What the town of Templeton has never done (according to town meeting records and town clerk) is vote to accept MGL c45, section 2 that states:

Section 2. A town may elect a board of park commissioners, consisting of three or five persons and prescribe their terms of office, or the members of a town planning board or department of public works, or road commissioners may if so authorized by vote of the town act as park commissioners therein. In a town which has not elected a board of park commissioners or has not authorized the town planning board so to act, the selectmen shall act as such board of park commissioners and have authority to approve or disapprove the acquisition of lands by eminent domain as set forth in section seventy-nine of chapter ninety-two and shall have all other powers and duties of a park commission.

What the town of Templeton did do, back in 1948 (according to town meeting records) is accept MGL c114, sections 22 - 26.

Section 23. Said board shall have the sole care, superintendence and management of all public burial grounds in its town, may lay out any existing public burial grounds in its town or any land purchased and set apart by said town for such cemeteries, in lots or other suitable subdivisions, with proper paths and avenues, may plant, embellish, ornament and fence the same and erect therein such suitable edifices and conveniences and make such improvements as it considers convenient; and, subject to the approval of the town, may make such regulations, consistent with law, as it deems expedient.

From the sections of MGL c114 that the town accepted, the cemetery commissioners do not have authority over parks and playgrounds. Seems Templeton has been doing it wrong for a while and this is why records such as annual town reports are critical as well as the information on the town web site. Templeton residents deserve nothing less and they should demand more!