Tracking expenses:
Before anyone can track expenses, one must be able to see them, if you look on the October 2017 (fiscal 2018) expense report, no where can you see the salary expense for the TOWN mechanic. In the fiscal 2018 budget book, there is a line item for the mechanic's salary: $47,715.00 and since he is the Town mechanic, how or why does it matter how much of his time is spent on a police vehicle versus a COA van? He is a town employee paid a salary to work on town vehicles. Keep in mind there are invoices for services and parts, etc and the Templeton Town accountant told me face to face that the Town only pays bills based on invoices.
At one time, police cruisers were worked on by Akin automotive and this service was paid out of the police expense fund. Again, almost impossible to track department budgets and expenses because they are no longer listed as such because the selectmen allow the town administrator to do this, with the town administrator telling the town accountant to do things this way. It all falls on the selectmen because they are ultimately responsible. I believe there should be work orders at the highway barn for each and every vehicle worked on showing what repairs or maintenance was done, showing corresponding invoices for parts etc. This creates a record (s) and these records would enable the department head to know and justify how much money is needed for vehicle maintenance. How else could the department head along with the town administrator state it is so costly to keep up the old equipment? Another thing s how does one pan for a large unexpected expense, such as an engine blow up, I mean S*** happens. You need an emergency fund that is adequately funded.
That is the main reason there was a fuss and attention paid to the town vehicle maintenance fund last year; because around $25,000.00 was used to pay for an unexpected pump failure and that money should have come from the emergency fund rather than a maintenance budget. Again, a town employee, the town mechanic who is paid a salary from town taxes to work on town vehicles; I am more concerned with the lack of transparency of the budget versus actual and being unable to distinguish between the mechanic's salary and what is paid to the labor's because the departments are no longer listed on that report. That should be the bigger concern of everyone, lack of transparency in the spending of public money - your tax dollars. Hopefully we do not spend to much of those tax dollars on reports trying to track every penny while the costs of those reports end up costing more than the pennies being tracked. Hopefully we do not get distracted from that fact. lack of transparency on the budget versus actual document; created and maintained by the individual who is suppose to track it all, the town accountant!
Totally with the above statements related to BVA and the ability to track.
ReplyDeleteMy entire rational around this issue is that our present "group mechanic expenses" mask the actual costs of the multiple departments like Police/Fire/COA. It does not give the townspeople an accurate portrayal of costs.
On the weekly TA report the report regarding the mechanic its always listed under "Public Works : Highway Department" like this past week saying the Mechanic worked on preventative maintenance on two cruisers.
I'd personally like to know that someone is tracking the overall picture of Templeton taxpayers vehicles, which vehicles are costing us what, etc. Maybe someone is, but I haven't seen evidence of this.
Maybe we should have this list and show the taxpayers what they own as a town. What condition our equipment is in. I dont think the present method of showing them individual equipment failures is getting it done. Using vehicles barely roadworthy and basing replacement on complete collapse is not a plan, it a reaction. Hopefully change is happening and will continue because I dont think Templeton Taxpayers want the emergency staff breaking down on the way to assist a needy citizen.
In the 2016 annual report I see maintenance listed under Highway and since I see no place were the mechanic is listed separately I assume his salary is under highway salaries. Same basic thing in 2015.
This is the write up under Highway Department regarding maintenance.
"– The repair and maintenance of town vehicles is maintained by a staff of
one mechanic. His responsibilities encompass the preventative maintenance (oil changes) as well as
extensive repairs to most town vehicles. It is sometimes necessary to use an outside source for certain
repairs. It is also sometimes necessary to involve members of the Highway department in terms
of helping hands. The current mechanic has performed major rebuilding of certain vehicles in an
effort to save money for the town. The current fleet of vehicles is aging and most are in need of replacement."
That section would appear to say that highway workers other than the mechanic may be involved in repairs. The 2015 sections shows about 40% of expenses were for "other" vehicles than highway.
It's just really more difficult than required to get an accurate overall view.