To Templeton's Light and Water customers

To Templeton's Light and Water customers

To The Editor: 12/12/2013
John M. Driscoll
General Manager, TMLWP

To The Editor:

As the General Manager of the Templeton Municipal Light and Water Plant I feel as though I need to respond to some of the statements that have recently been made by some of Templeton’s town officials.

It has been stated that it was not “fair”  for the water customers in town to “take a huge hit like that”, referring to our recent 23% increase in the water rates that we charge our water customers.  A fair response to this statement may be that perhaps it was not fair to use water department funds for 20 years to lower property taxes rather than maintain the water distribution system.  The years of reduced property taxation in town came with a high price tag; a non-compliant, nearly inoperative water department. 


Approximately 43% of all water pumped out of the wells was unaccounted for at year’s end, approximately 50% of the revenue meters were either malfunctioning or non-existent, the main well site roof had leaked water into the electrical panel for a few years, the water department would bill once every 18 months while taking 6 weeks to read the water meters that did work, the bulk of the water vehicles were in desperate need of either maintenance or replacement and there were 10 Notices of Non-Compliance from the MA Department of Environmental protection left unattended to.  But taxes were low.

It has been stated that our water rates went up 23% in addition to the customer charge increasing to $49 per quarter.  In actuality, the combined water usage rate plus the quarterly customer charge is equivalent to a 23% increase in the total rate.  Templeton Water did not increase its water usage rates by 23% and then raise the customer charges as well; the overall 23% increase is comprised of both the usage rates and the customer charges.  Some town officials have questioned why the water department needs more money after 5 years without any water rate increases. 

These reasons include but are not limited to water debt we inherited, new water debt we had to take on, a 20-year water system maintenance catch-up schedule, increased operating costs and a severe shortage of water sales due to empty homes in town.  In the same 5-year period Templeton’s rate of taxation has increased from $9.20 to $14.12 per $1,000 evaluated, a 53%increase over the duration.  Residents are curious as to why this is so in the absence of any comprehensive study justifying it.

It has been stated that Templeton’s residential water rates are the highest in the state according to the latest 2012 Tighe & Bond Water Rate Survey, which is based on annual residential water usage of 90,000 gallons.  This would be true were it not for the other 19 communities in the state that have higher annual residential water rates than Templeton does according to the exact same survey.  One town official has stated that the average yearly water bill in Templeton is $800.  This is certainly news to the Water Commissioners and to the General Manager who regularly exchange information on quarterly water sales.  In September of 2013 the average quarterly residential water bill was $120.82, or $483.28 per year. 

This is a far cry from the $800 figure mentioned previously.  A quick calculation for December (incorporating the 23% water rate increase) would estimate that a $120.82 water bill would increase to $148.61, or $594.44 per year keeping gallons sold constant.  So, before the water rate increase we arrive at $483 per year and after we arrive at $594 per year (both figures are less than $800).

Regarding the supposed investigations ongoing about Templeton Light and Water by the MA Department of Revenue, the Attorney General’s Office and now the Inspector General’s Office, we have yet to receive a single e-mail or phone call from anyone at any of these state agencies regarding alleged improprieties about the Templeton Wind Turbine or the Massachusetts Water Works Association.  I can only respond to this by stating that both the Light and Water Departments are audited once a year, independently from the town’s fiscal audit, and every year these audited financial statements have been made available to the town for their annual report. 

Town officials have a (second) letter to the MA Department of Revenue to inquire as to whether or not Templeton Water is to be operated as an enterprise fund. This has never been ambiguous to the Water Commissioners or to me, so I am not sure why it is to them.  Chapter 93 of the Special Acts of 2000 clearly states that the water department is to be operated as an enterprise fund under the direction of the light department under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 164.  Some town officials are still certain that despite what the statute clearly states, Templeton Water is bound by Massachusetts General Law Chapter 44, which we are not.  A water department cannot simultaneously operate under two different chapters of the Massachusetts General Law.

Templeton Light does not assert that the Special Acts supersede state law, only town law.  This is precisely why town voters cannot gather at town meeting or at the ballot box to vote to break a state law.  Chapter 93 can only be undone the same way that it was put into effect; petition/signatures, MA House passage, MA Senate passage, Governor’s Office passage, then special town ballot passage.

There is to be a non-binding ballot vote coming up in January for Templeton; the voters will be asked if they would like to rescind Chapter 93 of the Special Acts of 2000.  Another way to ask this question is whether the voters would like Templeton Water run by Templeton Light or by Templeton Selectmen?

John M. Driscoll
General Manager, TMLWP