mostly chose after one year on the cheap plan, I agreed to pay more for it by choice. If town employees wish to keep the current plan, they have to pay more.
We need to take a close look at the amount of Templeton Town debt, Town median income, property valuations and a five year look back at revenue. The current interim Town Administrator stated "we budget on expense, not on revenue." Regardless of how it is done, you cannot spend more than you have or expect to have. If you spend 20 dollars every week even as you only take in 15 dollars every week, sooner or later, you are in trouble. It does not change no matter how many zeros you add in, 20 dollars or 20 million. Spend more than you have, you get in trouble.
watch the Advisory Committee meeting of September 28 to see!
posted by Jeff Bennett
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