Perhaps time to use face book and blog for some straight talk and planning. If a public body and/or administration does not want to follow policy, bylaws and do the right thing, then town meeting should give it a try and always remember, town meeting has the power of the purse.
Town reports - they are required by state law, exactly when they are published and available to town residents is pretty much left up to the town. While Templeton does have bylaws on this subject, perhaps time for town meeting to change them. Remember, a fiscal year ends on June 30, so if good records are kept, the material required to be in the annual town report should be available soon after June 30, no reason to have to wait until January of the next year to collect it and certainly no reason residents should have to wait until April to get a copy.
Current bylaw: All officers, boards, standing committees, and special committees of the Town having charge of the expenditure of Town money shall annually report thereon in writing in such manner as to give the citizens a fair and full understanding of the objects and methods of such expenditures, referring, however, to the report of the Town Accountant for statements in detail of receipts and payments, and may make therein such recommendations as they deem proper. Such reports shall be submitted to the Select Board (Board) for inclusion in the Annual Town Report on or before the 31st day of January of each year.
Maybe change that January 31st date to a September or October date and have town reports to residents first week in January. That way when the new fiscal year budget is being discussed and presented, residents would have previous years report to use as comparison of what was done the previous year. Perhaps also a content provision in the bylaw so departments are required to report certain items, after all, these reports are intended to help residents and contrary to what was stated on recent evaluation of the town administrator, the residents, rather than town employees are the real heroes, in my opinion, anyways.
I couldn't agree more.
ReplyDeleteHey Jeff, Know when we are going to see the FY22 Audit that was due in January? I'm thinking it would be much better for Financial well being to see the Audit for FY22 before we are asked to approve spending for FY24. The present plan does not allow Town Meeting the access required to make good financial decisions. It does allow for bad management to get us 2-3 years into the whole before the taxpayer can see.
May 10, 2023 is our Town Meeting. Sometime later the Administration will present ( the already in hand document) the Audit for FY22. I hope it is not lost on anyone that if something urgent, to taxpayers, was to come out of Audit the Taxpayers would not be able to even look at fixing it until FTM or the FY25 Budget.............
I only point this out because in Templeton, the Selectboard/TA hire the Auditor. We haven't replaced out Auditors since 2012.( ring any bells). We haven't had a certified Accountant in a decade and we now are being asked to accept a Warrant without an Audit, A Pre-Town Meeting without an Annual Report and a Budget that only balances if you bypass the rules.
I totally agree.
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