from the current Handbook for Selectmen:

Legal Authority
The board of selectmen’s formal, legal responsibilities are scattered throughout hundreds of state
statutes as well as in a given town’s bylaws, home rule charter and special laws (special acts) enacted
by the Legislature for that particular town. Boards of selectmen have general supervision over all
matters that are not specifically delegated by law, or by vote of the town, to another officer or board.
While the specific role of selectmen is broad, it varies from town to town. Generally, boards of
selectmen have at least several important responsibilities under state law:
• The power to prepare the town meeting warrant
• The power to make appointments to town boards and offices
• The power to employ professional administrative staff and town counsel
• The power to sign warrants for the payment of all town bills
• The authority to grant licenses and permits
(These responsibilities of selectmen are covered in detail in chapters 3, 4, 5 and 11.)

The selectmen should:
• Participate in the budget process by developing budget guidelines, reviewing budgets and
evaluating proposals for the expenditure of funds
• Participate in broad policy development on issues that will have a major impact on town
finances (e.g., a major expenditure such as a new school, authorization of debt, use of the
stabilization fund)
• Ensure the development of a capital improvement program
• Monitor financial performance
The selectmen also have certain statutory authority for financial matters, including:
• Signing bonds or notes when the town issues debt
• Signing the warrants for payment of bills
• Classifying property by use, for taxation purposes
• Setting water and sewer rates and other fees, unless this authority is assigned by bylaw to
another board or official
• Placing a Proposition 2½ override or debt exclusion vote on the ballot

Finance Committee (or Advisory or Warrant Committee)
The finance committee—or, in some towns, the advisory or warrant committee—is a town’s official
fiscal watchdog. Its primary, statutory responsibility is to advise and make recommendations to town
meeting on the budget and other areas of finance. One of the finance committee’s most important
functions involves making transfers from the town’s reserve fund (a contingency fund normally
created as part of annual budget appropriations) to other line items in the budget for extraordinary
or unforeseen occurrences.While the finance committee plays a vital role, it is within the executive authority of the selectmen, and/or their appointees, to prepare the town’s budget. The selectmen have ultimate responsibility to the residents for this service. The finance committee’s responsibility is to review the budget submitted to them and to make recommendations regarding the budget to the town’s legislative body: the town meeting.

Town Accountant
The town accountant is responsible for maintaining the town’s financial records, including the
statement of revenues and expenditures, balance sheet, and any other records required by law or
regulation. The town accountant reviews each proposed expenditure to ensure that money has been
lawfully appropriated for that expenditure. The town accountant prepares warrants for payment (a
list of bills compiled for signature by the board of selectmen or town manager or administrator) and
may withhold payment of an item if the expense is illegal, not an approved appropriation, or would
cause an appropriation to be exceeded.

posted by Jeff Bennett

 

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Question: Is it responsible to transfer money from one fund to another, which causes an eventual shortage/deficit in that fund? That is what happened with the fire/ems salary fund when the selectmen voted to put forward a transfer of $111,608.50 on November 9, 2015. March 21, 2016, the selectmen said we need to put back $45,000.00 and now the selectmen just said we need to put back another $7,000.00 into that fund, When the accountant was asked what would be the standing of that fund, fire/ems salary, if it would have been left alone? The accountant stated there would be around $50,000.00 left in it. So who was responsible and who was not? Contact selectmen Brooks and ask that question. Ask why only the accountant was present in front of the advisory committee for these requested transfers? Ask where were selectmen and where were involved/affected department heads to answer questions on these transfers. Contact selectmen Brooks and ask, you deserve to know. Ask her if taxpayers should accept department heads not keeping up with their expenses?

One thing you should know is that $64,608.00 voted for an OPEB fund is still sitting in the selectmen office expense account. Lets hope it is handled correctly.

posted by Jeff Bennett

All the rant - an example of one transfer request; from conservation commission, "we are asking for a transfer of funds from conservation administer assistant salary account for the amount of $31.00 to go to our conservation commission expense account to cover $65.98 for ink and $21.00 for name plates a total of $86.98. Our balance in the expense account is $65.44, we are short $21.54." The transfer request put before advisory committee at last meeting was for $30.00 for the above issue. Perhaps the superior board, the selectmen could have taken care of this out of the selectmen office expense, as that is something the town administrator said the selectmen could do at the end of the year, which if you view the dvd of town meeting, that was one of the reasons given for the $16,000.00 transfer into the selectmen office expense account. Remember, the selectmen used the office expense to pay for repairs o the police chief vehicle rather than use the town reserve fund. That would have been an appropriate thing to bring before advisory committee as it is an unexpected item an a good reason to use the reserve fund.
Again, at some point, town departments and employees have to live within their means, ie; a budget, and I believe that has to start now. There has to be consequences for failing to do that and people need to be held accountable. Sweeping it under the rug with more financial transfers is just enabling this practice to continue. That in my opinion is a bad use of YOUR money. You have to run your house with what you have and the town should be no different. That is why I voted no on all transfers. Yes, this may create some other issues but perhaps something will be learned from this and it will not be repeated. Different selectmen, treasurer, accountant, deputy assessor, town coordinator/town administrator and there are more transfers now than ever and that is not progress or moving forward, that is going backwards and that is not good.


posted by Jeff Bennett

Found something recently, it is a legal opinion concerning the Advisory Committee's question about the selectmen authority to present the annual budget to Town meeting. Advisory sent question to Town Administrator who forwarded to Town Council. That opinion was shared with the Advisory Committee. Town Council opines that Templeton has a "strong" advisory committee because they are responsible for not only financial articles, but all Town meeting articles. The opinion goes on to explain that Templeton has some conflicting and unclear Town by-laws concerning this issue. The opinion goes on to state "we recommend that there be a clearer statement by the voters at town meeting to resolve this issue. Absent an article on the warrant for the upcoming special town meeting to clarify whose motion is made first, we suggest that the town administrator and advisory committee reach an understanding based on what is clearest for the voters to follow. Failing any agreement, at a town meeting, have the moderator ask the people to adopt rules of the meeting, which could include a rule as to which/who makes the initial motion to be brought before town meeting. If advisory committee objects to town administrator or vice-versa, let voters decide what is the procedure. Perhaps this should be the number one item at a joint meeting of advisory committee and selectmen.


posted by Jeff Bennett

from face book - enjoy

Diane Haley Brooks

45 mins · Templeton, MA · 

So when the Advisory Committee votes to not make transfers and now it affects
 the community, is that responsible? What is the reasoning behind this? I wish I
 could have been at the meeting, but I cannot sit in a chair that long.
 The COA will now not be reimbursed the 100% of funds that needed to be
 transferred. How about pay? Yes, we need to pay employees as last I checked
 it's the law. I am not sure exactly what transfer was approved, but you bet I will
be asking this tomorrow first thing. How will that impact the budget? This is
 YOUR money Templeton. I want an explanation as YOU deserve one.

I have heard that we have made too many transfers this year, but we are
 still working on the budgets since the fiscal crisis that was created by errors
 and lack of communication etc. This year we couldn't get together with the
 Advisory Committee as they ignored the requests from the Interim
Town Administrator. We have some major communication issues to
work out and also how things are done with the budget. I agree, the
transfers were a lot, but how come the Advisory Committee didn't see
some of this coming? Who else is supposed to be looking at those things?

I will admit there are many things I now see that were wrong that I didn't
 know what to do about, but this coming year that is changing.

This is ridiculous how all this plays out and I feel those decisions not
to transfer is negligent with YOUR funds. This is about our community,
 not one Board or Committee. I cannot wait to hear the explanations
for only 1 transfer happening. You should want to hear those explanations also.
We just lost 100% reimbursement from MART and the taxpayers should
accept that?

To the residents, the Board of Selectman is responsible to YOU the taxpayer.
Please, let us know what you like, don't like, want changed etc.
Get involved. Stay involved. Come to meetings to know what's happening
with YOUR tax dollars.


posted by Jeff Bennett

out of view work on fiscal 2017 budget:

I have spoken with the town administrator.

Our budget numbers work. There was a summing error in one of the codes. He has told me he is fixing it and we should have correct print outs. 

Gordon

Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.

From: Robert Markel Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 3:01 PM To: Barrieau, Mark; Bartolomeo, Bev; Fulton, Katharine; Greene, Michael; jpb01468; Moore, Gordon; Spring, Wil Reply To: Robert Markel Subject: Budget

I was about to print the FY'17 budget with Advisory Committee recommendations.  Decided to check all formulas and found that the TAB budget recommendation is $19K over. 
Recommend that you convene tomorrow and vote changes.  The Selectmen are going to vote the change that I implemented with regard to the Veterans Services budget, although they have already approved the changes. 

Bob
Robert T. Markel
Interim Town Administrator
Town of Templeton
160 Patriots Road
East Templeton, MA 01438
(978)894-2753

posted by Jeff Bennett

in case you missed it:

From: Robert Markel <townadministrator@templeton1.org>
To: "Brooks, Diane" <seldhaleybrooks@templeton1.org>, "Columbus, John" <seljcolumbus@templeton1.org>, John Caplis <selectmen.caplis@templeton1.org>, "Morrison, Doug" <seldmorrison@templeton1.org>, "Richard, Julie" <seljrichard@templeton1.org>
Date: May 12, 2016 at 11:20 AM
Subject: Advisory Committee Recommendations

The proposed operating budget for Fiscal 2017 with Advisory Committee recommendations is attached.  

Their approach is based upon a reduction in expected revenue from New Growth.  For Fiscal 2016, new growth brought in an additional $94,000.  In the prior year, it was $69,000.  

I estimated new growth producing an additional $80,000 in revenue for FY'17.  Thought that this was a conservative estimate, below the current year, in an economy that is doing better.  The Advisory Committee cut the expected new growth revenue to $50,000, and they reduce the Town Administrator salary to $52,000 from $80,000 and they reduce the line item for wage and salary adjustments from $35,000 to $12,000 while giving a raise to the Deputy Assessor, the only Town employee given a raise directly in the budget of the Advisory Committee.  

Assessors are always ultra-conservative about estimating new growth.  Have never encountered Assessors who do it differently.  If our Assessors stand up at Town Meeting and support the lower number, the ATM will likely go along with Advisory Committee recommendations.  Singling out their Deputy Assessor for a raise will likely increase the pressure on the Assessors to support the AC new growth figure.

The BoS and I have supported a higher salary for the Deputy Assessor during the past year.  Her salary in FY'15 was $43K.  She was given two increases in FY'16 that brought her salary to $54K, and she was given an additional $2K in t our FY'17 budget.  Luanne is an excellent employee and she deserves a good salary.  I question why a $12K increase over two fiscal years is inadequate.  Is the AC attempting to influence the Assessors to support for their view of new growth?

I had $25,000 in the Selectmen's budget for raises for non-unionized employees.  It was raised to $35,000 in case we need to increase the Fire Chief's salary during recruitment.  The current Chief is paid $64K.  I put $70K in the FY'17 budget and an additional $10 buried in the BoS budget in case we need it.  

Also, the BoS has said that they want to recruit a permanent T.A. during Fiscal '17.  Why reduce the T.A. salary in the budget when it will have to be raised back to $80K or beyond during recruitment?

Kelli said that Jeff Bennett prevailed upon the AC to raise the budget for Veterans Benefits to $95K.  Not sure why.  AC supports the revolving fund which will use state reimbursements to fund Veterans Benefits.

Rm

Two days before Annual Town meeting and politics at play for the budget. Looks like selectmen wanted to make sure it was their budget that got voted on. 

posted by Jeff Bennett