Templeton has an open form of Town meeting, meaning that any registered voter may attend and vote and speak on issues. Templeton uses Town Meeting Times as it's parliamentary procedure guide and it is available from the MA moderators association for $25.00 a copy. Soon there will be items from the most recent copy available here for people to read.
MA Moderators Association
c/o Harry A. Pape
70 Merriam Road
Princeton, Ma 01541
You may find a copy at a local library such as the Gardner public library.
posted by Jeff Bennett
Saturday, October 29, 2016
from the pages of "A guide to financial management for town officials" published by the MA division of local services.
11.3 W H AT CAN BE DONE T O MAKE TOWN MEETING AS EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE ? Because town meetings convene infrequently and generally have a great deal of business and information to deliberate upon, it is important that issues be identified , data and information assembled , and analysis completed by municipal officers , committees and interested persons in advance of the meeting . Committee meetings , public hearings , cable television programs and news paper articles offer convenient forums for the dissemination of important information on municipal matters . Computer technologies may also help to develop informational reports to assist town meeting . In any event, advance preparation of relevant information and it's presentation to town meeting in a concise and meaningful manner will result in a more effective meeting.
11.4 CAN TOWN MEETING APPROPRIATE MONEY IN A SPECIAL PURPOSE ARTICLE IN EXCESS OF THE AMOUNT STATED IN THE ARTICLE ?
Special purpose articles often state a specific amount of money for a particular capital or non - recurring purpose (e.g. , police ca r — $20,000) . Sometimes , town meeting wishes to appropriate more money than was identified in the article (often based upon additional information available by the date of town meeting). The answer to the question depends on local practice and the wording of the article . In the case of appropriation articles , town meeting is usually afforded a broad scope of action . The purpose of a warrant article is to just give notice of the subject matter to be acted on at the meeting . Generally, if the subject involve s a matte r that requires an expenditure , the meeting may decide the amount to spend , the financing source and other details . The practice in some communities , however, is that a specific amount stated in a special purpose appropriation article cannot be exceeded unless the article also contains qualifying language such as “other sum ” o r “other amount” . Town officials should consult the moderator and town counsel about the by -laws , procedural rules or practices that apply in their particular town.
I believe at our next town meeting, it should be requested by Town meeting that all articles that require more than a simple majority be determined by a hand count.
posted by Jeff Bennett
11.3 W H AT CAN BE DONE T O MAKE TOWN MEETING AS EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE ? Because town meetings convene infrequently and generally have a great deal of business and information to deliberate upon, it is important that issues be identified , data and information assembled , and analysis completed by municipal officers , committees and interested persons in advance of the meeting . Committee meetings , public hearings , cable television programs and news paper articles offer convenient forums for the dissemination of important information on municipal matters . Computer technologies may also help to develop informational reports to assist town meeting . In any event, advance preparation of relevant information and it's presentation to town meeting in a concise and meaningful manner will result in a more effective meeting.
11.4 CAN TOWN MEETING APPROPRIATE MONEY IN A SPECIAL PURPOSE ARTICLE IN EXCESS OF THE AMOUNT STATED IN THE ARTICLE ?
Special purpose articles often state a specific amount of money for a particular capital or non - recurring purpose (e.g. , police ca r — $20,000) . Sometimes , town meeting wishes to appropriate more money than was identified in the article (often based upon additional information available by the date of town meeting). The answer to the question depends on local practice and the wording of the article . In the case of appropriation articles , town meeting is usually afforded a broad scope of action . The purpose of a warrant article is to just give notice of the subject matter to be acted on at the meeting . Generally, if the subject involve s a matte r that requires an expenditure , the meeting may decide the amount to spend , the financing source and other details . The practice in some communities , however, is that a specific amount stated in a special purpose appropriation article cannot be exceeded unless the article also contains qualifying language such as “other sum ” o r “other amount” . Town officials should consult the moderator and town counsel about the by -laws , procedural rules or practices that apply in their particular town.
I believe at our next town meeting, it should be requested by Town meeting that all articles that require more than a simple majority be determined by a hand count.
posted by Jeff Bennett
from "A guide to financial management for town officials" published by the MA division of local services.
The town accountant should also prepare interim financial reports during the fiscal year. Interim financial reports allow local officials to compare their actual financial status to their projected financial situation (budget vs. actual, year-to-date revenues and expenditures). Interim financial reports are the principal means by which local officials can monitor an annual budget during the fiscal year. They provide information necessary to alert management to potential fiscal problems.
Department heads usually prepare their own budgets. Each departmental budget is created within the framework and guidelines set by the finance committee, selectmen, manager or some combination of the three, and finally by the town meeting. Department heads are usually very active in the budget review process, attempting to persuade those reviewing the budget of the value of their department’s services and the reasonableness of their budget requests. Once the budget is approved, department heads have direct responsibility for ensuring that they spend within the allocated amount
Finally, it is important to provide timely interim financial reports to the other financial officer s i n town . These report s facilitate communication among the various fiscal officer s an d provide a common basis for making policy decisions . A t a minimum, monthly report s that compare revenues receive d an d expenditures mad e against the budge t a r e critical planning an d control tool s for the boa r d o f selectmen, finance committee and department heads . Narrative explanation s accompanying the numbers in a report ca n dramatically increase the report’ s value . To complement the written reports , an accountant might consider making oral presentations several time s a year to the selectmen an d finance committee on the town’ s financial condition.
posted by Jeff Bennett
The town accountant should also prepare interim financial reports during the fiscal year. Interim financial reports allow local officials to compare their actual financial status to their projected financial situation (budget vs. actual, year-to-date revenues and expenditures). Interim financial reports are the principal means by which local officials can monitor an annual budget during the fiscal year. They provide information necessary to alert management to potential fiscal problems.
Department heads usually prepare their own budgets. Each departmental budget is created within the framework and guidelines set by the finance committee, selectmen, manager or some combination of the three, and finally by the town meeting. Department heads are usually very active in the budget review process, attempting to persuade those reviewing the budget of the value of their department’s services and the reasonableness of their budget requests. Once the budget is approved, department heads have direct responsibility for ensuring that they spend within the allocated amount
Finally, it is important to provide timely interim financial reports to the other financial officer s i n town . These report s facilitate communication among the various fiscal officer s an d provide a common basis for making policy decisions . A t a minimum, monthly report s that compare revenues receive d an d expenditures mad e against the budge t a r e critical planning an d control tool s for the boa r d o f selectmen, finance committee and department heads . Narrative explanation s accompanying the numbers in a report ca n dramatically increase the report’ s value . To complement the written reports , an accountant might consider making oral presentations several time s a year to the selectmen an d finance committee on the town’ s financial condition.
posted by Jeff Bennett
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