According to a document prepared by the town accountant, it appears the selectmen are looking to ask for a transfer of $227,000.00 from the ambulance receipts fund to the general fund to help "balance" the fiscal general fund baseline.
This looks like another take from peter to pay paul and it does not solve the issue of enough funds to cover all expenses that will be put to the voters at a town meeting.
Since it was a town meeting vote and the article was explained to town meeting that the ambulance receipts fund would be money set aside to cover the operating costs of the Templeton ambulance service. If this transfer is approved, where will the money come from to help pay the costs of the Templeton ambulance service? Where does the fire department stand on this? Too bad there is no fire chief to answer this. I know, we get a police chief yes man to oversee the administration of the fire department and all will be fine. What a plan!
posted by Jeff Bennett
Dont you need a special town meeting to transfer funds
ReplyDeleteJust another way for the administration to fund a government we cannot afford. The bottom line is without more revenue, we do not have the funds for every thing every one wants. There is a group of residents that want to open Scout Hall. Using this building for the community is a fine idea, but where is the money coming from to continue to run it on a long time basis ? The idea of selling shirts is fine, but that will not pay the oil bill. Any project that is floated by the Selectmen should be studied, and a plan put in place to answer the simple questions of how it will be staffed, where the money will come from, and who will be responsible for the running any building or project. It is apparent that we do not have the funds to run what we have now, so adding more projects under the Town's umbrella makes no sense at all. Back to Jeff's remarks about the money in the Fire Department's budget. The Selectmen do not have a right to touch those funds, with out Town Meeting's approval, so why would they consider taking it ? I guess the answer is the fact that there is simply no place to take money from any longer. We are only able to raise and appropriate so much money, so where do these funds come from in the next fiscal year ? Was the reason that the Fire Chief was eliminated, so that the Selectmen could use his pay to float their boat ? How long does anyone think we can go with out a person for the men to rally around, and provide the structure that any group like this requires ? In my opinion, our Town of Templeton has hit a new all time low, and I do not like it a bit. Neither should you. Demand accountability from these people you elected to help the Town move forward ! Remind them we were supposed to go forward, not backward. At one time we had a fire department, meaning trucks and men in every precinct, with a chief to over see them. I imagine many new people do not know this, so as you can see, where we are now is a long way from where we have been. Bev.
ReplyDeletewhat is goody two shoes going to do about this DHB?
ReplyDeleteThey will have to go to town meeting to transfer funds. but here we go again robbing peter to pay paul. Leave the damn ambulance receipts alone, leave the sewer enterprise alone. Funny how they don't dear go after L&W right Mr Columbus and Mr Caplis. Jerry tell you not to?
ReplyDeletePS DHB Kate Fulton is a wing nut that booted out of Phillipston AB.
Those funds are NOT to balance the budget! I called the town accountant and had her explain it to me as that isn't what the towns people asked for. The account will be there to appropriate a dollar amount and then THAT amount moved to the general fund and if there is remaining it stays there. We are ALS and we will have fire/EMT/paramedic And how do you track the percentage of time they do each task? You cannot so to show it better and not be asking people if they leave a fire to go to an ambulance call ... they are worried about what is going on at that time.
ReplyDeleteWatch the workshop meeting and you will hear it. And, I like Kate as she is thoughtful in her decision making and we should stay away from name calling - it's not respectful. And please, have the hootspah to sign your name.
AND, I called the accountant right away when I saw that. Jeff, I wish you would have as well.