Food for thought:

Templeton highway department came to the Advisory Committee via the Town Administrator to request a transfer from the Town reserve fund for the vehicle maintenance / supplies account. Transfer request was in the amount of $10,000.00. Reason for the request was that $20,000.00 plus was used from that fund to repair a pump for a fire department truck. The reserve fund transfer was granted on April 5, 2017, but now, according to the town administrator weekly report of April 6, 2017, highway department equipment  or vehicles are out of service because there is not enough money in the budget to repair them. Further investigation is needed on this issue, however, the T/A stated that H7 (10 wheeler) needs brakes & rear spring, H9 (6 wheeler) sander is down, needs a chain and welding, rear spring, H12 (10 wheeler) brakes, H35 (ford 1 ton) brakes, H13 (loader L90) wiring and fuel pump issue - in yard use only, H7, H9 & H12 are used for plowing & sanding, H9 is not available for sanding. H35 & H13 are used for plowing.

H13 listed as in yard use only so it must plow the highway barn area out???

Perhaps if the selectmen, through the Town Administrator would not try to manage the Town reserve fund and leave that to the Advisory Committee, there would be enough money in the machinery repair/supplies account to fix most of the above. Think about it, you spend $20,000.00 or more out of an account and say it was unexpected then ask for only $10,000.00 to replenish what was spent unexpectedly, I do not see how one expects good results. Seems like the smart move would or would have been was to allow the fire chief come to Advisory Committee and ask for a reserve fund transfer to cover the pump repair, as there was over $40,000.00 left in the reserve fund. But heck, what would rank amateurs know about that? Remember, Templeton has a fine financial team in place and they have it under control, the selectmen say so! You will see that with the financial transfers required to fix the fiscal year 2017 spending plan that the amateurs questioned. Good day.


posted by Jeff Bennett