If you don't like the answer, don't ask the question

If you don't like the answer, don't ask the question

Hard to resist when a questionnaire like this shows up in your email:


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What changes can our Commonwealth make to state regulations, laws and mandates that will improve your ability to deliver quality services to your constituents in a more cost-effective manner?

 

  Please remove target share from the calculation for funding regional school districts. For FY 16 Templeton's assessed target share is $266,000 for the Narragansett Regional School District. Raising taxes by the 2.5%  will generate $204,000 for the Town of Templeton. Any plans for improving the town is held hostage by the regional school department. The $266,000 'target share" is in addition to $811,000 "additional money" from overrides. It is my understanding the target share calculation does not include override money i.e.: "The additional money" from the town.

Please review the passage of Chapter 93 Acts of 2000 which combined Templeton's water department with its Municipal Light Department. The passage of this special act has created an administrative nightmare for Templeton. The water infrastructure is very old and Templeton currently has the highest water rates in the Commonwealth.

Water system upgrades or lack thereof are under the jurisdiction of the TMLWP commissioners and manager. The use of Chapter 90 money is under the jurisdiction of the BOS. We have paved roads with TIP money and Chapter 90 only to have the 60 year old water mains under those recently repaved roads break thereby causing much damage.

State review of Chapter 93 Acts of 2000 has been requested by the voters at town meeting. The special act to review Chapter 93 Acts of 2000 was/is a political hot potato so it languished in Rules committee where it died from neglect. Lots of information and primary source material is available at the Citizens4Templeton  Important documents page.

The closing of the Templeton Developmental Center is another issue which will cost the Town of Templeton much money in the form of providing services for a 2200 acre facility that pays ZERO taxes! Small problem there! Thank you state laws, regulations and mandates!

Let's get in the way back machine! Discontinuing county roads back in the 1990's shifted a portion of a state numbered highway Rt 68 (Royalston Rd) back to the town of Templeton. This road borders the above mentioned Templeton Development Center. It boggles the mind why most parts of Rt. 68 are maintained and repaired by Mass DOT and yet this stretch of Rt 68 is not! Royalston Rd. is in complete and utter failure! IF Templeton is fortunate, which seems unlikely due to its recent past, it will take 10 years to do the engineering and attempt to get on the TIP list to repair this road. I am supremely confident that once Templeton uses taxpayer resources to make that stretch of Rt. 68 passable, the state in its infinite wisdom will parcel off the Templeton Developmental Center to developers, who in all likelihood will look for tax incentives from the town.

Please feel free to contact me about any of the above issues:

Julie Farrell

24 Myrtle St

Baldwinville, MA 01436

978-340-2503

jfarrell59@gmail.com

BTW, Thanks for asking!