Time for Templeton to look at having a Town Charter, which is basically a legal document that outlines how the town will be run, who is elected and who is appointed and by whom, town charter generally creates a town manager position who is overseen by selectmen. Town charter results in a more centralized form of governance / efficient.
Also, senior tax work off amount should be set at the maximum amount allowed by statute, according to a policy adopted by the selectmen, again, following statute, in collaboration with council on aging. Seniors deserve that.
You are absolutely right. There has been talk about doing this of and on for years. it is time to get it done.
ReplyDeleteI am open to the idea of a Town Charter.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the Senior Tax work off amount needs to be increased in both amount in dollars and people allowed to use it.
How much excess has the Assessors carried year after year in overlay.
So for seniors on SSA the average increase in 2026 amounted to $39 per month or $468 for the year after deducting for the $17 per month increase to Medicare.
The average Home in Templeton $400,000. The residential increase as stated by Assessors on single family homes is 9.3% which increase that average home to $437,200. that additional 37,200 at $11.87 per thousand our 2026 tax rate increases costs by $441.56.
As you can see $468-$441.56= $26.44 left for the senior to pay for other increases like food, fuel, heat, etc.
If you take a minimum wage worker at $15 and gave them the same increase of 2.8% it would amount to $876.96 or almost twice what the average SSA recipient would receive.
SSA recipients are going backwards in this higher inflation/Tariffed economy and many will not be able to stay in this community as we have little to no truly affordable housing.
The increased demands from the School and the Town government are impossible for the elderly and the young to keep up with while having food on their tables............
RTM