Posted online at The Gardner News:
Opinion

Letter: Why Templeton Advisory Committee

Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 39, Section 16, is why. In 1870, a group of Quincy citizens banded together to restore financial order in their municipality, creating the commonwealth’s first finance committee. 1910, MA courts ruled a municipal finance committee was legal. MGL, c39, s16 states: “Every town whose valuation for the purpose of apportioning the state tax exceeds one million dollars shall, and any other town may, by bylaw provide for the election or the appointment and duties of appropriation, advisory or finance committees, who shall consider any or all municipal questions for the purpose of making reports or recommendations to the town; and such bylaws may provide that committees so appointed or elected may continue in office for terms not exceeding three years from the date of appointment or election. In every town having a committee appointed under authority of this section, such committee, or the selectmen if authorized by a bylaw of the town, and, in any town not having such a committee, the selectmen, shall submit a budget at the annual town meeting.”
A bylaw concerning Advisory Committee, Article IV; Section 5 states: “In the discharge of its duty, said committee shall have free access to all books of record and accounts, bills and vouchers on which money has been or may be paid from the town treasury. Officers, boards, and committees of the town shall, upon request, furnish said committee with facts, figures, and any other information pertaining to their several activities

Advisory Committee is charged with overseeing the Town’s reserve fund, approving financial transfer requests from the selectmen between May 1 and July 15, giving a report to Town Meeting regarding Advisory recommendations of Town Meeting business. Advisory is a committee of 7 volunteers who meet regularly, acting as representatives of Town Meeting when Town Meeting is not in session. Advisory Committee asks questions during the year, if they receive answers, the committee sometimes asks for paperwork to backup or justify the answers received.”
One thing Advisory Committee cannot do is determine the budget format to be used, not even the selectmen can do that; only Town Meeting has that authority, according to the Department of Revenue, “In our opinion, 92-145.”
Advisory Committee is a very important part of town government, mandated by state law and town bylaw. Its duties and responsibilities are important parts of town governance. Hopefully, this brief letter gives people an idea of why this committee exists and is commanded by law to report to the residents, on issues that will come before you at Town Meeting, especially items regarding your money. For the committee to be effective representatives of the town, it must have access to all requested information in a timely manner, which does not always happen.

Jeffrey Bennett,
chairman, Advisory Committee,
Templeton