HOUSE W&M COMMITTEE OFFERS $42.7B FY 2020 BUDGET WITH KEY INVESTMENTS IN MUNICIPAL & SCHOOL AID

• INCLUDES THE FULL $29.7M INCREASE IN UNRESTRICTED MUNICIPAL AID (UGGA)

• INCREASES CHAPTER 70 BY $218M TO FUND MINIMUM AID AT $30 PER STUDENT

• INCREASES CHARTER SCHOOL REIMBURSEMENTS BY $23M

• ADDS $16.5M RESERVE FOR LOW-INCOME STUDENTS

• ADDS $5M TO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION CIRCUIT BREAKER

• ADDS $5M MORE FOR REGIONAL SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION

• ADDS $1M TO McKINNEY-VENTO REIMBURSEMENTS

• LEVEL-FUNDS MOST OTHER MUNICIPAL AND SCHOOL ACCOUNTS

HOUSE W&M COMMITTEE OFFERS $42.7B FY 2020 BUDGET WITH KEY INVESTMENTS IN MUNICIPAL & SCHOOL AID • INCLUDES THE FULL $29.7M INCREASE IN UNRESTRICTED MUNICIPAL AID (UGGA) • INCREASES CHAPTER 70 BY $218M TO FUND MINIMUM AID AT $30 PER STUDENT • INCREASES CHARTER SCHOOL REIMBURSEMENTS BY $23M • ADDS $16.5M RESERVE FOR LOW-INCOME STUDENTS • ADDS $5M TO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION CIRCUIT BREAKER • ADDS $5M MORE FOR REGIONAL SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION • ADDS $1M TO McKINNEY-VENTO REIMBURSEMENTS • LEVEL-FUNDS MOST OTHER MUNICIPAL AND SCHOOL ACCOUNTS   April 10, 2019 Dear Jeffrey Bennett, Earlier today, the House Ways & Means Committee reported out a $42.7 billion fiscal 2020 state budget plan to increase overall state expenditures by 3 percent. The House Ways & Means budget’s bottom line closely matches the budget filed by the Governor in January, yet allocates significantly more for school aid programs. The Chapter 70 aid increase is $17.7 million higher than the amount recommended by the Governor, by increasing minimum aid from $20 per student to $30 per student, and adopting a slightly different method of implementing the recommendations of the Foundation Budget Review Commission. The full House will debate the fiscal 2020 state budget during the week of April 22. House members must file all budget amendments by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 12. (Usually, the House considers over 1000 amendments during budget debate week.) H. 3800, the House Ways & Means budget, provides progress on many important local aid priorities, including the full $29.7 million increase in Unrestricted General Government Aid that the Governor proposed and communities are counting on. The House W&M Committee would increase funding for other major aid programs, by adding $5 million to the Special Education Circuit Breaker, adding $5 million to Regional School Transportation, $1 million to McKinney-Vento reimbursements, and increasing Chapter 70 aid by $218 million more than fiscal 2019 levels.

Question of the day:
How does a selectmen serve on elementary school building committee, tours the school during construction and argues strongly for a clock to be placed in because there is a cutout for it to go and then make a statement of not knowing where the clock was going to go inside the building.

I think that goes to credibility on many other issues.
(my opinion)

On the Templeton Town website, there is a document concerning the Economic Development Industrial Corporation. While reading it over, I found it referenced two Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 121C and chapter 30A, section 11A. Upon looking up chapter 30A, section 11A, I found that section (11A) had been repealed in 2009. Upon showing this discrepancy to the Town Administrator last evening, he informed me that when the board of selectmen approved that document, they only looked at chapter 121C. Hopefully that document will be corrected quickly and will reference correct information. I also hope they contact the Massachusetts Attorney General to inform them of this mess regarding at least one state law on the books. I have to wonder who actually vetted that document and what else has been approved by this board of selectmen that might be less than correct.

Templeton Meals tax for third quarter; 
January, February and March reported as $12,180.00. 
To date, Templeton meals tax revenue, since it was voted in, stands at: $29,934.00.


Templeton, MA:
First receipt of meals tax September, 2018 -    $ 4,384.00
Next receipt of meals tax - Oct., Nov., Dec. -    $13,370.00
Next receipt of meals tax - Jan., Feb., March - $12,180.00

Signed Town Meeting warrant (signed by selectmen) 

shows Article 25: set salaries for elected Town officials.

Town Clerk . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . $58,143.00 yearly
Sewer Commissioners . . . . . . . . . . .  . $  2,000.00 yearly (from sewer user fees)
Selectmen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .$     500.00 yearly.

5 selectmen @ $500.00 each = $2500.00.

FY2020 budget had $2500.00 under Town Clerk, for voter's post cards for elections, annual Town Meeting, Special Town Meeting; That money or dollar figure was moved under selectmen / personnel for stipends for selectmen. So, the selectmen think it is more important for them to receive pay than for voters to receive information about elections and Town Meeting! Isn't that nice? 

Selectmen put themselves before residents/taxpayers!

As a point of clarification, under proposed salary for selectmen, it does not state "each" however, moving $2500.00 to selectmen operating budget causes me to conclude it will be $500.00 per year for each selectmen. Unless, that is an example of more "padding" by the administrator?

Note: In the latest electronic copy of the FY2020 spending plan, under selectmen / code 120/ 5100 - personnel, there is now a line item for stipends @ $2500.00.