The below is shown as presented at Town Meeting. I do not feel it can be presented one way and then try to say, well, it includes this or we did not include debt when we stated 2.5%. It is all included in one article with one dollar amount, same as last year and it shows almost a one million dollar increase in costs.

ARTICLE 26 FY 2019 GENERAL FUND OPERATING (OPEX) BUDGET

Submitted by the Board of Selectmen Majority Vote Required

I move to appropriate the sum of Nine Million Six Hundred Ninety Thousand Two Hundred Seventy Four Dollars and no cents ($9,690,274.00) for the operations of General Government for Fiscal Year 2020, 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.

Dept                   Code Name                                             FY 20 Budget

120                     Selectmen (1)                                         $    358,250

130                     Advisory Committee (2)                          $      49,395

 135                    Town Accountant                                     $   193,470

141                     Assessor                                                 $      92,000

147                     Treasurer/Collector                                 $    133,750

155                     IT & Communications                             $    100,000

161                     Town Clerk                                              $    107,250

200                     Police & Dispatch                                   $ 1,340,500

220                     Fire & EMS                                             $    732,750

230                     Emergency Management                        $       1,750

250                     Development Services                            $   162,000

400                     Highway                                                  $    605,001

410                     Building & Grounds                                 $   305,000

420                     Snow & Ice (2)                                         $   147,500

500                     Veterans Service                                      $   104,122

 600                    Senior Services                                        $   152,999

610                     Library                                                      $     79,640

620                     Recreation & Culture                                $       9,750

700                     Debt Service                                             $ 2,590,147

 900                    Insurance & Benefits                                $ 2,425,000

$ 9,690,274

(1) Contains Reserve Transferable by Select Board for CBAs and Merit & Equity Raises

 for Non-Union Personnel

(2) Contains MGL Ch. 40 §6 Reserve Transferable by Advisory Committee for

 "…emergency or unforeseen expenditures..."

Templeton has more than 5,000 registered voters. Templeton needs more than 200 voters to show up for Town Meeting.
No matter what any selectmen stated at Town Meeting, there was more than a 2.5% increase in general government funding for fiscal year 2020.

Article 26 - Annual Town Meeting May 15, 16, 2019:
$9,690,274.00.

Article 21 - Annual Town Meeting May 19, 2018:
$8,220,298.00 + override article 24 of $470,246.00
= $8,690,544.00. If you do the math, it shows it in simple terms, what was stated by a Templeton selectmen at Town Meeting on May 16, 2019 was incorrect.

In closing, remember, you voted for this without many questions. Town government cost increased by nearly one million dollars and school followed; Town Meeting should use their power and vote no on such town increases, if you truly do not want them. Last year, people wanted an override, this year they did not, I only wish they would have said no at Town Meeting!

Just so you are aware;
Swim program for FY 2020:
What was presented in the budget for Recreation & Culture, page 209 - swim director at $1,400.00 per year and swimming assistant x2 at $1,000.00 ($500.00 each) so that is $2,400.00 plus an additional $100.00 under rec / culture supplies / swimming program.

Okay, Templeton Fish & Game club may allow use of it's beach area free for swim program, but there is a cost to the program. Question for all; do you wish to use tax dollars (your money) to teach kids to swim and be comfortable in the water or do you wish it to be fee based, where if you wish to enroll your child in swim program, you pay a fee. What happens to a kid who's family cannot afford the fee? At the end of the day, do you, as a resident / taxpayer, wish to spend some of your money to get kids into the water and know how to swim?

Agenda for next Templeton Selectmen Meeting: Workshop.

Discussion items -
2c. Recreation Fee Schedule.
from the Town Administrator weekly report 5/30/2019:
2.c. (page 32 of your budget document) Recreation & Culture: Other than continual improvement in the work flow of the office, there are no substantial changes proposed.
However, we do recommend that you support an initiative to study the possible conversion of the swimming program from a fully tax funded program to one that might require a partial fee from the participants.

Please let your selectmen know if you wish to have another fee to pay.

Selectmen email - mcurrie@templetonma.gov
                              dhaleybrooks@templetonma.gov
                              jrichards@templetonma.gov
                              tgriffis@templetonma.gov
                              jbennett@templetonma.gov

from Board of Selectmen meeting May 29, 2019:

Part of the public record;
Not only do some selectmen feel they should be paid now (when some ran first / second time, there was no pay) but now paid, they suddenly feel the need to have fewer meetings. Selectmen Bennett was the lone no vote on reducing the number of meetings. Why does anyone volunteer, run for election and then not wish to follow through with responsibilities, such as meetings?

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.