Templeton Health Agent out of line?
As posted on this blog, from information found on the world wide web (is that thing great or what) and that information shows that the current Templeton Health Agent is or has in the past, using Templeton resources, as in a telephone in an office as well as an employee with benefits, all paid for by the Templeton taxpayers, to do the business of at least one other Town. Phil Leger is or has acted as a health agent in a number of other towns on an apparent part time basis or on a per diem basis (paid when needed) while being paid as a fulltime employee of the Town of Templeton. This raises a number of questions for me and you will have to decide for yourself. In my mind, how much business for the Town of New Salem did Phil Leger do on Templeton taxpayer dime? Did the elected members of the Templeton Board of Health know of these goings on and did or doo they approve of them? what other business, besides giving the telephone number for the Town of Templeton Board of Health as "my office number" as is documented on the New Salem Official Town website? Did Phil Leger use other office equipment and supplies, such as copier and paper, fax, computer etc., to do other town's business while being paid by the Town of Templeton? Did Phil Leger charge other Towns for service while he was actually in the office of the Templeton Board of Health?


As you contemplate these questions and others, ask yourself this; if Phil Leger can do the work of Health Agent for all these other towns on a part time basis, why does he need to be full time in Templeton? My answer is Phil Leger needs someone to pick up his fulltime pay which leads to benefits and retirement pay. Why else has Phil Leger been advocating to fill this position at 40 hours?
My thought is to only fund the Health Agent for Templeton at 19 1/2 hours and if he says he cannot do the work required in that amount of time then he should seek help from the elected members of the Templeton Board of Health, which if checked, those are the people who get all the power from Massachusetts General Law. If those elected members are unable or unwilling to do the work, then resign, don't run and don't volunteer.


It seems the only control that voters have over the Board of Health is the election and the pocket book, they can only spend what you give them, as if you don't fund a fulltime agent, there will not be one. If the Board of Selectmen wish to fund the position at 35 hours then go to Town Meeting and try to amend the motion and change the dollar figure for the line item for salary for Templeton Health Agent. It is easy and it is your right. It was stated at last nights BOS meeting that all town departments were going to be united this year at town meeting, almost if they were unionizing in principle, so voters should be united in efforts to spend their money as they see fit.


Look for a financial breakdown on the Board of Health in the Templeton Town reports, as in how much is spent to bring in X number of dollars. You might be surprised.


Jeff Bennett