Bev.
I have a question for you. It's not meant to be an insult so please do not take it that way.
It appears that there has been questions/problems with the 2018 budget on an ongoing basis since it started to be worked on. There were problems/questions regarding the 2017 budget.
Why would you vote to adopt a budget you've stated you have so many problems with? I ask because its the advisory Committee job to advise. You vote don't bind anyone. So I'm just having a hard time with the "I dont agree, but voted for it" thinking.
I think Templeton needs, like many smaller communities has to make some really tough choices. We cannot keep things rolling, just to keep things rolling. We have schools killing budgets, Administrative cost killing budgets and taxpayers are getting fewer and fewer service for their dollar.
The Advisory board voted to approve articles that had not followed the required coarse based on our by-laws. Based on these rules the Sewer plant, highway, building ground, cemetery, school articles, bills and budgets would all be denied as they did not go on the Master Cap plan, they were not presented to the Capital Planning Committee PRIOR to contracting/funding, etc. All these things are happening though, why, because we like a wish man once said (older line) "Everyone wants to cut government until the trash isn't picked up!" Well we want to cut, cut, trim, etc but we are not willing to feel any pain.
We need to make hard choices now or we should probably all tune in to see what happens with Puerto Rico.
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Beverly BartolomeoMay 4, 2017 at 9:13 PM
I have spent all day thinking about what I did. I was wrong, and I will stand up and say so. What hurts is we are in a lot worse shape than anyone knows. I apologize, I guess I was getting tired, too old for this crap ! We really have been broke since 1999, that is no lie. I will write a blog about it this weekend if I have time. A history lesson for old people who forgot, and the others that are too young to know ! LOL Bev.
Last night the Ambulance went by my house, about 11:00 P.M. They went to a house up the road, to a really nice man who has had ongoing problems for a few years. I waited for them to go back to town, but time went by when another ambulance went to his house. I assume it was ALS. It took them some time to get him situated before they both went back toward town. Before ALS, Woods would have come or they would have met them half way. I remember the time when I had to call "rescue" for help, when my dad was in bad shape. Who showed up but Chief Whipple with a few other men in a station wagon, made into a ambulance, red light and all. So, the first crew had to have two men, and the second crew had to have at least three. I wonder what will billed, and what the town will get paid in the end. I understand that there was a fire on Baldwinville Road last night, and one of the fire Fighters got hurt. I hope he is ok. For those of you that do not know, every precinct had their own Fire Station at one time. We have cut that number in half, and when Temple Stuart was in town, many of the people who worked there would leave when the fire whistle would blow. I wonder how many call fire fighters we have on a week day ? The fire station can sit for days or weeks with no action, but when we need them, we need them, and they are there.
ReplyDeleteAs I have said before, the budget that will be presented at the ATM, is not sustainable for next year. Putting money in the general fund from the Ambulance Receipts is the part I do not like. Is this going to be Templeton's cash cow ? Remember, that fund was supposed to be for ambulance use only, when it was sold to the voters. Lots of articles in this budget undo the agreements that were part of "the sale pitch" when the original articles were voted on. The Police Station was going to be paid off in two years ! That will no longer be the case. What will we pay for interest ? 3 1/2%, I do not believe that for a second. Our Town budget is to fat, but selectmen seem to think people want, or will be enraged if hours are reduced at Town Hall. I doubt that. It is up to the people to have their say. It is their meeting. Bev.
ReplyDeleteBev ,
ReplyDeleteWait till the Elementary school bills start coming due. How do you think the folks will like paying on notes of 3.5 or 5 million without bond rating rates? Will Templeton get its act together enough to complete the project. Will the added cost of a full time consultant like Roselli determined was needed be addressed or will it just run over budget, time and end up broken like many other town projects?
This School poorly managed will destroy this town finances, period, end of story. If it's managed like our history dictates, we are screwed. No real TA and a Treasurer (?) who Roselli says cannot mange the financing of this project........( Why should she be able to since its 10 times the towns budget)
Looks like Templeton admin will be selling another bill of goods this year.........whats behind the curtain?
I understand there are 100 empty homes in town. Who will buy here with town government such a mess ? Oh yes, I am being too negative !! Really, I cannot see any improvement because I do not think we can fix ourselves. We had the opportunity to get a start but the selectmen do not have the gumption to do the job. Maybe they should send a questionnaire in the mail with the light bills to see what the people think could get cut back, and what to leave alone. That would take the responsibility off their shoulders. Bev.
DeleteSTM Nov. 7 ,2011
ReplyDeleteArticle 8
To see if the Town will vote to create a Fire Department-Ambulance Receipts Reserved for Appropriation Account where collected ambulance receipts for services are placed beginning with FY2013.
Monies out of this fund are expended only through town meeting vote for the purpose of
funding various Fire Department capital requests pursuant to the betterment of the Fire Department services as deemed by the Templeton Fire Chief.
Submitted by the Templeton Fire Chief
On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to create a Fire-Ambulance Receipts Reserved for Appropriation Account where collected
ambulance receipts for services are placed beginning with fiscal year
2013.Passed Unanimously/Nov. 7th@ 8:00
So when we used this fund for the snow and ice cost overrun did we do the right thing?
Did this make a shortage in the account to pay bill for the fire and ambulance operations?
Have we created a cash cow we thought we would keep from happening.
November 9 2015 STM
ARTICLE 4 FISCAL 2016 FINANCIALTRANSFERS
To see if the Town will vote to amend Article 5 of the May 16, 2015 Annual Town Meeting, the
Annual Operating Budget, by making the following transfers:
One of which was to transfer.
1000-220-200-54-5420-0000
FIRE/EMSEXPENSE fund 111,608.50
NO ACCT.NUMBER for 2015 SNOW &ICE DEFICIT
Is this how we balance the town budget or do we need to find a “solution” to our long term problems?
It’s easy to rob peter to pay paul but when the account goes dry then what?
As for the "and what to leave alone".
It's hard to think we were allowed to vote this way just to get through the year.
Stabilization money is what this is problem needed.
You know to stabilize things.
To allow the audits to go on for so long has put Templeton in a place it should never have got to.