Legislature continues in it's failure to meet their obligation;

This failure causes Templeton to have to pay over $700,000.00 in transportation costs (busing)

So the legislature continues it's practice of not keeping its promises. 

Because the 58 regional school districts in Massachusetts cover larger geographic areas, they face greater costs to ensure all pupils can get to and from each school. The state is, by statute, supposed to fully cover the expenses as a way to help manage the burden, but for years has fallen below the rate of full reimbursement, creating strain at the local level.

The initially proposed 80 percent rate was an improvement over the 60 percent offered as recently as 2012, but senators argued Thursday the growth still does not go far enough.

"It is necessary to show that we are committed to our regional school districts," Gobi said during debate. "This is one thing that helps to keep them going and it keeps a promise. We should not be known as the state that does not keep its promises to its school districts. We are going in the right direction."

Please be aware that the Templeton Board of Selectmen will be discussing the Stone Bridge report from Milone & MacBroom at the Board of Selectmen meeting starting at 6:30PM on June 5, 2019 at Templeton Town Hall.  Milone & MacBroom will do a presentation on Stone Bridge.  We would truly appreciate your presence. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions, comments, or concerns.

from the Annual Town Meeting Warrant of May 19, 2018:

ARTICLE 21: FY 2019 GENERAL FUND OPERATING (OPEX) BUDGET
 To see if the Town will vote to appropriate the sum of Eight Million Town Hundred Twenty Thousand Two Hundred Ninety Eight Dollars and no cents ($8,220,298.00 ) for the operations of General Government for Fiscal Year 2019, and to meet said appropriation with a transfer of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($250,000.00) from the Ambulance receipts reserved for appropriation, anticipated receipts, and the balance from taxation. Or take any other action related thereto.
Submitted by the Board of Selectmen
Majority Vote Required

On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to appropriate the sum of Eight Million, Two Hundred Twenty Thousand, Two Hundred Ninety Eight Dollars and no cents ($8,220,298.00) for the operations of General Government for Fiscal Year 2019, and to meet said appropriation with a transfer of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($250,000.00) from the Ambulance receipts reserved for appropriation, anticipated receipts, and the balance from taxation.

Passed/May 19th @ 12:46 pm


ARTICLE 24: SUPPLEMENTAL FY 2019 OPERATING BUDGET RE: FIRE/EMS
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Four Hundred Seventy Thousand Two Hundred Forty Six Dollars and No Cents, ($470,246.00), subject to the successful passage of a Proposition 2 ½ Over-Ride, so-called, for supplemental appropriations to the FY 2019 Operating Budget for the following departments:

                                    Fire/EMS                       $290,740
                                    Police                             $  23,000
                                    Insurance & Benefits     $133,890
                                    Highway                        $  15,000
                                    Snow & Ice                    $    7,616
Or take any other action related thereto.
Submitted by the Board of Selectmen Majority Vote Required


On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Four Hundred Seventy Thousand Two Hundred Forty Six Dollars and No Cents, ($470,246.00), for supplemental appropriations to the FY 2019 Operating Budget for the following departments:

                                    Fire/EMS                       $290,740
                                    Police                             $  23,000
                                    Insurance & Benefits     $133,890
                                    Highway                        $  15,000
                                    Snow & Ice                    $    7,616



Passed/May 19th @ 12:54 pm

FY 2019 GENERAL FUND OPERATING (OPEX) BUDGET - $8,220,298.00
FY 2019 supplemental operating budget (override)                       $   470,246.00

Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,690,544.00


Perhaps selectmen Julie Richard can explain how the above figures do not represent the general fund budget / spending plan.

FY 2020 General Fund Operating  (OPEX) Budget figure . . . . . . .$9,690,274.00

Can selectmen Julie Richard explain how the above figure does not represent the general fund operating budget?   How is this not an approximate one million dollar increase over the prior fiscal year?

Massachusetts General Law, chapter 41:

Section 108N: Town manager, administrator, executive secretary, or administrative assistant; employment contract

Section 108N. Notwithstanding the provision of any general or special law to the contrary, any city or town acting through its board of selectmen or city council or mayor with the approval of the city council, as the case may be, may establish an employment contract for a period of time to provide for the salary, fringe benefits, and other conditions of employment, including but not limited to, severance pay, relocation expenses, reimbursement for expenses incurred in the performances of duties or office, liability insurance, and leave for its town manager, town administrator, executive secretary, administrative assistant to the board of selectmen, town accountants, city auditor or city manager, or the person performing such duties having a different title.

Said contract shall be in accordance with and subject to the provisions of the city or town charter and shall prevail over any conflicting provision of any local personnel by-law, ordinance, rule, or regulation. In addition to the benefits provided municipal employees under chapters thirty-two and thirty-two B, said contract may provide for supplemental retirement and insurance benefits.

Nothing contained in this section shall affect the appointment or removal powers of any city or town over its town manager, town administrator, executive secretary, administrative assistant to the board of selectmen, town accountants, city auditor or city manager, or such person performing such duties with a different title, nor shall it grant tenure to such officer, nor shall it abridge the provisions of section sixty-seven of chapter forty-four.

Templeton Town website shows employment contracts fro Town Administrator and Treasurer/Collector but not for Town Accountant - why not?

What to expect from Selectmen Jeff Bennett: Engaged, Accountable and Transparent.

Why run for selectmen?

1.   There is a need for Town Residents to seek elective office or volunteer for committees, commissions etc. That is the form of government we have:

from Selectmen's Handbook:

Governance by committee, which is what Templeton has.

Most people may think the Board of Selectmen are all powerful, political leaders of the Town, at the top of the government pyramid.

That is far from the truth; Selectmen may be the principal administrative officers of the Town; other boards may wield as much authority, or more, as the selectmen, examples would be Planning Board and the Board of Health.

Very often, Selectmen do not have the only word or even the last word on what gets done in Town. (

If elected as a member of the Board of Selectmen, I expect my initial time to be focused on the immediate issue of school funding, depending on what happens at Town Meeting and Town Election, regarding ballot question concerning override.

If you wish to know how I will vote while in the voting booth; quite frankly; none ya business.

I cannot control what may or may not happen in the future with regards to override and school assessment, but I know the many options / scenarios possible and will be ready to deal with those as they come. The school budget and override is a voter’s issue that they will decide, as it should be. That said, if elected, I would be the only sitting selectmen who has experience in the process of a 1/12th school budget, district joint meeting, etc, if it comes to that.

Looking further down the road:

I attend meetings, miss as few as possible – I will not be a 50 percenter, as in only show for half the meetings.

Work for better transparency and clarity at meetings: rather than “motion to approve as presented” I would move to hear what is being voted on, appointments to committee; how many members, how many are we appointing and who they are. Have they served prior, etc. Are there enough members for a quorum?

Any Inter-municipal agreements, dollar figures listed within document, what is the cost benefit to Templeton?

Items involving large dollar figures, including IMAs, send to Advisory Committee for consideration; perhaps Town gets questions / concerns selectmen did not ask or missed.

Monthly review of expenditure report generated by accountant and be a regular attendee at Advisory Committee meetings.

I do not just sign the warrant for Town bills, I go through it and note any questions I may have for departments.

Accept no appointment to other boards, committees, etc., that I may, as a selectmen, oversee or appoint others to. [MGL 268A / conflict of interest]

Seek to amend previous Town Meeting vote concerning use of Ambulance receipts reserved for appropriation: either use for general fund or to support ambulance service.

If you are simply going to use ambulance receipts for general fund, why have the ambulance receipts fund in the first place?

Amend current by-law, either with support of select board or by petition, concerning Town budget preparation and presentation to Town Meeting.

Look into employment contract for Town Accountant. With Police Chief, Fire Chief, Highway superintendent, Treasure/Collector, Town Administrator having employment contracts, why not the accountant? Include job responsibilities, appointment time frame, period of expected certification, etc.

I support no pay/stipend for selectmen, especially now, with a very large looming financial issue; school assessment costs.

 I have no family in Town Government, I do not belong to any clubs or organizations within Templeton, I do not foresee any conflicts of interest arising for me when it comes to things that appear before the Board of Selectmen.

So, is there approval of anything from the MFOB to Templeton?

A history lesson for kate fulton

MUNICIPAL FINANCE OVERSIGHT BOARD 

Meeting January 18, 2017 

Approved on February 23, 2017 

MINUTES 

Board Members Present: State Auditor Suzanne Bump (Chair), Craig Stepno (Office of the State Treasurer), Margaret Hurley (Office of the Attorney General), Marie Jane Handy (Department of Revenue)

Non-Board Members Present: Marissa Szabo (Office of the State Auditor), Sophia Apostola (Office of the State Auditor), Bill Arrigal (Department of Revenue), Zack Blake (Department of Revenue), Christine Smith (Gardner News), Mary Carney (Hilltop Securities), Julie Farrell (Advisory Board member, Town of Templeton)

For the Town of Templeton: Jonathan Winiker, Henry Mason, Kate Myers, Ann-Marie Geyster, Chris Casarant, Carter Terenzini, Tony Roselli, John Caplis

The meeting was called to order at 11:02 am. Auditor Bump opened the meeting with introductions of all Board members and representatives of the Town of Templeton.

Carter Terenzini provided an overview of his background followed by an overview of the school project plan and the city’s financial situation.

Tony Roselli provided an overview of the progress his firm is making in getting the Town’s books in order. Marie Jane Handy added to this that financial records from previous year had to be reconstructed.

Margaret Hurley asked if the debt exclusion vote received the required majority in 2015 and John Caplis indicated that was the case.

Auditor Bump asked for clarification of the school project’s history and Jonathan Winiker provided an overview of the history of the project and an explanation of why it has taken so long.

Carter, Mary Carney, and Chris Casarant explained the relationship of the Narragansett Regional School District to the elementary school project in terms of funding.

Marie Jane addressed the representatives from the Town of Templeton and explained the State Qualified Bond Act and the fact that the Town does not receive enough local aid to qualify for it. Carter and Mary asserted that the project needs to move forward or it could lose MSBA funding. Furthermore, the Town simply needs bond anticipation notes and would never issue the total amount for the project.

The Board deliberated on the possibility of a modified State Qualified Bond Act request.

 Marie Jane expressed concern about what the Town’s financial statements would show once they are completed.

The Board deliberated on what other options may be available to the Town.

Margaret Hurley suggested tabling the Town’s request until the financial statements are completed for the Board to review. Carter stated that he would like the opportunity to revisit the request at a later date.

Auditor Bump permitted Julie Farrell, a concerned citizen and member of the Town’s Advisory Board to speak to the Advisory Board’s concerns about the project and funding request. Julie provided a summary of those concerns.

The Board further deliberated on other options.

Craig Stepno made a motion to table the Town’s request for 6 weeks, thereby providing time to complete the financial statements and present them to the Board at a later date.

Margaret Hurley seconded the motion.

The Board unanimously approved the motion and set the date for the next meeting with the Town for March 8th.

Approval of the minutes: On the question of the approval of the minutes from the meeting on December 19, 2016, the Board voted approval with Margaret Hurley abstaining due to her absence from that meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 12 pm

Templeton Board of Selectmen
Town Hall, 160 Patriots Road, East Templeton
Monday, Novemver 21, 2016, 6:30 p.m.
Minutes of Meeting/Workshop

Present: Board of Selectmen: John Caplis, Diane Haley Brooks, Doug Morrison, Julie
Richard, and John Columbus; and Interim Town Administrator, Carter Terenzini.
1. The special business meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m.
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Action RE: Authorizing Treasurer to File Application w/MFOB RE: Elementary
School Bond ~ Carter Terenzini explained the reason that this was needed. It provides an
insurance to the lending institution and tends to earn you a higher rating. Ms. Haley
Brooks made a motion that the Board authorize the Treasurer to file an application with
the Municipal Finance Oversight Board to be signed by the Clerk of the Board. Ms. Richard
seconded the motion. The vote was 5 yes.

So did Templeton receive anything from the MFOB?