Templeton Board forced to make additional cuts

Templeton Board forced to make additional cuts

Emergency meeting held to slash another $60K from budget
Eryn Dion
News Staff Writer

TEMPLETON — Just one day before Town Meeting, the Board of Selectmen in an emergency meeting Friday night were forced to carve an additional $60,000 out of the current year’s operating budget already devastated by a series of drastic cuts enacted last week.

The news came after the Department of Revenue refused to allow the town to count $60,000 from the Assessor’s overlay as income from the town.

“We now have to make $60,000 worth of additional cuts between now and the end of the fiscal year,” explained Chairman Kenn Robinson.

With many department budgets already down to bare bones or, in Highway Superintendent Francis “Bud” Chase’s case, “inside the bone” – the Advisory Board and Town Administrator Bob Markel were left with few options in how to proceed.

“Some departments likely have to shut down all together because we can’t come up with the $60,000 any other way,” said Mr. Robinson.


Advisory Board Chairman Wilfred Spring said, in making the additional cuts, he and Mr. Markel looked at places in the budget that would have a limited impact on future years. For example, he said closing out the public library was not an option, as it would lose its state certification and cause more long-term issues.

Other departments, such as the Tax Collector’s and Assessors’ offices were off the table since they are a vital part of the town’s revenue collection. 

The end result left the Building Inspector and Board of Health Offices completely closed with most department expense accounts raided, the public library salaries slashed, and the Highway Depart-ment’s machinery maintenance account emptied. After the cuts were tallied and compared to the actual amount left in the accounts, Mr. Spring informed the board they were still about $5,000 short of a balanced budget.

Council on Aging Director Bethany Loveless then offered her department’s salary and expense account to the town, saying she could cover the remainder of the fiscal year’s payroll through a grant if needed.

“To help the other departments, zero me out and we’ll be okay,” she said.

Mr. Spring also told the board a Special Town Meeting would likely be necessary in the fall to cover unpaid utility bills the town cannot afford for this fiscal year.

These cuts, along with the additional changes already approved by the select board to the Fiscal Year 2014 budget will be voted on during the Special Town Meeting to be held within the Annual Town Meeting starting Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Narragansett Middle School auditorium.