On June 30th the Truth Fairy wrote:
For The People-
What are your thoughts on this issue?
Do you agree with the decision and vote by the school committee to re-certify the budget on June 12th.? Instead of waiting for the results of the override on June 25th the way Ashburnham Westminster did?
Are the actions of the Narragansett school committee those of people who are working to bring the town together? Isn't that what Gansett Greatness is all about?
If not, what is Gansett Greatness all about?
Bev responded:
"It looks to me like Gansett Greatness is about getting what they want, no matter who they hurt, along the way. Gansett Greatness is not about compromise, or watching out for the people who support them and pay their way. Gansett Greatness is about watching out for themselves, no matter what it takes. Gansett Greatness is not caring for the very people who have lived in this community, no matter if it is 90, 80 or 60 years, or 60 days. Gansett Greatness only comes from living and working in a community, and watching to be sure that Gansett Greatness, does not harm or take advantage of the very people in this community. Try that on for Gansett to be Great, and Templeton to survive. My opinion, Bev."
So, "For the People"- Do you agree with the actions of the Narragansett Regional School Committee?
Do you think the school committee was justified in re-certifying the budget on June 12th? Do you think the school committee was acting responsibly in notifying the BOS of the re-certification vote on June 18th? (Recent information has surfaced which indicates the superintendent of schools dropped off the LETTER re-certifying the budget on June 18th)
Why do you, "For the People", think the school committee did not seek approval from the Commissioner of education for a 15 day extension to re-certify the budget? And then re-certify the budget AFTER the vote on June 25th?
The actions and votes of the school committee have forced the hand of the Templeton BOS. If indeed you are "For the People", shouldn't you respect the votes that were taken at the ballot box and at Town meeting?
My opinions...supported by FACTS ! ! !
Julie Farrell
I would be interested in how people feel about school committee chairman John Columbus texting selectmen Kenn Robinson telling him the selectmen do not have time to open a warrant and close it and meet the 45 day deadline. I am wondering if there was a game going on in the back room? But I think we should let the school budget play out and go back and get a much more pressing question answered. That is does the water dept fall under MGL chapter 164 or c44. Does the water dept. fall under the laws governing enterprise funds or the sale of electricity? Then there is the issue of a pilot and the law. These are much more important questions because they involve the procedures on how the towns business is run and whether or not it is done according to law. The laws spells out the procedure for the school budget and the district chose not to ask for an extension. That would have been an act of compromise and working with the town and the school committee has already shown an unwillingness to do that. It was simply a chess match and when you have a player involved in moving pieces on both sides of the board, well, stuff happens. Of course, if I were looking ahead to build a new school and I had to have the voters on my side for funding, I may have did things differently and made a few different moves. But hey, I am a little slow.
ReplyDeletedam right there were back room deals going on and all I can say is follow the money trail and it will show you ....there should be all the names and there phone numbers of the school committee here so we can call them up and tell them what we really want to say!!!!im not against the schools I have two there now but this slimy way to get what you want is over the line
DeleteI believe Mr. Robinson said John Columbus called him an hour before the BOS meeting to tell him that.
ReplyDeleteI believe the games the School Committee is playing just shows that THEY (school committee) are gonna hurt the kids in school by this action. I will bring as many people as I can to vote against the School's budget, let the school find their own money.
ReplyDeleteIs the town report available online now and how to get it?
ReplyDeleteThe town website is a work in progress. To my knowledge the link to the annual reports has not been activated.
ReplyDeleteIn the midst of the BOS meeting on June 24th, the override on the 25th and the STM on the 27th, the server was replaced and the host for our website ceased operation. The town website will be built out in a few weeks.
If you need a copy of the annual report, contact the BOS Office.978-939-8801
I am not against the school, never have been, never will be! BUT, I am royally pissed that the School Committee, and the rest of the people in charge, would put this town, in the position it has put it in. To walk into a Town Meeting, vote for what you want, and leave..Us old people to figure out how to keep the town running, is so irresponsible! On this blog, we all have tried to explain, the rules, of how the town is run! A simple civic lesson, the younger people have totally failed! This is not the only failure, try being civil to the man who is trying to run the TOWN MEETING. SHAME, SHAME ON YOU ALL! The School Committee seems to have made this into a game!! Oh really?? You all live in this town. How could you do this? We would have done what we could for the school, if there had been some compromise. You have drawn the line in the sand. Now you can explain to the elderly, why their services are gone. Be my guest! My opinion, Bev.
Deletewhere did Diane, oops, I mean "For the People" disappear too. she was a big fiqure in all this mess.
ReplyDeleteFor the people and anyone else that supported this issue, needed to understand how the town runs. THERE HAS BEEN ENOUGH INFORMATION ON THIS BLOG! There are rules about how much the town can raise and appropriate. Either they did not read what was offered, or did not care. In the end, their ignorance will hurt someone, very badly. The issue of the School Committee, makes me wonder if there is a once of common sense in the bunch? These are the same people who let the Elementary School Building Committee spend two hundred thousand dollars looking for land, only to come up with nothing!! Yes, that was our money. Just stop and think what the town could do with that money today!! "For the people" has every right to want to help the school, but as a citizen in this town, I want to have a town that runs, and takes care of the old as well as the young. If you want to lead, you have to be responsible enough to understand the whole picture. As I have said, you can not have your cake and eat it too. On the side of the School Committee, there has been no effort to compromise. Why not?? Oh yes, you want it all! Well, people in hell want ice water, and there has been no big secret that the town is broke, so where do you think this money was coming from?? I hope this will be a lesson to all! The town is like a tree. If the tree is sick, so are the branches. One branch is the Highway Department, one is the Police Department, the other is the School Department. If the town has no money, and has raised as much as it can, then you will have to cut off a branch, to suite your needs. Watch out for what you wish for. You may get what you wish for, but the results will be devastating. Bev.
DeleteUm I'm not Diane, Movin on! I'm a male, and your an ASS! Julie you don't fool me! You are trying to turn this town against the school just like the light and water! I was starting to like you then I see your true colors! It's too bad!
DeleteFTP please don't stoop down to the level of others and begin name calling. Its not productive. I know its been said that that is all that occurs here on the blog but I've seen just as bad of name calling and misinformation on facebook too. Everyone is guilty of speaking with emotion instead of thinking first. Julie is an outstanding public servant and has saved us many many times from many dangerous actions. Her passion for this town is amazing. She has stood up to the biggest bullies and blowhards around. Much like any politician, I do not agree on everything she does or votes for. But her intentions are honest. She didn't "try" to turn the town against L&W. The L&W's actions did that all on their own. Accountability and transparency has been missing for at least a decade in this town and she is only trying to correct that. I do not believe you have lived here long enough to witness the entire backstory as to why the town is polarized as it is. I voted for both overrides because I feel our taxes have been way too ow to sustain the growth of our town. I was willing to cough up more money to support the schools and to keep our essential services in tact. But, the majority of voters turned down the override TWICE. It is the BOS's responsibility to respect the voters wishes and to protect the residents as best they can. Now that the overrides have failed and the school board has refused to look for more cuts in their budget and actually make the fight and the divide in the town we're faced with right now, I have to tell you I do not support the school budget any longer. If it means losing essential services in order to make sure the school gets what they want, it is unfair to the majority of the residents. Its dirty politics at its finest. I do not believe Julie had anything to do with fueling the fire. And I hate to tell you but the school supporters are simply pawns in a larger chess game and don't even know it. There are people who want to financially ruin this town and they are succeeding by supporting this school budget. Please watch more video, read deeper into the blog and talk to more people before you make accusations like the one above about Julie. I appreciate your comments in general. But, you're much better than to reduce them to name calling. It took me over 3 years to fully understand the intertwined story of Templeton politics after moving here. It is very complicated. And you cannot trust certain people who will smile in your face and then throw you under the bus. I will be voting no at the STM because I really want the state to come in and mediate. I do not want to lose the police/fire/rescue/highway in order to sustain govt mandates in the school. It now has become a life or death decision. The kids will survive with cuts to the budgets. I cannot say the same for the residents if we have no police/fire/rescue/highway to keep us safe.
DeleteGreat blog Templetonian!! You have gotten the story mostly right & that is more than a good many people know on the town politics show. Thank you for explaining how Julie has had the guts & determination to stand up to Extreme bullies & bullying & in the process of her steadfastness, bravery & true convictions has saved us all many times from those same bullies & their potentially harmful actions!! In my opinion, it is the school administration plus L&W themselves that have done more than enough polarizing for the entire state combined, let alone Templeton. Julie has nothing to do with their lousy decisions that only concern their own gluttony & not the best interests of the town. That is how I feel this day after years of watching & at times participating in the attempt to try to fix this horror show that is Templeton politics at it's worst. My opinion
DeleteTempletonian I guess you are correct and with that my blogging is done. Farewell Pauly's Templeton Watch. I've Decided I'm way too passionate for politics. Sorry if I've offended anyone. I won't be pushing my thoughts of town and government anymore. It's not worth fighting the stone wall anymore! I'm usually a very nice person but these town politics get me more heaten then I like. Thank you for your time.
Deleteto all who do not understand how the town raises money each year - levy limit and , 2 1/2 % based on the total assessments of all real estate and personal property
ReplyDeletein the town. income from excise tax and other receipts to give the town an amount of money to spend on ALL depts including our share of the Narragansett school budget, police, fire. highway, cemetery, coa, selectmen office, town clerk, library, treasurer, collector, assessors, dispatch, animal control etc everything on the budget (green sheet)
( not L&W which are on their own and not sewer which is an enterprise fund) that is why when we want some thing extra like a new highway truck etc we do it as debt exclusion which then allows us to raise that amount above the 2 1/2% but it takes a vote at tm an at the polls. the same is how an override works - when it is vote for both at tm and at the polls we are able to raise this amount. with the the override failing at the polls we cannot raise the additional money - we are not allowed to -the DOR division of Local Services which scrutinizes the Recap sheet (think of it as a tax return for the town) if we are asking to raise money above the 2 1/2% the DOR asks for prove of the certified vote from the Town Clerk. This said we only have so much money to go around to ALL depts and the school excluding L&W and SEWER. If you all remember the May TM the moderator stated at the beginning that if anyone was going to make a motion to add money to an article they had to also make a motion taking it from somewhere else, this is tough, I am not writing this to take sides (remember I put 4 kids through the school they never get the money they need - Chpt 1 reading use to be taught in the stairwell at ET by Glayds S in 1990) - I am writing this to explain how the town raises money in each fiscal year. We have some very difficult cuts to make. if any one has any questions please contact the assessors office 978-939-2793 or me directly at Pauly's house (for anyone who hasn't heard I'm out for a bit I shattered my leg and broke my right arm - lost to a horse) so stop by.
Sue
Sorry to hear that you have had such a tough accident. Heal well & soon!
ReplyDelete