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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

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4/10/2013 6:45:00 AM
Templeton hopefuls focus on town's finances
Candidates for local office set to appear at Thursday forum in Baldwinville
Kerry O'Brien
News Staff Writer

TEMPLETON — In light of concerns over issues facing the town, a group of residents are hosting a new candidates’ night Thursday at the Baldwinville American Legion with the hope of focusing more attention on civic affairs ahead of this year’s election.

“We’re a group of citizens that are concerned about the future of Templeton,” said Bob Columbus, one of the event’s organizers.

The four candidates for two available seats on the Board of Selectmen — Kenn Robinson, Paul Cosentino, Gerald Skelton and Doug Morrison — have similarly expressed concern about the state of town affairs, particularly in terms of finances. 


They each cite their experience as an asset in addressing the issues the community faces.

Mr. Robinson — an attorney and native of Pennsylvania who recently moved to town — said in a statement that he hopes to use his experience and background in public policy to work in the town’s best interest.

“I have spoken to numerous members of our community and am aware of and sensitive to the pain and dysfunction that this town has endured,” he said. “Being an outsider and a pragmatist, I hope to heal old wounds and move the town forward through transparency, reason, communication and economic growth.  I am on no one’s side but the people of Templeton.”

Mr. Cosentino, who has been an active voice in the community and maintains a blog on town affairs, said his primary motivation for running is to protect taxpayers and those who are struggling during difficult times.

“There’s been nobody looking out for the taxpayers,” he said.  “So many people in town have lost their homes. I see houses go down the drain and there’s no way the families can get out of it.”

A former selectman and former manager of the Municipal Light and Water Department, Mr. Skelton said he will be at candidates’ night to discuss why he wants to return to the board.

“I just think the finances in town are getting out of hand, and that’s one of my areas of expertise — finances,” he said. “I managed the light and water (department) for 28 years. I know the town’s needs.”

Mr. Morrison, who has long been involved with the new senior center project, also said one of his main reasons for running for the board is to help the town manage fiscal issues.

“I have a pretty long career in manufacturing industry. I have good business sense,” he said. “Our financial situation is one of the biggest issues that we have at the moment — how to get back under control reduce debt avoid future debt. I’m looking forward to helping the town continue to recover and move forward. I’m hoping that I can help in that process and bring up some good ideas.”

The three-way race for one seat on the Light and Water Commission is also a point of interest for this candidates’ night organizers. Special Town Meeting voters recently — and overwhelmingly — rejected a citizens petition seeking to abolish the commission and transfer its duties to the selectmen.

David Smart — who filed the petition and confirmed he will attend on Thursday — said he is running for a seat on the commission in order to get answers to questions he’s long been asking.

“My biggest reason to get on the team is to bring more transparency and more openness to the questions that come from the audience,” he said. “There’s been a lot of controversy. If I can get on the board, I can find out a lot more and be more accurate as far as what’s going on.”

Mr. Smart said getting on the board is his “Plan B” following the failure of the citizens petition.

The two other candidates for the light and water seat — Planning Board member Frank Moschetti and incumbent Gregg Edwards — also confirmed that they will be in attendance on Thursday.

The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the American Legion hall, located at 3 Central St. Each candidate will speak for five minutes, followed by questions from the audience.

Mr. Columbus said they expect the event to continue until approximately 8:30 p.m., followed by light refreshments.


21 comments:

  1. There is a student-led "Town Hall" candidate's night tonight in the Gansett auditorium at 6:00pm. The event is open to the public.

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  2. ??? bob, if you are such a "concerned citizen", why weren't you concerned when you were on the bos ???? Gerry, if your "expertise" is finances, then you know that finances getting out of hand is mostly due to your rein of terror in the bos !!!! we need no more of your "expertise", we are in enough debt already !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  3. Mr. Morrison: Help for the young and old.
    Mr. Robinson: Help Anew.
    Mr. Cosentino: Help is on its way.
    Mr. Skelton: Help yourself to the town's resources.

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  4. My, my this should be quite a candidates night. It will be a real show when Mr. Skelton has to explain some of the things he has done to hurt our town. I hope they give us time to ask some questions! Why does the Gsnoos, say Bubba is in charge?? What happened to that Ferris guy? Oh yes, Bubba must take the credit, or his ego will die!! I had given the thought to not even going, but that would give Skleton full reign, to say what he wants, and we can not let that happen, can we! Be prepared, the Circus is coming to town. Bev.

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    1. And the ECHO HILL clown will be in the center ring.

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    2. I noticed a decernible odor coming from Mr. Columbus as we, thanks Bev for pinpointing the source of that smell as his ego.

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    3. Love always overcomes hate

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  5. If Bubba is serving refreshments don't eat them. Remember when he would come into the seletmen's office and he would pick his nose and then touch the food that the girls hasd brought in. yuck!

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  6. That's right Jerry is a financial wizard, watch the taxpayers money disappear into his pocket, Carol's pocket and K&P's pocket.

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  7. “I just think the finances in town are getting out of hand, and that’s one of my areas of expertise — finances,”
    How can this guy be real. Come on Jerry, you may know how to make your own finances better (remember GS’s retirement is one of the highest in the state), but I believe that you played the starring role in “the finances getting out of hand”. Were you not the Chairman of the BOS when you threw out the DOR and their report, because you did not like that they saw a problem with you sharing town info at home with the Town Coordinator, your wife? Ignoring the DOR recommendations was a bad move that has turned out bad for us all. Then you chose to buy a 252 with an email. How fiscally responsible was that, and with no appraisal to boot. Just buy the property across the street from a stooge (soon to be fined heavily stooge) for more than it is worth and leave us with a 40 year loan that I still do not believe you had the authority to sign off on. I hope your buddy that owned the property is doing well. We however are not doing well here in Templeton, and it is because of you. Your ego must be immense to think that you can be “the Savior” to Templeton. Give me and the town a break. If you lose this time, again, just stay out of town business. And do not go into the Town Clerk’s office on election night and come out a winner and make us go thru another recount again only to find that you are a loser. That was a sneaky trick padding your retirement for another year, serving for 2 months when you shouldn’t have. You have a way of bankrupting the town while your pocket gets bigger. That is the finances you know about. My opinions only.

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    1. That is well written and should be mailed to every household in Templeton, It is short and to the point and will get read. Former GS supporter who saw a lot.

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    2. 7:01 must be Carrol

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    3. no not carol, I am talking about post 6:04 pm being sent out

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  8. I got home late tonight to find a message from Obama on my answering machine. The robocall asked to support stricter gun laws and to tell the pro-gun lobbyists "Enough is Enough!"

    I'll have to ask at candidate night on Thursday is Gerald Skelton supports stricter gun laws...

    Had Enough?

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  9. This would make a good t-shirt:

    I read it in a book somewhere
    enough is enough
    forthwith

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  10. While catching up on the blog I noticed that Mr. Ferris wrote "that is why I organized a second candidates night" Then I read in the gardner news that bob columbus is one of the organizers so I guess Mr. Ferris should have written we organized a second candidates night. Mr. Ferris also wrote he would not vote for an unethical person so I guess he cannot vote for Gerald Skelton as there are town records showing Mr. Skelton signing off on pay increases for his wife which if you read the ethics rules you will find that a big no no. I am however glad to see multiple candidate nights so as many people as possible can attend. My larger concern is the ethical behavior of a sitting selectman, Virginia Wilder, the ethics of former selectmen, Dennis O'Brien and Bob Columbus and especially of candidate Gerald Skelton. As a former manager of Templeton light and a financial expert, my question is this, does it make sense from a financial stand point for Templeton to rehire someone who has sued you in the past, done proveable unethical things, and who has been involved with financial move that have left the Templeton water dept basically broke. I do give Mr. Ferris the benefit of the doubt as he wrote that "I organized" rather than perhaps the more correct we organized. I just feel the people of Templeton have been mislead enough already and I believe they deserve and wish to hear the blunt truth rather than the politically correct "tip toe through the tulips" routine that usually comes when people are asking for a vote. They may not like you or they may not agree with you, but I believe they appreciate knowing where one stands.

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  11. I understand there may be a 60 thousand dollar shortfall over at Templeton water. Could this be due to those 40 year loans taken out under the direction and management of Gerald Skelton? Is this what happens when you give out 14% raises? Why is there no money or plan to replace water mains in Templeton?

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  12. I can't attend candidates night. Could someone ask the financial wiz why it was a good idea to spend tax dollars on a golfcourse appraisal but no money was spent on appraisal of 252? Why would a business manager do that, buy something without checking it out.

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  13. If Bob Columbus is sponsoring this event, will there be 5 police officers there as well?

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  14. VW already called the Police Chief and wants anyone with out a GS button on thrown out of the little get together.

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  15. I thought the candidates night at the Legion was well run and provided a different forum for candidates to state their positions. Almost every candidate was present. I'm not sure why the school committee candidates were not in attendance.

    I'm glad the students at Narragansett hosted a candidates night. I liked the questions that were asked of the Templeton BOS candidates. I'm not sure why the Phillipston BOS candidates were not included or the school committee candidates. Maybe next year, the students will host a similar event with a little more publicity. I had a conflict that night and would have liked to have been there.

    I look forward to the annual candidates night graciously hosted at KAMALOHT by the Royers. The final candidates night is April 24th at 6:00 p.m.

    Enough said!

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