Templeton town meeting votes a single dollar amount for each department, it is up to department heads to spend those dollars wisely. If town meeting wants more control, they would have to vote in a line item budget, which would require amending previous town meeting votes, changing a few policies and in the end, could cost money if there were an increase in special town meetings to transfer money around. Always the details that drive the train.
That's one way to look at the budget. Another way would be to adopt the practice of spending like an old-time New England Yankee. Then, the budget is a spending limit. Selectmen have fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers. They can certainly question anything that appears to be whimsical expenditures. Recreational shopping on Amazon shouldn't be allowed.
ReplyDeleteEmployees need bosses. Someone they answer to. In Templeton, the Selectmen are the ultimate bosses for holding employees accountable.
Unless employee is elected, as in Town Clerk, employee under elected board of assessors, employee under elected board of health and so on, also, town meeting has financial oversight, they can increase or decrease any amount put in front of them, and they can vote down anything put in front of them. Alot of things in town done in old time New England Yankee, such as wanting everything for nothing or on the cheap which ends up costing more.
DeleteSelect board could control the spending of Administrator office, of Treasurer/Collector, of Accountant office. Highway/DPW. You could also submit a budget that puts all discretionary spending under the Administrator purview.
ReplyDeleteWhen Templeton was run in old time Yankee style, the roads were a heck of a lot better, and we didn't waste thousands on fancy signs that serve no purpose by being fancy and ornate. What's with that, anyways?
What signs are you talking about? The CPC signs at projects? Are you talking about street signs?
ReplyDeleteWho creates the Budget in Templeton?
Who manages day to day activities of Departments?
Which Administrator do you suppose would have managed money from Departments better, Carter, Adam or Holly?
Templeton being run in the Old time New England method was broke, couldn't do a legit project if its life depended on it, and had no bond rating.
You can use a flawed recollection all you want, but dont forget that we've been poorly managed for decades.
None of those people managed like NE Yankees. I'm talking about when Jack Strott ran the Advisory Board (as it was called until someone made that an "issue"). We had a proper budget. And Dana Putnam ran Town Meeting. It didn't even matter who was on the BoS. Today, Social Media and everyone wanting to get recognized are where we are.
ReplyDeleteLook around at all these new signs. Ridiculous. Rivers Edge, Baldwinville Road Cemetery, new Fire Department sign. They are obviously costly. CPC or not, that's taxpayer money. It's not okay to waste.
So you're saying that our town was run better when Dana Putnam held 3 positions in town........BOS, Town Clerk and Tax collector.
ReplyDeleteI suppose it ran better when they Violated Chapter 39 section 16 by calling the Advisory Committee an "Advisory Board".
Still sounds like you are reminiscing about the old days and not aware of the reality.
Oh good Heavens! Violating Chapter 39, section 16! That's much more serious mismanagement than say, employing an unqualified Town Accountant for over a decade, paying her to f#ck up our books from Florida and repeatedly paying for her to travel up North to fail the municipal accountancy exam. You keep being a stickler over minutiae while Templeton wastes money that should be spent on roadwork.
ReplyDeleteOh, I completely agree with you regarding our past "Accountant" who couldn't pass the test, but was keep or a decade by the John Caplis and Mike Curries Boards............
ReplyDeleteDepartment heads should publicly justify every purchase, no matter how small. Why do they need to purchase this or that item at the end of the fiscal year? What is the direct benefit to the taxpayer if the purchase is made? What direct harm is caused if the purchase is not made?
ReplyDeleteYou are 100% correct.
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