"EYE - POPPING" Defined
At the Joint Meeting of the Advisory Committee and the Selectmen the document below was released:
It is unknown at this time if there are any deficits for FY 14, FY 15 and FY 16.
So how did this happen?
Crappy audits by Melanson and Heath.
Software conversion from City & Town( proprietary software by former accountant) to Vadar led to corrupt and inaccurate financial data.
Calls for investigations were not acted upon.
Excessive use of Free Cash and Stabilization funds for many years to fund the operating budget of the town.
A weak advisory committee that could not generate a quorum to review the town's finances.
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The joint meeting continued to discuss the FY 17 budget and a way to move forward to correct the errors in the FY 17 budget.
A STM will be held in the fall. Line items were reviewed that had been changed after the ATM in May 2016.
Raises were distributed in the budget - 2% raises for non union personnel. Other raises by contract.
There is a possibility the budget may be discussed line item by line item at the fall STM.
Maybe more people will show up this time!
Someday people will learn that the Town cannot spend more than it takes in. Until that day comes, we will remain in a hole. A half a million dollars, just to get 13 ready for tha audit !! Money spent with nothing tangible to show for it...Again...
ReplyDeleteIf true, this is disgusting! Isn't it beautiful that even though taxpayers have paid for all the positions to be filled, the software, etc nobody who mishandled the money, software or inputs is being held accountable.
ReplyDeleteBased on an estimate of 1700 households in Templeton (1600+ in 2010 census) this deficit is about $450-500 per household.
ReplyDeleteHow are we suppose to afford this even if 2014,15,16 are accurate? So is everyone prepared for a 15% property tax increase while we build a school, police station, water towers............un real!
Yes it is, and I am so sick of it. I was so upset at the Annual Town Meeting I had to leave to pull myself together. I knew, as well as the rest of us on the Advisory Board, that Markel's budget was junk. GI Joes optimistic outlook for FY14 and FY15 are over the top. Junk in, is junk out. Bad numbers in are bad numbers out. The worse is the big lie the residents were told about the cost of the school. No way will it come in at the cost that people were figured. New news, a retention pond is going to have to be built behind the houses on Wellington Road. Where is the money coming from ?? Why didn't the powers to be go to the Conservation Commission first, like every one else has to ?? No Bond Rating, just what do you think we will pay for interest on a short term loan ? 5, 6 or 7%. Who will be left to live here ?
DeleteIsn't this great. The officials we rely on to run our government apparently missed a $65,000 expense in the town report. So we'll have a STM in the fall to cover them. If we vote no, then what....lol . Round and round we go, where we stop nobody, and I mean nobody, knows.
ReplyDelete"in politics, stupidity is not a handicap" Napoleon.......it's been around for a long time folks!!!!!
ReplyDelete