My Name is Paul H Cosentino. I started this Blog in 2011 because of what I believe to be wrongdoings in town government. This Blog is to keep the citizens of Templeton informed. It is also for the citizens of Templeton to post their comments and concerns.
Friday, May 16, 2014
May 17th Annual Town Meeting
May
17th Annual Town Meeting
There
will be free babysitting provided at the Annual Town meeting.
I see by the article in todays Gardner Snoos, Mr. Columbus is going after the Advisory Board, to give the job of doing the budget to the Town Administrator. Well I can tell you all, I have serious doubts that any person in that position would have the time it takes to get a budget done. The Administrator has had his hands full, just getting the articles ready for the Special Town Meeting, and the Annual Town Meeting, that take place together. If the Selectmen have not seen the budget it just may be that it has been a work in progress. Some of our Selectmen have enough problems just getting to a meeting, never mind babysitting the budget. With the changes that have been made from day to day, I simply do not see how Mr. Columbus's idea would work. I am willing to venture that the people on the Advisory Board have put in a hundred hours, easily in this past year. These people have volunteered for this job, a job I would not want, but they did. Year after year, I have read in the town reports, that the Advisory Boards have historically had a hard time getting their own members to attend meetings. So we finally have a good group of dedicated people and some people just cannot leave well enough alone. I know for a fact that Mr. Spring has been working with the Town Administrator to get this budget done, just as it should be. I cannot see giving the responsibility of picking the A.B. to the Moderator, unless you want the A.B. filled with people that are dedicated to the schools. I can't help think of the last Advisory Board under Bob. Columbus and his partner Ms. Wilder. That Board had a Mount Wachusett student as Chairman, and he had no clue as to what he was doing. I think the term puppet would have fit just about right. The job of being on the Advisory Board is not a easy job, so in my way of thinking, it would be good for the town to let the Advisory Board chairman pick his board members, and have the Town Administrator and the Advisory Board Chairman put the budget together, because it will not work any other way. I do believe Ken has the best of intentions, but until he retires, I can not see any way the BOS could get the budget done on time. I hope we have a good turn out at town meeting so I will pray for rain. Bev.
Whether the article on the Town Meeting warrant passes or not, the moderator will have at least 4 of the 7 positions available for him to fill. 3 current participants were appointed to fill vacancies, so their appointments end at the town meeting and there is 1 unfilled position as well. That makes 4 out of the 7 positions available for the moderator to fill.
If the article passes, the moderator has the option of ending all unexpired terms and appointing an entirely new 5 member board.
It was my understanding that the Moderator chose three candidates each year on a rotating basis. The Moderator has the option of choosing whoever he pleases for this most important job of watching over town finances. It is believed that the original number nine members was chosen so that along with the moderator a citizen's petition could be filed by this body. Because most of us in this town have had a lifetime of water fluoridation our IQ's may be insufficient to follow the basic rules of government and its intended purpose. I would ask all annual town meeting attendees to support the citizen's petition allowing annual town meeting to be the authority on whether we want this enzymatic poison in our water supply. To help in the future with town IQ supporting the warning on infant formula/fluoridated water warning would seem prudent. Please show up tomorrow if only to get the poison out of the town water supply!
The job description of the town administrator already spells out what role the TA will have in the budget process. Specifically, to oversee and take part in the preparation and administration of the town's budget, both operational and capital. The duties, powers of the advisory committee is spelled out in MGL chapter 39, section 16; "in every town having a committee appointed under authority of this section, such committee, or the selectmen if authorized by a by-law, and in any town not having such a committee (every town whose valuation exceeds one million dollars shall have such committee) the selectmen, shall submit a budget at the annual town meeting. Since Templeton has an advisory board or committee, this law speaks for itself. I understand Mr. Spring wanting to toss this football into the laps of the selectmen after the error of last year coming to light. What I do not think is good is to panic over an error, do not try to reinvent the wheel in the midst of pain moves, just calm down and read the job description that is available for all to read. The budget is one of the main reasons to have a town administrator. One would hope all candidates for this position read the description (including selectmen) and the BOS picked a candidate with this most important item in mind. Keep in mind all by-laws do not become law until they pass muster with the Attorney General.
I see by the article in todays Gardner Snoos, Mr. Columbus is going after the Advisory Board, to give the job of doing the budget to the Town Administrator. Well I can tell you all, I have serious doubts that any person in that position would have the time it takes to get a budget done. The Administrator has had his hands full, just getting the articles ready for the Special Town Meeting, and the Annual Town Meeting, that take place together. If the Selectmen have not seen the budget it just may be that it has been a work in progress. Some of our Selectmen have enough problems just getting to a meeting, never mind babysitting the budget. With the changes that have been made from day to day, I simply do not see how Mr. Columbus's idea would work. I am willing to venture that the people on the Advisory Board have put in a hundred hours, easily in this past year. These people have volunteered for this job, a job I would not want, but they did. Year after year, I have read in the town reports, that the Advisory Boards have historically had a hard time getting their own members to attend meetings. So we finally have a good group of dedicated people and some people just cannot leave well enough alone. I know for a fact that Mr. Spring has been working with the Town Administrator to get this budget done, just as it should be. I cannot see giving the responsibility of picking the A.B. to the Moderator, unless you want the A.B. filled with people that are dedicated to the schools. I can't help think of the last Advisory Board under Bob. Columbus and his partner Ms. Wilder. That Board had a Mount Wachusett student as Chairman, and he had no clue as to what he was doing. I think the term puppet would have fit just about right. The job of being on the Advisory Board is not a easy job, so in my way of thinking, it would be good for the town to let the Advisory Board chairman pick his board members, and have the Town Administrator and the Advisory Board Chairman put the budget together, because it will not work any other way. I do believe Ken has the best of intentions, but until he retires, I can not see any way the BOS could get the budget done on time. I hope we have a good turn out at town meeting so I will pray for rain. Bev.
ReplyDeleteWhether the article on the Town Meeting warrant passes or not, the moderator will have at least 4 of the 7 positions available for him to fill. 3 current participants were appointed to fill vacancies, so their appointments end at the town meeting and there is 1 unfilled position as well. That makes 4 out of the 7 positions available for the moderator to fill.
DeleteIf the article passes, the moderator has the option of ending all unexpired terms and appointing an entirely new 5 member board.
It was my understanding that the Moderator chose three candidates each year on a rotating basis. The Moderator has the option of choosing whoever he pleases for this most important job of watching over town finances. It is believed that the original number nine members was chosen so that along with the moderator a citizen's petition could be filed by this body. Because most of us in this town have had a lifetime of water fluoridation our IQ's may be insufficient to follow the basic rules of government and its intended purpose. I would ask all annual town meeting attendees to support the citizen's petition allowing annual town meeting to be the authority on whether we want this enzymatic poison in our water supply. To help in the future with town IQ supporting the warning on infant formula/fluoridated water warning would seem prudent. Please show up tomorrow if only to get the poison out of the town water supply!
ReplyDeleteThe job description of the town administrator already spells out what role the TA will have in the budget process. Specifically, to oversee and take part in the preparation and administration of the town's budget, both operational and capital. The duties, powers of the advisory committee is spelled out in MGL chapter 39, section 16; "in every town having a committee appointed under authority of this section, such committee, or the selectmen if authorized by a by-law, and in any town not having such a committee (every town whose valuation exceeds one million dollars shall have such committee) the selectmen, shall submit a budget at the annual town meeting. Since Templeton has an advisory board or committee, this law speaks for itself. I understand Mr. Spring wanting to toss this football into the laps of the selectmen after the error of last year coming to light. What I do not think is good is to panic over an error, do not try to reinvent the wheel in the midst of pain moves, just calm down and read the job description that is available for all to read. The budget is one of the main reasons to have a town administrator. One would hope all candidates for this position read the description (including selectmen) and the BOS picked a candidate with this most important item in mind. Keep in mind all by-laws do not become law until they pass muster with the Attorney General.
ReplyDelete