Interesting reading:

Request for transfer from Town reserve to Templeton highway town machinery supplies fund, which is stated that there was an original appropriation of $90,000.00.

Looking at the budget versus actual document provided to Advisory Committee, dated 2/1/2017, there is a notation stating 20K encumbered for fire truck with $70,000.00 now showing under the allocated amount, with $43,926.50 having been spent and $26,071.50 still available for spending.

Now when checking the annual town meeting warrant of May 14, 2016 to see the appropriations for fiscal 2017, I looked at article 4: fiscal year 2017 operating budget 7 salaries of the town.

Under "Total public works and facilities" there is an amount of $136,040.00 next to vehicle & machinery maintenance. So, what is the average citizen to think if they look at the annual town report of FY 2016 which should contain the above mentioned annual town meeting and they see this amount and see what the selectmen asked for in a town reserve fund transfer? What is the thought of anyone looking at the annual town meeting report on the Templeton town website and seeing an amount different from the line item spread sheet? Perhaps the people at town meeting should have requested to go over the FY2017 spread sheet line item by line item. Perhaps any confusion could be avoided if things were not lumped together for the convenience of some.

When you look at the spread sheet that has the line items and it shows the department request, the town administrator recommendation, the selectmen budget and the advisory recommendation, you see that under the item vehicle & machinery maintenance line, the salary for the mechanic and the amount for vehicle & machinery expense were added together. Since the town meeting voted against a line item by line item discussion, that clarification was not made.


posted by Jeff Bennett