Assistant Treasurer/Collector: Part-Time flexible schedule position (19+/- hrs/wk over four days) responsible for processing real-estate and excise taxes as well as other receivables, and performing all general duties within the office and acting as the Treasurer/Collector in the absence of the same. Requires an Associate’s degree in Accounting or Business and three years of administrative support and bookkeeping experience or an equivalent of education and experience.
Preference is given to those with experience in a front-line customer service.

Submit application letter, resume, and standard Town application form available at www.templetonma.gov (click on Paid, Volunteer and Contract Opportunities) or
Town Hall to Carter Terenzini, Town Administrator,
160 Patriots Rd, PO Box 620, East Templeton, MA 01438.
The position will be open until filled.
The Town of Templeton is an EOE. 

Rating Action: Moody's upgrades Templeton, MA GOs to Aa3

28 Jan 2020 New York, January 28, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service has upgraded to Aa3 from A1 the rating of the town of Templeton, Massachusetts's outstanding general obligation unlimited tax (GOULT) bonds. Additionally, Moody's assigns a Aa3 rating to the town's $9 million General Obligation Municipal Purpose Loan of 2020 Bonds.

RATINGS RATIONALE The upgrade to Aa3 reflects the significant improvement in the town's financial position over the past several years as management has improved its budgeting process to reflect more realistic targets leading to surpluses in each of the last five years. Additionally, the rating reflects a limited size tax base, an elevated but affordable debt burden, average pension liability, and low OPEB liability.

RATINGS OUTLOOK Moody's does not usually assign outlooks to local government credits with this amount of debt outstanding.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE -
Significant improvements to the tax base including resident wealth and incomes -
Sustained improvement in reserve levels -
Reduction of debt burden
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO A DOWNGRADE -
Significant decline in the tax base -
Significant drop in reserves

a 2018 report from Washington DC based Institute on taxation and Economic Policy:

22. Massachusetts

> Effective tax rate for top 1% of earners: 6.5%
> Effective tax rate for middle 20% of earners: 9.3% (22nd lowest)
> Avg. income for top 1%: $2.51 million (2nd highest)
> State & local tax revenue from sales taxes: 13.8% (9th lowest)
> State & local tax revenue from income taxes: 32.7% (6th highest)

from Templeton special town meeting October 26, 2004:

Article 6 To see if the Town will vote to accept the amended Regional Agreement for the Narragansett Regional School District of Templeton/Phillipston, a copy of which is available for review in the Templeton Town Clerk’s office, or to take any other action relative thereto. 

On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to accept the amended Regional Agreement for the Narragansett Regional School District of Templeton/Phillipston, a copy of which is available for review in the Templeton Town Clerk’s office as well as available to voters in a handout adjacent to the Special Town Meeting warrants. Passed Unanimously @ 7:18

Although this happened in calendar year 2004, the STM happened in FY2005 (July 1, 2004 - June 30, 2005) the STM is found in the 2005 annual town report, page 140.

I would be willing to try, but . . . Trust??

One way to fund road work:

Lastly, amendments in 2003 to Ch. 40, Sec 5b allow a municipality to establish special purpose stabilization funds and to build balances in them through a type of override, which also has characteristics of a debt exclusion. Through initial approval, by twothirds vote, of town meeting (and the selectmen), a city council or a town council, a referendum can be placed before the voters asking whether to raise tax revenue, by majority vote, above Proposition 2½ limits for the purpose of the stabilization fund. In succeeding years, solely through an annual vote of the selectmen, city council or town council, the override can be continued, lowered or deferred entirely and resumed, or not, in a later year. Like an override, the additional tax can continue year-after-year without town-wide or city-wide referendum votes beyond the year of inception and, each year, the amount available to be raised increases by 2½ percent. However, like an exclusion under Proposition 2½, the levy limit increase need not be permanent. It can be discontinued in any year.

Combine this with chapter 90 money and possible CDBG grants and free cash, the town could make progress on paving / road infrastructure improvements that directly affect taxpayers / residents. A choice has to be made by town meeting and selectmen if we are going to continue piece meal or really do something for town residents. Good roads often equals to better condition and less dollars regarding snow / ice removal. Your choice, all I can do is try to get a consensus from select board to put this before voters. Simple overrides have been presented in the past and failed, I want to try something different.

I also want roads / infrastructure on capital plan, including water and sewer, drains, etc. as they are things that belong to the town, whether light & water commissioners agree or not.

One more time - Begin process of accepting private roads that do not currently meet accepted standards ; create schedule and process to bring them to standard as a service to taxpayers/residents. This has been to town meeting once and I would propose to bring it one more time. The purpose is simple, one of the things in the chapter 90 program used to determine how much chapter 90 money Templeton receives in the grant program is road miles. No, we have not kept or gotten existing town accepted roads in good condition yet, but it does not mean we should not offer same service to all taxpayers/residents. It also does not mean any "head of line" status, it means we begin planning for all roads in Town. If town meeting votes no again, well, those on private roads will remain second class residents and why should they pay taxes if they do not receive same service or expect same opportunity as rest of town residents.

The Massachusetts Chapter 90 program often serves as the main or sole source of funding for road construction/repair for most cities and towns. The program authorizes funding to every municipality in the state based on a formula consisting of road miles, population, and employment. The current formula places an emphasis on three areas with the following percentages:

Road Mileage — 58.33 percent

Population — 20.83 percent

Employment — 20.83 percent

In Pignatelli's bill, the proposed new funding formula aims to take 5.5 percent of funds from the population and employment categories and applies an additional 11 percent to the road mileage category, allowing smaller communities to gain 17-18 percent in funding:

Road Mileage — 69.334 percent

Population — 15.333 percent

Employment — 15.333 percent.

The Chapter 90 program funding formula was created almost 50 years ago in 1972 and has not been upgraded since. The formula itself has no legislative history, and is overseen entirely by the Department of Transportation. Pignatelli was inspired to file a bill updating the new formula as a direct result of the critical infrastructure challenges facing small communities.

This is important and I feel it deserves one more try, for the residents.

from the MSBA website:

Templeton Center School - building complete.

MSBA paid to date - $21,137,638.00

MSBA remaining - $1,623,141.00

Total project budget - $45,058,033.00

These figures show the Town cost of project is $22,297,254.00 + borrowing / bonding costs.

Looks more like a 50% rate from MSBA rather than the ole 63.11% and you may confirm these numbers at MSBA web page.