In my opinion, the town of Winchendon is under the
microscope too much, I wonder why? I guess that the-right to know law, is
obsolete. In other words a big secret. Is-in my opinion's a sneaky way for an
elected official or an appointed official to tell us taxpayers-it's none of
your business-as I hear it. A lot of wrongdoings have happened in Winchendon in
those involved try to keep it a secret, am I right? The town of Templeton could
have been saved a lot of embarrassment if our neighbor town would have let us
people in Templeton know the truth about a some wrongdoing incidents. I don't
want to argue about it, but in my right, Mr. and Mrs. Winchendon? My town of
Templeton has been ruined by those that insist that a "secret" is the
only way. Well if it is a secret, how come I PHC Sr found out about those
"secrets"?
Yes, word of mouth and I checked it out and found the true
and put it on paper. Want to know, who, why, when and where all the secret
stuff happened? Just asked on paper and I will give you a printout, it in
layman's terms not through a Philadelphia lawyer, get it? We the taxpayers in
Templeton are pursuing the wrongdoings that wrecked our town. And we will not
stop until the people responsible are held accountable. One by one or in a
bunch. It doesn't matter how, as long as "obstruction of justice" is
answered. I am talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars, or millions, not
just a pail full of sand from the highway barn. I have a lot of people say to
me-it's so sad that these things happen. Well people these-things-don't just
happen. There created by a handful of people that ask taxpayers trusted, am I
right? Watch the Citizens 4 Templeton group and you will see in hear how
dedicated we are to save Templeton the years to come. And we should never
"forget" the town coordinator Jeff Ritter issue. Never!!!. I wish
that more people had showed up at the personnel board meeting last week. You
would have heard all the flaws that were made when the personnel board policy
was written. Whoever okayed that policy was not thinking about us taxpayers,
who was the authority to enforce this policy? And yes, a few people ask
questions. But the personnel board chair, Rae Ann Trifilo could not answer them
in she admitted that to us taxpayers and attendance. A person of status and
person to know the prostrations that goes into making things right after so
many wrongs and where were the people that authorized the personnel policy? My
suggestion is to do a new personnel policy, discuss it, re-discussing, keep the
old policy for reference and enforce the rules, not just say there's nothing we
can do about it. The personnel policy all these mistakes, turn into money loss
and this is one big problem here. And don't ever forget the Columbus era,
February 7, 2012 to May 7, 2012. How much money and morale did we lose them?
Until we the registered voters bounced him out. And my advice to all registered
voters know the truth on paper, or don't vote. And don't forget the recall-what
a lying mess that was. Thanks
One more note about the personnel board. Before the meeting
even started, the Virginia was discussing with RaeAnn how she read the in personnel
policy that-no elected or appointed official of the town could be on personnel.(guess
she, VW forgot she was a selectman) Virginia, was pointing this out to RaeAnn
because RaeAnn was just elected to the Narragansett regional school district
school committee. As an elected official of the school committee RaeAnn is in
no conflict with anything to do with the personnel board. The personnel policy and
the personnel board covers only the nonunion town employees. It does not cover
anyone who works for the Narragansett regional school district or any of the schools. It only covers
the people working for-the town departments who are not in the unions. Why is Virginia
so adamant to get RaeAnn T off the Personnel Board. RaeAnn has been on that
board for a few years and she is very knowledgeable and fair. Here we go again –
VW must have something up her sleeve.
PS Try to attend the
benefit the Cindy and Tuna Fontaine’s family at the Templeton fish and game, July
2012. Show your support. And thanks to the Moschetti clan for the donation.
Did you read the about the Winchendon health agent? I guess every town has their dirty laundry.
ReplyDeleteis it possible that the wind turbine will be on line again before Christmas? I understand the repair people turned the bushings over without noticing they were polazired. How unbelievable if this is true. It will be 20 years before we get any electrical benefit from the turbine. It's time the Light Co. bosses get their act together. Maybe after the water breaks this weekend the water Co. can use the $4 user fee (which is supposed to be to pay for the people who don't pay their bills)for all the overtime. what about the liens that are put on their property? Can't we get our four bucks back at that time. What a way to run a business. Only an opinion.
DeleteSince Templeton does not now have 10% of its available housing stalk as affordable housing, consider using CPA funds to buy housing from the bank, such as auctions or direct negotiations to possibly get these homes on the market as affordable housing, that is if the bank unloads a house at 70 grand and it is assessed above that value, CPA could buy it and resell it at the low price (CPA not in business of turning profit) and get the home on the tax roll and get someone in the home. This is a requirement of CPA funds, not just to buy land for open space which takes the land off the tax rolls. Remember the argument that if you use a piece of land for homes rather than open space, the increased costs to the town in services will cost more than open space. Well since open space generates no tax money, how about if the affordable housing is aimed at say seniors or if a couple with no children buy it as a first home, they pay taxes with putting very little burden on town services, it is an argument that does not hold water. Use CPA funds to obtain and market affordable housing rather than putting additional pressure on the taxpayers buy creating an affordable housing coordinator paid for by the tax rate while using CPA funds to chop the tax rate by concentrating on open space. Also use open space funds to pursue improvement to the Templeton center common, an historical district, once again one of the requirememnts of spending CPA funds. Check out the CPA law of massachusetts and see what the funds are to be spent on. The common improvement committee wanted money to spend on planning and engineering so they could apply for grants but town meeting always turned them down so go for CPA funds, the law is on your side.
ReplyDeleteBart says that we should have enough low cost houses to satsify the requirements. He thinks that the problem is when the tax assessments of the houses are to high, the house is not worth what they are selling it for. This may be why we have so many empty homes in town. This is just his opinion. He does not have the facts. {Sue can straighten him out.}
DeleteOk Bev - all the empty houses are forclosures - nothing to do with assessments. People bought when prices were high mortgage lenders did -preditory lending. home owners interest rates went up, people lost jobs etc. people got behind and the mortgage companies didn't want to work with the home owners. This is one reason that I tell people 1)if you are going to get a mortgage - use a local bank! GFA, Athol Savings, Workers CU, Colonial, Athol CU etc all much nicer and easier to work with, 2)hire your own attorney for the closing - the bank's atty is working for the bank not you! 3) try to stay in the "my mortgage is one weeks pay bracket"now I'm really dating myself. Gone are the days when the young couples bought the "fixer upper" or grandmas' house, in the last boom I saw many people buying their first home at $300,000. and be one paycheck away from disaster.
DeleteNow as far as assessments go - under MGL all assessments must be at "full and fair cash value" in this kind of economy unfortunately the DOR does not allow us to use and of the foreclosures, short sales, estate sales, divorce sales, etc. as comps - only true "arms length sales" willing buyer/willing seller no party under duress! Now lets face it very few people are selling right now that don't have to. And yes there are som pretty cheap out houses right now,
Anonymously Sue
pleaase, give me a frikken break on "preditory lending"!!!!!! it is not a "right" to own a home!!!! go back to the days whe you needed 20% down, and you solve 99% of the forclosure problems !!! the government forced banks to give loan to peole who could not afford a big mac, nevermind a home !!!!! if you are to stupid to understand what you are signing, you shouldn't be allow to buy that big mac, never mind a home!!!! unfortunatly, you skrew every one that owns by doing so !!!!! unfortunately you also have the right to vote !!!!!!!!!
DeleteYou said if for me - people bought houses that should never have bought houses.
DeleteAnd I suppose its our fault we were laid off, too. Us stupid po' folks should have seen the future that we would lose our jobs. So, we should have never pursued the american dream and bought a house in order to start a family and be happy and proud to be home owners. And other sad sacks should have known they'd get sick and lose all their money paying medical bills, too. Right? Please. Maybe you should read up on current events and educate yourself a little more before making such ignorant comments. If you think the big banks share no fault in the housing bust, then you are sadly mistaken. I'm so glad I chose to move to a town where people think its stupid poor people's fault that there are forclosed homes here that screws over other people who are smart enough to keep their job, health and homes. What a way to be compassionate and loving towards your fellow neighbor! Ya, keep thinking you're better than eveyone else and see where that gets you in life. I hope you never are in a position of personal strife and actually need help from someone else.
Deletewhere does the tax money go? 1st you have a multi family home purchased and then remortgaged at top value and next they let it go! banks get paid thru hud and loose nothing!
ReplyDeletehud sells home to investers and a 275k loan is only a 30-35k cost to new owner!I know this is a fact. the bank bailout helped the banks and stuck the tax payers.On reagan street alone there were 2 multifamily houses that happened to.Yellow house on corner was a 265k loan paid by hud and sold for only 38k new owner loaned to the max and walked away with the money! never even moved in. on top of the loss in loan the hud dept paid all leans and fees to date and its all free and clear for the loan thiefs to walk away from! wow what a country! free money for all who can manipulate it.
P.S house is still empty, wish it were the same bank that was paid off from the 1st owner ,but most likely not
ReplyDeleteTo one of the anonymouses - of all the "empty/forclosed" houses in town (Templeton not Gardner) all but two (on is on Gray Rd the first one on the right, that is full of black mold) are current on their taxes, because even when the owner can't pay the mortgage bank still pays. So Templeton gets the tax money, unfortunately when the houses go empty and into disrepair the assessment come down due to "condition" factors. so we do lose tax money based on assessments. Once someone new buys them and fixes them up back up goes the assessment and more tax money. Just a note on the houses that are being "flipped" (1st buyer buys from the bank and fixes up then sells to someone) the DOR says I must use these second sales as "arm length sales" in other words for comps. I just wish everyone would let my office know what houses are empty in their neighborhood. I try to regulary get info from L&W (who is not using). so send a comment or send me an email assessors@templeton1.org and lets make sure I have an acuate list of empty homes. Templeton only please. Sue
ReplyDelete