Ah, the ghosts of town meeting past:
ATM 2018 (for FY2019) article 21
On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to appropriate the sum of Eight Million, Two Hundred Twenty Thousand, Two Hundred Ninety Eight Dollars and no cents ($8,220,298.00) for the operations of General Government for Fiscal Year 2019, and to meet said appropriation with a transfer of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($250,000.00) from the Ambulance receipts reserved for appropriation, anticipated receipts, and
the balance from taxation.

Article 24, May ATM 2018:
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Four Hundred Seventy Thousand Two Hundred Forty Six Dollars and No Cents, ($470,246.00), subject to the successful passage of a Proposition 2 ½ Over-Ride, so-called, for supplemental appropriations to the FY 2019 Operating Budget for the following departments:

Fire/EMS $290,740
Police $23,000
Insurance & Benefits $133,890
Highway $15,000
Snow & Ice $7,616

Or take any other action related thereto.
Submitted by the Board of Selectmen
Majority Vote Required

On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Four Hundred Seventy Thousand Two Hundred Forty Six Dollars and No Cents, ($470,246.00), for
supplemental appropriations to the FY 2019 Operating Budget for the following departments:

So, a total town budget (spending) of $8,690,544.00 for the operation of the general government of Templeton.

May 2019 ATM, article 26:

On a motion duly made and seconded the town voted to appropriate the sum of Nine Million SixHundred Ninety Thousand Two Hundred Seventy Four Dollars and no cents ($9,690,274.00) for the operations of General Government for Fiscal Year 2020, and to meet said appropriation with
a transfer of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($250,000.00) from the Ambulance receipts reserved for appropriation, anticipated receipts, and the balance from
taxation.

So, in fiscal year 2019, Templeton needed $8,690,544.00 to run town and the next year, fiscal 2020, Templeton needed $9,690,274.00 to run the town. The increase of $999,730.00, say one million dollars, a 10% jump from one year to the next; the articles state "for the general government of Templeton." The Advisory Committee stated in it's recommendations to town meeting there was a 10% increase in the town budget, over the previous fiscal year, I mean the numbers do not lie. So how did selectmen say that was not correct, when asked by a town resident if the Advisory Committee's statement was correct?

This information is all on the record, either in print or on TCTV.