Dave
Smart’s Response to “Consider the source…”
The one thing Virginia doesn’t tell us is the rate has been
set over the years is low due to the previous boards for the last 15 years.
That is why there is a deficit. If the 2 ½ % increase was done for 10 years we
would have no need to do this now. It’s simple. They didn’t want to be voted
out because they raised taxes.
The Skelton years had 2 funds to bleed dry and did a good job
of it. One was the light department and the MMWECC funds that are now “gone”.
The other was our free cash and stabilization money – now also gone. So how can
Virginia not understand the 2009 warning the DOR gave about these ways to
balance the town’s budget? Is she playing a game put up by the red barn group?
Or does she think after the way the interim town administrator explains it, is it
offensive to her group? Pointing the finger has its way of bringing more
frequent meetings there.
Why would an interim administrator, who has no skin in the
game, tell it other than the way it is? He wouldn’t. We’re lucky to him explain
this for us. Follow Virginia and hold your breath. Think for yourself and vote
to help our town. No matter what you vote, we will have to live with the choice
and pay the piper sooner or later. Sooner would keep us in control. Later may
be a long time in coming ‘til a normal Templeton comes back.
If state oversight becomes a reality, we are told it can have
far reaching issues than just our money. House values for one, most people’s
largest investment, are now going to go down. Who would want to purchase a home
in Templeton, where the taxes have been low, if the state takes over? Templeton
would be the town no one else would want to be. How can we look back and say we
should have been more involved and seen this coming?
The former leaders should have been raising taxes to keep
pace. Our Light department and water department are also in a mode similar to
the town; the stakes are even higher. That whole deal is on a shoestring. With
the commission unable to keep a tight leash on Driscoll, we could be in for
light bills as bad as our water bills.
Ask yourself one question. Do I care about Templeton? You BETCHA! Have we been governed correctly
over the years? NO!
This problem will not fix itself. It’s up to those who care
about Templeton to lead us through this. The problems are not just the money.
The problem is the way our town was run into the ditch by the past leadership.
Virginia is unable to see past the red barn group. If the taxes do go up to the rates Virginia has stated, then
we can all thank the boards of yesteryears for the years they
sat back and did nothing. Thanks, SKELTON!!!
These are the facts and I have learned this from people who
frequent the red barn. One is now running for Selectman. The leadership we used
to have chose to ignore the warnings from the DOR. WHY? I think it was deliberate. I think it was intentional.
Just like the Light department stopping the PILOT money. The way they spend money
and changed the budget to make it look like they were hurting. If they were
hurting financially, what adjustments did they make to their budget to offset
any losses? Purchase more trucks? YUP!
Jack up the amount of money for wind turbine maintenance? YUP! Oh, that was the “spend more reaction mode”, sorry. They don’t
have a “save and reduce” mode over there, right Dana? With the Pilot payment
now at ZERO, we will need to pay
higher taxes to cover that loss as well. Do YOU think that is what our Light commissioners should be doing when
the town is in the mess we are in?
Over the years, when the town needed money, the call was made
and voila “How much do you want?” The check is in the mail. Now when the
overpayments from MMWECC come in, they vote to purchase a new truck for
$100,000. How was that money accounted for? Did the accountant see it through the ledgers and write
the checks or was some other methods used?
For you to get these answers, I need to be in the
commissioner’s chair as soon as can be. The accountant has a long list to fix
Templeton’s books and the Light department’s as well.
Vote SMART on
Monday
Looking back in town reports, I found some information I think the readers of the blog would find interesting. In 1969 MMWEC was established, as Ma. Municipal Wholesale Electric. In 1976 it was changes to a non profit public corporation and political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Ma., empowered to issue tax exempt revenue bonds to finance ownership interest in energy facilities. In the Annual Town Report July 1975-June 30, 1976 Article 37, On a motion made and seconded, the town voted to become a member of the Massachusetts Municipal Electric Company, under Chapter 77.5 of the Ma. General Laws. In the Light Meeting Notes, March 7, 2000. Templeton refund of 83,227.13. Part was paid to Dec. 1999 Transmission invoice 25,569.92 and 57,657.21 was forwarded to light plant. MMWEC Reserve Trust, a letter included a certificate and a amendment to NEPEX Account agreement.
ReplyDeleteAmendment to have MMWEC establish a trust to provide and maintain a source of funds which can be accessed as needed by Templeton Light for "extraordinary or unanticipated expences" to maintain a competitive posture in a deregulated environment. Manager explained the Light Plant had been depositing money into this account under the "Pathway to Competition." Pathway has been suspended but Templeton to maintain deposit schedule as laid out in the Pathway, MMWEC's general Counsel suggests the Commissioners vote to continue Ma. Reserve Trust. Funds can be made available with a letter from the Manager. Vote taken to allow MMWEC to hold funds in the reserve trust for TMLP.I found it interesting to note, no one asked how much they were putting in this account, at least it is not in the notes. It is noted in September 2000, the Selectmen wanted to increase the number of Light Commissioners from three to five. Dana, Greg, and Gerry against it. They gave Sean the job to get the public to vote against it." Dana wanted to charge Gladys $100. that it cost for electricity for the Craft Fair". What a Prince, I am willing to bet his kids may have gotten a share of the money she raised, along with the hundreds of other kids she worked for. Bev
DeleteWe need a information person on the commission of light and water to look at issues and report the truth to the people who are forced to purchase the power from them. In Templeton you have no other options and this commission has our mouth piece good,bad,or silent. To not work with the town and be all for themselves is wrong and they know it. The commission has many times in the meetings said Templetons problems are not their problems. When they stop the PILOT payment they have paid for many many years the problems are now created by them and the control over the budget at light and water.
ReplyDeleteTha laws of dhapter 164 were created to keep them in line and focusd on being a municipal light plant and now have also become a power generation corporation. The way things have and are being done raises many questions on legality of the way they did them. I would have done many things differently including the town getting to vote on things like forming multipal co-op coalitions. As with power production the chapter 164 laws require consideration for low and fixed income consumers. This is not done and never has been done for our handicapped. Shame on the commission for even after we asked to have that looked into they could have cared less. They complain about the cost of power during high demand times and do little to nothing to curb the use of power at peak demand times. when was the last time anyone was asked to conserve and set the dishwasher timer for the latest time possible? Do they care if the power cost to us grows? When we asked about the contracts of 5,ooo.oo and over we were stonewalled and had to pursue it multipal time before any results were seen. Your money was spent to see if they had to follow the law like other's like Princeton light does. They include the town people in on things and votes are taken so tthe people decide the things that will cause them issues. Their wind turbine issues are know and were the choices they made and not like our light commission did it. People ask me time and time again how much power does the school get fron the wind turbine. After i recieved the bills for the high school and looked at them to see the cost for a year at 180,000.00 now close to 200,000.00 i can tell everyone they get as much as the light department can charge them for. The wind turbine land is a leased deal and has a cost of 5,000.00 per year.
Thats it folks not a dime more. some years it was a inkind service like lights in the new gym. Not sure if they were energy saving type or not.These things need to be told to the public and information that we have dug up has and will be told.
The town never signed a thing ,one signature from the school and one from the light.John Columbus and Sean Hamilton were the only people for the land lease agreement. People who think the power of the position is above the people who vote them there are not people we should have as commissioners.
Vote Smart Monday
As I have said before, the first meeting I had ever attended at the Light and Water Department told me a story. These people do not care about our town. Mr. Dymek and Mr. Kwasney would just be besides themselves if they saw what is going on today. If it ends up costing us more for electricity trying to stay in business, than it would cost us from National Grid, that will tell me a story. I do not think that we can afford to be a player with the big boys. When it comes to a point that the town is starving, and the Light and Water Department is still thriving, then there is something very, very wrong. What is wrong with this picture ?? When I looked at the pay for Police Chief in the FY15 Budget it shows 81,242. The same fiscal year, our Fire Chief is listed at 62,000. Now remember these numbers, because we paid the Water Superintendent $90,349.22 and that figure is for FY2012. John Driscoll was listed at 101,923.24 for Fy2012. There is something very wrong, when we can not pay our people a decent wage, while the Light and Water will spend as much money as they can, then they can cry poverty. Mr. Spring had quite a time when he tried to work with J.D.'s budget. Our Light and Water Manager spent time hiding money under different account names, with no two years alike. There are many questions that need to be answered, but we will not get any satisfaction from the people that are there. We really need David on this board, it won't be easy but I have faith he can handle them. Bev.
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