Looking over financial report on town website under selectmen meeting coming up on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, shows real estate penalties and interest collected at $29,727.54 and excise tax penalties + interest @ $25,642.05. Ya'll gave town extra 55 + thousand dollars.
The vaunted Templeton light and water dept. looking for some arpa money for water main replacement because all of a sudden, a project that has been on books for over 10 years is suddenly an emergency and they have no money set aside for capital projects. Seems like a good time to talk about that PILOT with light dept. per DOR recommendations from town financial review of 2009 and 2021. Also begs the question why the Templeton water enterprise fund budget does not go to town meeting.
Financial report shows MART reimbursement of $47,052.22, which should really go into a revolving fund for senior center. Amount of town money is really not the problem; it is management of those funds where problem lies.
First off let me say this, I understand why Templeton Light and Water doesn't want to hitch themselves any deeper with the Administration of Town Hall than required.
ReplyDeleteTempleton Light and Water should, in my opinion be paying a fixed percentage of gross receipts per year, period. Not if they approve of use or if they have extra money. It should be budgeted for and paid quarterly IMHO
Any money from a PILOT comes from higher electric rates. I'm more bothered by the all-black police cars, trucks and SUVs. It's a bad look, an unfriendly, police state look.
ReplyDeleteActually, a PILOT comes from a formular that involves revenue above expenses, nothing to do with raising rates.
ReplyDeleteThink about that for a minute. All the money comes from ratepayers. If they pay money to Templeton, that leaves less available for maintenance. Or they raise rates. It's disingenuous to claim PILOT would come from anyone but ratepayers.
ReplyDeleteAnon,
DeleteThe point you miss is that they already are "charging the ratepayer" they are just spending it at their pleasure.
I'm not a fan of giving more money to Town Hall, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be doing our budgeting as suggested by DOR rather than Adam.............
See if you can find Templeton electric rates for 2013/2014 Templeton annual town meeting May 2013 - Article 13 To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money from the surplus funds of
ReplyDeletethe operating account of the Municipal Lighting Plant as of December 31, 2012 for
use by the Assessors to reduce the tax rate for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, or
to take any other action relative thereto.
Submitted by the Board of Selectmen
On a motion duly made and seconded the town voted to accept the sum of One
Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00) from the Municipal Lighting Plant as
of December 31, 2012, as a payment in lieu of taxes to the Town, and that said
payment be used to offset FY 14 town expenses as part of “Town Balanced Budget”.
Passed/May 14th @ 8:51
Ashburnham Ma (they have municipal light dept.) annual town meeting of May 2023, article 2 -"to see if the Town wil lvote to authorize a PILOT payment based on the annual kilowat sales of the Light dept. multiplied by a per kilowat value from the municipal light plan funds, to the town treasury, as authorized by its light board in accordance with chapter 164 of the general laws of the commonwealth, or act in relation thereto. (requested by light dept.) Breief explanation, The PILOT agreement is tied to the pilot payment in the annual kilowatt sales of the ight dept. mutipied by a per kilowatt value. This was put in place for FY13 to ease the calculation and establish a standard process for future years. In FY24, it is estimated we will receive $65,000.00. So, in Ashburnham for example, the light commissioners work for the benefit of the town, rather than going around and claiming they are all independent from the town. Templeton light commissioners spent money on legal fees to look at structure of town government but them refused to share it with residents. Big difference in other town/municipal light commissioners and the ones in Templeton.
ReplyDeleteThe way to stop TMLW from spending money on BS legal expenses is to elect different Light & Water Commissioners. And the correct thing to do with the savings would be to return it directly to the ratepayers. What's the difference if the town gets another $100k or $200k? They'll just waste it.
ReplyDelete