BOS Meeting 2/18/14...the Movie
Templeton board weighs limited fiscal options
Eryn DionNews Staff Writer
TEMPLETON — With Fiscal Year 2013’s books still open and a free cash sum still to be determined, the Board of Selectmen voted Monday to cancel the March 8 Special Town Meeting.
“If we don’t have that number, than we’re going to Town Meeting without certified free cash,” said Chairman Jeffrey Bennet. “And that takes an option off the table.”
Looking ahead, after the accountant closes the town’s books for FY13, documents will need to be submitted to the Department of Revenue for review, and only after the numbers are checked and approved will certified free cash be received. The process could take anywhere from a week to several months and as Advisory Board Chairman Wilfred Spring reminded the select board, last year the numbers were turned in at the end of February and the town did not receive their free cash number until just before May’s town meeting.
The current solutions on the table for the town’s $505,000 budget shortfall are an override, budget cuts, and using free cash to plug the hole. With no free cash, officials said residents would be forced to decide between an override and budget cuts, or a combination of the two, at the Special Town Meeting.
“We’re putting forth these articles and standing up there and saying that we have no free cash amount,” said member Diane Haley Brooks. “We have no answers for the residents.”
Members Julie Farrell and Doug Morrison argued that more time was needed in order to provide all available information to residents. Ms. Farrell suggested holding a Special Town Meeting on May 10.
However, postponing the decision until May raised the question as to whether the town would run out of money before the override vote. According to Ms. Farrell, the town had enough budgeted to potentially run through the May 10 date.
Waiting until May will allow the board time to reach out to the community which supported a $625,000 override last summer.
“My concern would be that people are angry,” said Vice Chairman Kenn Robinson. “Part of the reason the last override passed was based on the faith that the town administration would do a better job handling that money. The fact that we’re again asking for another half a million dollars — not six months after, doesn’t really give the impression that it is the case.”
Also on Tuesday, several potential warrants were presented, including overrides for $505,000; $500,000; and $477,000 while a separate item pertained to the transfer of unneeded funds from various department budgets.
Ultimately the board was split 3-2, with Mr. Morrison and Ms. Brooks voting in favor of holding the meeting and Ms. Farrell, Mr. Robinson, and Mr. Bennett voting against.
The board was clear that an override vote will be coming in May, although the exact amount will depend on the availability of free cash and how much cost savings the administration can garner from department budgets.
Another looming issue for the board’s consideration is the $2.6 million loan taken out in January in anticipation of tax revenue. The loan is due on May 15, and should the town still not have a tax rate, it could add another layer to the existing fiscal concerns.
So I heard that Jeff Bennett has said he will propose two options to the Town.
ReplyDeleteOption 1 - pass an override
Option 2 - close the town offices (all of them) for 2 months.
I think Option 2 is probably close to being the right option. Since no town official can get their act together and get the books closed from FY13 and we are getting closer to ending FY14 gee and we haven't even talked about what we are gonna need for FY15 which isn't that far off. Oh this merry-go-round is getting crazy.
Guess they can't get an administrator fast enough. Hope they find one that likes solving big problems and doesn't think they are joining a normal running town.
DETFFI-
ReplyDeleteThe Advisory Board is holding a meeting tomorrow night on some FY 15 budgets. You might want to attend.
As strange s it may seem there are 9 towns in Massachusetts that have yet to set a tax rate. That is not a good thing, just a fact.
I know many people like to think Templeton is unique. All the issues and problems only happen here in Templeton. When you get out and about, you realize that is far from the truth. As for the nuclear option, review how it played out in Spencer East Brookfield .
Hiring a town administrator is a major piece of the puzzle to getting Templeton back on track. Most Town administrators understand there is no such thing as a "normal" town. "Normal" towns just don't exist. Every community has its challenges.
Lol. He didn't even mention the school. Oh, & I wouldcall being in the the 9, out of 364, unique.
DeleteIf there is any comfort, we are not alone.
DeleteI really think it's time for the town to file bankruptcy and let the State step in to try and straighten out this mess... it's quite obvious that this fiscal fiasco is beyond our town officials abilities to find a viable solution to this mess. But, I can tell you this.. I for one as a resident of Templeton can barely make ends meet now between the last override and the massive water bills I am now receiving. I cannot afford to give this town one cent more without being in danger losing my home. I WILL NOT VOTE YES TO ANOTHER OVERRIDE! and I'm absolutely positive most if not all of the residents of Templeton feel exactly the same way... Ken is right WE ARE VERY VERY ANGRY! that you would even consider presenting us with another override option...when will the bleeding stop??? obviously everything is really really BROKE and our Board of Selectman cannot fix it!
ReplyDeleteConcerned, I hear you and I do understand, but everyone needs to calm down and think about the situation as it is. Puffy can go on and on about how angry he is, but is that going to help ? No it isn't. The truth be told, this situation was a train waiting to go off the rails for a good long time. We are in this situation because people failed to do their jobs, and the shit has hit the fan. This would have happened sooner or later, because the town's fiscal health has been critical for a good long time, but we the tax payer had no clue. The people who are on the BOS, had no clue, because of the tangled mess of what the last accountant called a budget. Add to this the two people Ms. Wilder, Mr. Columbus, Mr. Stewart, and Mr. Mullins appointed to the position of Treasurer. Yes, Mr. Bennett was on that board, but one vote does not get you far. By putting these people in office, they added another layer of incompetence to a situation that was on rocky ground to start with. Why our Treasurer is still in his position is a wonder to me, but apparently, the board did not have enough votes to get rid of him. My opinion is that because he is a good guy has nothing to do with the fact he can not do the job. The BOS can no longer hold his hand and he has run out of excuses. It must be very frustrating for the members of the BOS who had enough insight and wanted him gone, weeks ago. The truth be told, "everything is really broke" and our options are very limited. We need to get out of the building on the Athol Road,asap. We do not have the luxury of paying rent any longer and the longer we wait, the more money we waste. We need to combine some of the departments we have, and maybe cut the hours the offices are open. Will this hurt the people who work for us ?? Yes it will, and nothing makes me feel worse than that because these people do not deserve it. One thing needs to be pointed out, and it is the fact that it does not matter who is sitting in the seats of the BOS, the situation would be the same, and there is no easy way out of the financial crisis this town is in. So Puffy, since you are so smart, and are willing to throw everyone else under the train, what is your solution to the town's financial mess ?? Lets hear sour solution to the town's financial mess. Bev.
DeleteI never said I was mad and I posted my solution months ago
DeleteIts not that they cannot fix it. Its that they lack the know how and the balls to fix it. Every meeting all you here is When we know free cash then we can do something and when we close out 13 we will know Blah Blah Blah
ReplyDeleteBev all well and good everything you said above... but I refuse to become the financial victim of past or present mismanagement of this town.. My husband and I have worked our asses off all our lives for what we have and believe me when I tell you we don't live in no fancy home or drive no fancy cars... I'm six years away from retirement and I barely have a pot to you know what in... to tell me that I should sacrifice everything I've worked for just to bail this town out of the mess that it is is nuts! you all ask way to much... everyday hard working middle income people cannot afford to pay anymore.. what about the elderly and low income people??? how do you think another override will affect them.. probably leave them homeless and hungry! I'm sticking to my original statement above...the officials in this town need to throw in the towel and let the State take over and do what needs to be done to make Templeton solvent again... there is no way that the Select Board can fix this... between the school Superintendent and the Selectman they will be asking the towns people for another override every 3 months... and FYI Templeton's tax rate is no longer cheap... its equal to or more than some of out surrounding towns and and don't even get me going about our newly imposed water rates compared to our surrounding town... there is NOTHING cheap in Templeton any longer... why would anyone in the right mind want to move into this town.... whether commercial or residential?? we have nothing to offer them here....
ReplyDeleteAgreed, I think the town needs to downsize. We should absorb an appropriate level of cuts to help get ourselves going in the right direction. I am NOT in favor of an override, I am NOT in favor of using free cash or stabilization to keep propping up our budget. The time is NOW to consolidate depts and services, make some logical changes in the way the town is organized. Yes, it will include personnel cuts, which are always bad, but it has to be done to get the town back on its feet again. Budgets for next year need to be closely scrutinized to insure that we are getting only what we need at a price we can afford.
DeleteConcerned, Don't kid your self, Bart and I are in the same boat as you are, and I am collecting less that I did last year, due to my health problems. It is some of the newer people and some on the BOS that think we do not pay enough for taxes. Ms. Haley Brooks said that when I was walking out of a selectmen's meeting a couple of months ago. Do I agree, absolutely not, because I care about the people in this town that have worked their whole life and have a right to keep what they have. You may think that you can refuse to be a victim of past management, but you are as much as the rest of the people in this town. I can't change that, but seeing as we are at the bottom of the barrel, maybe we should shut down the town for a couple of months and get it over with. There is only one way for us to get our town on a even keel and that is to sell the Light Company. When the Selectmen met on the Kiva and cut hours and took the pay away from the Committee members everyone really felt that the town was on track to get on stable ground. No one saw this coming, and that is the truth. I do not expect people to vote for a override, and the only reason our taxes are what they are is because of those 40 year loans. Mr. Green, when Tammy was the Treasurer the first thing she did was consolidate as many of the towns loans as she could. Tammy was a great person and did a good job. but she suffered from abuse from the people who were in charge back then. She even made a notebook explaining how to do everything there is to do in the treasurer's office.
DeleteConcerned I am with you enough is enough. I hope you are talking to all your friends and families in Town as I am. Not one of them wants or will support an override. I think solutions other than an override better be discussed first and hey if Jeff wants to close down the town for 3 months then do it I agree with mwgreene that some reorganization needs to be looked at. And Bev if the SOB oops BOS wanted to remove the treasurer then they should have. This is just another part of a bunch of SOB's oops BOS's that cant run a town worth shit.
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm not to be a mud slinger or anything...but regarding Bev's comment above about Ms. Diane Haley Brooks.. well isn't her term up in May? she can get voted out just as quickly as she got voted in... I really don't think we should be taking financial advice from some one that apparently cannot handle her own personal finances correctly... just saying :)
ReplyDeleteOne problem is the older people in town, never made as much money in their working years as the younger people can make today. That leaves a huge income gap between the two groups of people that will just get wider with time. Because our town has so much debt on the books, we are paying for things that were done a long time ago, and that does not leave a lot of room for what we need today. To say it out loud, we are in deep s---, no matter how we look at it. These younger people may be in better fiscal shape today but credit cards fill up, and you can only stretch your money so far. We are not Weston, or Arlington and will never be. If people want the "best" of everything, they should not have moved here, and these kids need to know a override is forever, just like these 40 year loans seem to be. As for the "we do not pay enough taxes" sentiment, I do believe Puffy has said that more than once. If that is what they think, that is their right. This is my opinion, Bev.
DeleteYour right Bev, I did, before the override. Our tax rate was exactly the same as it was 10 years ago. Yes, we know its forever, that's why we needed one & voted for it. To bring our tax rate up quickly to a more acceptable rate. Now we need to make sure our elected leaders spend that money wisely. Of coarse, this was before the 3 latest messes.
DeleteOne difference between our opinions is you apparently equate spending lots of money with academic excellence. Otherwise, why complain that your taxes are too low?
DeleteMy opinion has nothing to do with academics. It simple economics 101. The cost of everything, including gas, oil, heat, pay, insurance, has gone up; yet the town continued to take in the same revenue. That is impossible to sustain. Our police work out of a closet, our 30 year old fire engines are housed in crumbling buildings, our hwy dept can't afford anything, & yes our schools are falling apart. The sole reason for 2 1/2 is to keep up with inflation, yet we didn't even do that. Its a town thing, not a solely school thing. Basic business....if it cost more to put gas in a cruiser, then you need more revenue. We were destined to run out of money.
DeleteOne way to end up with nothing is to waste money on special elections, STM etc. Like the wasteful special election last month.
DeleteKeeping an eye on 'small' sums is necessary for good fiscal management. Templeton spent more on override votes last year than it spent on library books and material.
No one has said how much it will cost for an override of 500 600 700 etc. The way everyone here looks at it is that only the few have to come up with the money. When in reality many people will pay for it. A lot of little's will makes up the amount. So how about some info BOS. just askin
ReplyDeleteConcerned not convinced, So you do not think this board can fixed things. Oh I have a idea, why don't we get Echo Hill back in. They can take out another 40 year loan, or maybe that should be for sixty years !! Then that will screw our kids, and their kids. They could take every dime out of the Sewer Department and then the Water Department. Oh, can't take from Water Department, that has been done already. Maybe they could lease a brand new vehicle for their manager to ride in, so that would free up another almost new vehicle for someone else to ride in. It looks like if there was a nickle left, it was used already. Do not kid your self, there is no easy out of the hole we are in, and The Clean Up Committee has a very difficult job. If you sat in those seats, it would not take any one of us long to figure that out. Bev
DeleteMany believe the old sage advice "watch your pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves."
ReplyDeleteWOW Bev... you need to get a grip!... So just because I honestly believe that the problems of this town cannot be fixed by the present board of Selectman that statement automatically makes me suspect of being part to the Echo Hill Gang? I have a response to your uncalled for accusation, but fortunately for you, but I am a respectable person, so I will keep my response to myself. I am entitled to my opinion and I believe I should be free to voice my opinion on this blog without you jumping up my ass because my opinion is not the same as yours or not to your liking... I have nothing personal against any member of the present board of Selectman... I just think that Templeton is in such a mess it would be virtually impossible for any BOS to fix.. without the towns people footing the entire the bill. As a resident of Templeton I'm telling you here and now I cannot financially afford to fix all of Templeton's problems!
ReplyDeleteYou see concerned you are right, that if you don't agree with Bev, Julie, Jeff you are Echo HIll Gang members and they wonder why people like to remain annonymous. These three think they have all the answers and can fix the Town with higher taxes, but yet they have a treasurer who can not get a W2 form right even after a 2nd try still wrong. They have an accountant that can't close the books for FY13 but they have an excuse new program. They want to blame everything on the School for their fight and they will blame everyone who was associated with the Greater Gansett movement.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could find the statement again but at last it is lost but it did say the a selectman after being recalled could not run for office again for 5 years, Yet they allowed Julie to run again. Bet the Town would love to know that tid bit.
Hopefully someone with nerves of steal will run against Jeff this May and we can get on with Town business without someone who believes he is King.
Hey, Not Dumb enough to fall for it... I'm pretty ballsy ... maybe I'll make a go of it for Jeff's seat.. this town is so fed up with all the bull crap going on .... I'd probably could win, hands down with my eyes closed and my hands behind my back : )
ReplyDeleteDo it concerned you have my vote
ReplyDelete