At the sparsely attended Annual Town Meeting held on Saturday, May 14th, it became rapidly apparent to those few residents in attendance, that the majority of the Templeton Board of Selectmen were woefully unprepared for the the Annual Town Meeting.
Article 1 - Consent Agenda :
1A Reports of Town Officers-
The 2015 Town Report has errors and omissions. the 2015 Town report does NOT contain town salaries, NRSD salaries, a report from the accountant nor a report from the treasurer/collector containing the town bonds and indebtedness. A handout was available at the meeting with some of the town salaries.
The Town Report is the historical record for the town. Fortunately, the people in attendance voted to reject the 2015 town report until it is complete. The former chairman of the board of selectmen, John Columbus, pointed out that the errors were caused by previous boards of selectmen. However, it must be pointed out that the incomplete 2015 town report was drafted, printed and approved while HE was chairman of the board of selectmen.
1B Reports of Town Committees- no discussion, passed. No reports made.
1C Revolving Funds - Article passed at 10:01 am. Passage includes a Revolving fund $100,000 for Veterans Benefits and Highway Department Fund $5,000.
The next contentious article was Article 3 Fiscal 2016 Financial Transfers. The Advisory Board/ Committee submitted a substitute motion to split the last transfer $27,000 from town fuel to $11,000 to Town Accountant Audit and $16,000 to Selectman Office expense. The Advisory Board/Committee also commented on the number of transfers during this fiscal year - OVER 45 transfers totaling over HALF A MILLION DOLLARS! During discussion, a question was asked about a $5.00 transfer to a salary account. Long story short, employees can not be paid out of two separate accounts; it appears that is a criminal offense. So another substitute motion was made by the BOS to transfer the tree warden salary to the highway superintendent account. Article passed at 11:04 am. Bottom line figure for the article was $76,642 and increased to $79,142 and all transfers will be made in a non-criminal fashion.
Article 4 - FY 2017 Operating Budget & Salaries of Town Officials
The Advisory Board/Committee made a substitute motion for town meeting to accept the Advisory Board/Committee's budget. Selectmen Budget $13,672,536 Advisory Board budget $13,698,402
After much discussion about what would be discussed. Town Meeting voted to discuss the Selectmen Budget.
During discussion about which budget was going to be discussed, limited discussion occurred about a few budget items.
TEMPLETON SELECTMEN JEOPARDIZE PUBLIC SAFETY
During discussion about discussion about the budget, the Fire Chief salary line item was discussed. The Advisory Board figure $80,500 The Selectmen's figure $70,000. During this discussion, it was divulged that Fire Chief's contract may or may not be renewed, but the Selectmen felt $70,000 was enough in that line item.
What some selectmen may not comprehend is that our current fire chief is not only a strong chief, but he is a highly credentialed and a highly qualified paramedic.
If a highly credentialed and a highly qualified PARAMEDIC fire chief is not appointed and running the Fire department on July 1, 2016 then the ambulance service itself is in jeopardy. Not only will Templeton lose ALS ambulance service and all the $$$$ from that service. It will lose the ambulance service itself. There will be NO $$$$ coming in for the Fire Department/Ambulance --Receipts Reserved for Appropriation Account.
The cash cow will be gone. Without the $$$ from the Fire Department/Ambulance service, there won't be enough money to fully fund the fire department side of Fire/EMS...and as an added bonus the selectmen jeopardize the public safety of every resident in Templeton.
TEMPLETON SELECTMEN JEOPARDIZE PUBLIC SAFETY
for those of you that did not attend the town meeting Saturday, and you are many, it was a embarrassment to the voter!! the selectmen , and women, were to say the least, unprepared !! they all owe the town a apology. the past chair tried to blame all but bush administration for things the were screwed up during HIS watch. town officials went to department heads to get information to be used for the budget. in one case they get a estimate,, better known as "guestimate" from the one person in town best able to give one, and ADD 60%!!! not 5 or 10, 60% !!! Why ask for information, and not use it?? I could go on and on. it is plain why the town is in the shape it is in.. I am sure that at least the select board, under its new head will change for the better.. this is not as a board member of a town board, but written as a citizen/voter.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that the latest town meeting is yet another example of our need to update our method of governing. 40 people show up. Elected officials unprepared, lacking required info, reports MIA and anyone held accountable?
ReplyDeleteWe need change, but shuffling different people through the same disfunctional system doesn't work.
Just think about it. The same folks who couldn't manage a town report are managing to spend what $55,000,000 of borrowed money when we have no concept of our finances now!
Insane?
I have talked to quite a few people in the past few weeks. One person thinks that people do not care, so they do not show up to vote or to come to town meeting. I have been told by others that there is no sense in going to Town Meeting because officials will do what they want regardless. I do think voting no for the school three times, and getting the bum's rush at the Special Town Meeting, where if you remember the people in the cafeteria were not even counted, and paper ballots were discouraged by the Moderator, (because it was too hot, and would take too long) just about did it for many. I have been asked about the missing 500K, two times today, by people who I just met. For once and for all, there was no money missing from the budget we presented. I will swear on my Mother and Grandmother's graves. Numbers were used from Dan. Keeney. Little did we know, that what we counted as revenue should have not shown as that because some of that money went out of the budget as a expense. That error was just that, a error. I doubt I would be sitting here if I, or anyone of us did anything wrong. The Gardner Snoos will not print the truth to this day. If you have any doubt, just watch Candidates Night and listen to what Jeff had to say about why he left office the first time and you would understand. The Gardner Snoos would not correct the article that Tara wrote just before the election, pretty much guaranteeing Jeff would not get elected. The sad fact is that there is not enough money to run the Town with out help from a other source. That is a fact, a real one. If the 40 people a Town Meeting had any interest in helping the Town stay afloat, they would have at least listened to the Advisory Boards reasons for their recommendations. As a member of that Board, I can tell you we worked extremely hard to make our budget work. I know I can say I tried. Bev.
ReplyDeleteBev. You are exactly right. The school votes killed peoples willingness to participate. I voted each time and was disgusted at the need to vote my opinion more than once. Then to have it voided on a 4th ballot was just to much.
ReplyDeleteThe schools budget and our antique method of governing is killing this town.
Maybe if we posted a meeting in a 21st century method rather than like we did in the horse and buggy days it would change.
The town meeting was posted at post offices and on the Templeton Homepage (even though it wasn't linked correctly so you couldn't access it).
This antique system needs to be updated so people can participate.
Bev. You are exactly right. The school votes killed peoples willingness to participate. I voted each time and was disgusted at the need to vote my opinion more than once. Then to have it voided on a 4th ballot was just to much.
ReplyDeleteThe schools budget and our antique method of governing is killing this town.
Maybe if we posted a meeting in a 21st century method rather than like we did in the horse and buggy days it would change.
The town meeting was posted at post offices and on the Templeton Homepage (even though it wasn't linked correctly so you couldn't access it).
This antique system needs to be updated so people can participate.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteDo- if you want your comments to remain email me at smart@nii.net
ReplyDeleteIf you don't they will be removed.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteDo - no problem just send me a email and they will stay up.
ReplyDeleteQuit the hide game and own your comments!
smart@nii.net
It's easy to do.
It's called protection here.
Do is stupid has not emailed me @ smart@nii.net
ReplyDeleteSo who is Do
We tend to think his Nic Name
Stands for Dennis O is Stupid
So with a nic name like that why would we not ask for a confirmation of who it is.
Unless we are being played by a repeat poster
In the past we have been played like that and were all sent into a tit for tat time of mud slinging.
No more is this Blog allowed the path those unidentified commenters want to follow or lead us down.
So Do can Do us all a favor and not comment.
Without an email we would rather you just stay away!! "PLEASE"
All identified poster are welcome and opinions will NOT be removed.
So say what you want just we need to know who is saying it.
I would hate to have anyone think who posted under someone not the person were told it is.
Don't like it Don't read it.
Sort of like the Local Newspapers.
So with the recent recalls in Barre it brings to mind if our Fire chief is unable to renew his contract what can our towns people do about it.
ReplyDeleteUnless the Administration can show a reason for the Chief to be removed we have to renew.
If the issue is monetary and he chooses to leave that would be a different story.
We are lucky to have him as he has brought our town ALS for the first time in history.
He has done all he said he would do and has the highest respect of the people in Templeton.
I would have to say the amount in the 2017 Budget falls short of proper funding for the salary he is deserving. Even when we say the service pays for itself why would it be over the money?
Could it be over control of the funds we see taken to pay for snow and ice budget overages? We should all know soon how this will play out.
With only 40 voters showing up at town meeting i would say the people may care less about this outcome too.