What’s the difference between annual and special meetings?
Each town must hold an annual Town Meeting. Additional Town Meetings are called special meetings. They may be called as many times during the year as necessary.
Templeton had a town meeting on November 15, 2023- it was a special town meeting, which means the moderator cannot appoint anyone to the advisory committee. According to town bylaws, the moderator can appoint a person to the advisory committee up to 30 days after annual town meeting dissolves. Selectmen and town administrator can call it a fall town meeting, but it is a special town meeting and people (voters) need to know and remember that.
Do you know how much it costs the taxpayers to have that "extra" meeting every year to aid the Administrator work out his budget issues?
ReplyDeleteLooking at fiscal year 2024 budget: Town Clerk shows $375.00 to pay checkers for special town meeting. then BOS budget shows $500.00 to print voters guide, there is legal advertising for meeting warrant and cost of town lawyer to attend meeting plus cost to fly and hotel costs for accountant (does the accountant actually need to be at town meeting physically??) We are probably in area of $2500.00 - $3000.00 for special town meeting. Seems we could get a budget done at annual town meeting and wait until the next ATM to make any adjustments needed to budget, it is just another example of poor planning, bad execution and spending tax dollars needlessly. (my opinion based on experience and facts)
ReplyDeleteI had a number in my head of $3000 from when we had all the school budget meetings, but didn't know if remotely relevant today.
ReplyDeleteWhat do we budget............department heads seemingly bring in photo copies from previous years, administrator does the same, money comes in, money goes out and nobody really knows because we have some contracts, some hand shake agreements and some, non agreements being paid and paying...........
No Capital plan, just Christmas lists and no responsibility to account for replaced gear.............
If one looks at selectmen work plan, they have capital asset / property audit scheduled for completion in FY27, we are in FY24, so exactly how does one have a capital plan when you do not have a complete inventory and assessment of what you have?
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