Strange, or maybe not.

According to Templeton financial management policy:

Policy: The Town Accountant shall produce and distribute monthly budget-to-actual reporting to evaluate the Town’s financial position per Massachusetts state law. These reports shall be submitted to the Board, user agencies, Town Administrator, and Advisory Committee, among others. This will enable the Town to take prompt management action in the event that fiscal problems are indicated or adjust spending behavior to meet financial challenges. The Town's Financial Team (Accountant, Treasurer/Collector, Principal Assessor) shall make a formal public presentation to the Board and the status of accounts, their activities, and concerns over negative trends each month following the ending of a fiscal year quarter together with any steps recommended by the Town Administrator to deal with such negative trends.

So, as a member of Templeton advisory committee, I would expect to receive the monthly report when it is received in the office of selectmen, and seeing how it is on the agenda of the selectmen meeting on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. I have yet to receive a copy, so there is another example of failure to follow policy by office of selectmen and town administrator.

 from November 2023 special town meeting. ARTICLE 1: PAYMENT OF LATE BILLS

To see if the Town will vote to authorize the payment of late bills from prior fiscal years from the FY

2023 budgets of the following departments in the following amounts:

Building & Grounds $5,896

And to meet said appropriation by a transfer of said sum from certified free cash,

Or take any other action related thereto.

Submitted by the Select Board

9/10ths Vote Required

A motion was duly made and seconded that the Town voted to authorize the payment of late bills from

prior fiscal years from the FY 2023 budgets of the following departments in the following amounts:

Building & Grounds $5,896

And to meet said appropriation by a transfer of said sum from certified free cash.

Defeated by hand count-Y-47, N-7/November 15th @ 6:33

Now :

May 15, 2024 Templeton annual town meeting.

Article 1: payment of late bills, building and grounds - $5,896.00, to be paid from certified free cash. (covering general fund budget with one time money????)

November 2023, Templeton special town meeting was asked this same question, they voted no. At that meeting, a 9/10 vote was required but at annual town meeting, 4/5 vote required. I hope town meeting will tell selectmen NO once again!

What part of NO do the selectmen not understand?

 

Be nice if Town Hall people would post the approved warrant for May 15, 2024 Templeton annual town meeting to town website.

May 11 & 12, 2004 Templeton annual town meeting:

Article 45 To see if the Town will vote to adopt the following as a Town By-Law for the purpose of informing the citizens of Templeton, or to take any action thereto:

Official Town of Templeton Website

The Templeton Board of Selectmen shall designate an official Town

website, for the posting town business

On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to adopt the following as a Town By-Law for the purpose of informing the citizens of Templeton:

Official Town of Templeton Website

The Templeton Board of Selectmen shall designate an official Town website, for the posting town business, and provide for its maintenance, security, and improvement through a specific budget line item in the fiscal year following passage of this article.

Passed/May 12th @ 10:13

One town bylaw -

§ 22-4 Notice of meetings.

[Added 8-31-1978; amended 5-16-2013]

Notice of every Town Meeting shall be given by posting attested copies of the warrant therefor in a public place in each precinct as directed by the Board not less than seven days before the day fixed for the Annual Town Meeting, and not less than 14 days before the day fixed for a Special Town Meeting, and notice of said Town Meeting shall be published in a local newspaper and on the Town website.

Another town bylaw - § 22-17

Posting of bylaws and warrants.

[Added 5-12-2004]

The Board shall post all bylaws and Town Meeting warrants on the official Town website, within one business day of posting warrants or within three business days following notification of acceptance by the Attorney General of Massachusetts for bylaws. Bylaws existing prior to the passage of this bylaw shall be posted on the official Town website by the end of the fiscal year following passage of this article.

Hopefully, town meeting warrant is posted to town website sooner rather than later. You know, as a service to residents.

 Templeton fiscal year 24 meals tax.

1st quarter - $23,990.00

2nd quarter - $22,189.00

3rd quarter - $17,790.00

Total to date - $63,969.00.