Hiring freeze, cuts intact despite town's override vote

Hiring freeze, cuts intact despite town's override vote

Eryn Dion
News Staff Writer

TEMPLETON — The town’s hiring and discretionary spending freeze, as well as budget cuts mandated by the Board of Selectmen, will remain in place even after a $505,000 override received a positive vote at Saturday’s special town meeting.

The decision comes at the recommendation of the Department of Revenue, who, in an email sent to the board and Interim Town Administrator, warned that the cuts and spending freeze should remain in place in case the override vote fails to pass at the ballot and the state moves to intervene in the town’s finances.

Town Administrator Bob Markel explained that the state would be unwilling to loan the full $505,000 to patch the budget if the override is shot down and the town would be expected to contribute to fixing the deficit.


Members of the Board of Selectmen reluctantly agreed with the department’s recommendations, with Vice Chairman Kenn Robinson stating that the board needs to try and stay in the state’s good graces and comply with their stipulations.

“Even though the override passed at town meeting, it hasn’t passed at the ballot yet,” said member Doug Morrison. “I think we need to keep all the spending cuts still in place.”

Member Diane Haley Brooks also agreed, although she said she sympathized with the various short-staffed and underfunded departments.

“I think a lot of people recognize where you are,” she said.

Mr. Robinson added that while the town has at least four full-time openings across the board, with the town’s financial future still unclear, now was not the time to hire new employees.

“I think it would set a bad precedent to bring more people on when we don’t know if the employees we have now will have jobs in a couple of months,” he said.

Later in the meeting the board finalized the questions set to appear on this year’s Town Election ballot. Three questions will be featured as a result of Saturday’s special town meeting – the approval of the $505,000 override, the approval of funds for the schematic and design phase of the new elementary school project, and the consolidation of the Treasurer and Tax Collector’s positions into a Treasurer/Collector. The board will also meet Friday evening to vote on and submit their articles to the Annual Town Meeting Warrant, which closes on April 7 at noon. This year’s annual Town Meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, and the Town Election will take place on May 5.