Massachusetts General Law, chapter 44. (no more checks and balances)

Section 31D: Snow and ice removal; emergency expenditures; reporting requirements

[ First paragraph effective until November 7, 2016. For text effective November 7, 2016, see below.]

  Section 31D. Any city or town may incur liability and make expenditures in any fiscal year in excess of available appropriations for snow and ice removal, provided that such expenditures are approved by the town manager and the finance or advisory committee in a town having a town manager, by the selectmen and the finance or advisory committee in any other town, by the city manager and the city council in a city having a city manager or by the mayor and city council in any other city; provided, however, that the appropriation for such purposes in said fiscal year equaled or exceeded the appropriation for said purposes in the prior fiscal year. Expenditures made under authority of this section shall be certified to the board of assessors and included in the next annual tax rate.

[ First paragraph as amended by 2016, 218, Sec. 74 effective November 7, 2016. For text effective until November 7, 2016, see above.]

  Any city or town may incur liability and make expenditures in any fiscal year in excess of available appropriations for snow and ice removal, provided that such expenditures are approved by chief administrative officer; provided, however, that the appropriation for such purposes in said fiscal year equaled or exceeded the appropriation for said purposes in the prior fiscal year. Expenditures made under authority of this section shall be certified to the board of assessors and included in the next annual tax rate.

  Every city or town shall annually, not later than September fifteenth, report to the division of local services of the department of revenue the total amounts appropriated and expended, including any funding or reimbursements received from the commonwealth, for snow and ice removal in the fiscal year ending on the preceding June thirtieth.

Note that in the amended version, there is no longer any checks and balances, one person decision that affects town finance. In the case of Templeton, $19,000.00 was spent at Templeton's  favorite dealer, Brookside Equipment Sales in Phillipston, MA. (that is my opinion) According to snow & Ice spending records. I believe it was spent on a truck to be used all year long.

posted by Jeff Bennett