Saturday, April 18, 2015

Budget May Be $300K Short

Budget May Be $300K Short
Staff, Services added back for fiscal 2016 now in jeopardy
Eryn Dion
News Staff Writer

TEMPLETON  Just one week after adding more than $300,000 in staffing and services back into the fiscal 2016 budget, those funds may be in jeopardy as officials take a second look at the budget sheets ahead of Town Meeting.

The issues came to light during an Advisory Board meeting on Wednesday, when interim Town Administrator Bob Markel said that accounting hiccups made it appear there was more money in the town’s general fund than is actually available. That mistake, Advisory Board chairman Michael Greene explained, will undo many of the anticipated additions to the budget.

“Previously, the selectmen had voted on an add-back list to put into the budget,” Mr. Greene said. “Most of that has had to be removed.”

Mr. Greene said the brief explanation given this week centered around changes made to the accounting of the Worcester County Regional Retirement fund, specifically with the inclusion of the town’s enterprise funds. Those differences, Mr. Green stated, amounted to almost $300,000 — the entirety of the add-back list.

“We’re still trying to figure some of it out,” he said.


The budget add-back list included numerous initiatives requested by department heads, including raises for all nonunionized and nonbargaining employees, an increase in hours for the health agent and building inspector, additional employees for the Highway Department and Police Department, and a full-time equivalent shift for the Fire Department.

The latest turn of events comes in the middle of the Advisory Board’s budget review process. Mr. Greene said that while looking over the numbers with fellow board members he had a feeling something was not correct, leading to a conversation with the town accountant and a representative from the state Department of Revenue.

“The numbers looked great, but they didn’t sit right in our gut,” he said.

Mr. Greene said selectmen have been notified and will be holding a special meeting next Thursday to address the matter. The Advisory Board will also hold another meeting on Wednesday, at which time Mr. Greene hopes to receive a more detailed explanation.

“It’s unfortunate because things were starting to come back a little bit more towards where they used to be,” Mr. Greene said.



 
 

6 comments:

  1. it's comical, they think they have money and they make sure that every penny is spent, that move was worse than my kids wanting to spend every dime they make immediately on candy. Starting to think no one knows how to do things right anymore.

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  2. To be honest with you, from what I have found, the town has been broke for many, many years. Where is the money to run this business coming from ?? We lost most of our industry, and the Templeton Municipal Light has decided it does not want to support the town, after it did just that for many years. This is our business, now as it was back in the 40's and 50's. As far as I can see, we are finally getting a good grip on what we have. You have to understand, there were a lot of different fingers in the pie. Every one doing their own thing, and instead of being honest about our financial health, we had what could be called a cover up. Borrow from Peter to pay Paul, until Paul was broke too. This is the "first Board of Selectmen" that has been straight with the people. You do have to give them credit for that. We as a town are no longer spending money we don't have, like money for 252. Such a waste of the money, just driving the town deeper in debt. Do you think that was a mistake ? I don't !! All of the time the Echo Hill people were in charge, they knew the financial mess the town was in, and they did their best to make the hole deeper. We have to learn from our mistakes this time, because we did not in the past. Keep the faith, and most importantly we need to keep Julie in office. She has worked harder than anyone else on the BOS, to make our town a good place to live. Anyone need a sign, give me a call. 978-939-5556 Bev.

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  3. If comical is no new police,fire or highway personel, candy is the only sweet thing left here.
    It's sad we spend the time to find the right place to put the money we don't have. When i was told a month ago the money is not there they think is i chose not to believe it. My source was correct as in the past we didn't listen till it was toooo late.
    I guess this time we say it's not to late to fix the budget.So the cut out list starts soon again and things like that are harder than the add it back list. Questions like what to cut and what not to cut. The two things that come to mind are pay raises and recreations.

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  4. Are we dealing with professionals, because it sure seems like amateur hour in this town. If we need to cut lets cut pay raises, recreation, senior center and please, will someone take a sharp knife and some common sense to the school budget.

    I'm not sure if its still on the "idea list" but allowing the chief to use the $300k for a cell in the station is wrong!!!! That cell places many more costly requirements on the town than the cost of building it. The requirements for observation of anyone being held requires staffing that we just don't have and doesn't appear we will for a while.

    The Senior center is a fine example of spending money on niceties we do not need or require as a community that cannot afford to maintain roads, or employees vital to the towns survival.
    Now, should we be building playgrounds as a broke community? NO.

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  6. One response to $300,000 “shortfall”

    The $300,000 “shortfall” is not comical. Like Mike Greene, I had also had a “gut feeling” this money was not available for adding any of the departments’ requests back into the baseline budget. I felt we would be lucky to have enough money to increase the salary line item.

    The salary line item is and was my top priority if we had money to add any of the requests back into the budget. Templeton has had a difficult time attracting qualified candidates for open positions due to low salaries. The accountant position, the building inspector and the town treasurer/collector searches come to mind. In my opinion, we have a good team on board now.

    Because I felt that there would not be money to add any of the departments’ requests on the Add Back List,
    I went so far as to attend the School committee meeting in March. My request to the school committee, as a resident, was a compromise figure for the “Target Share- $266,000”. My request to the school committee was to look at a compromise of splitting the difference of $166,000 in “Target Share”- which has no statutory standing. Templeton had already budgeted an increase of $100,000; I felt considering a compromise on the figure of $166,000 would give the town enough money to provide much needed salary increases.

    Templeton’s “Target Share” of $266,000 is in ADDITION to the $811,000 “additional money”” (override money) that has been budgeted for Templeton’s school assessment. That’s 1 MILLION dollars over above the increase in Templeton’s minimum contribution and it’s still not enough!

    When I was assured that there would be enough money to cover most of the Add Back List requests, I withdrew my request for a compromise figure for “Target Share”.

    As far as the school budget, the school committee can cut the budget or a motion can be made on town meeting floor to cut Templeton’s school assessment. Good luck with that!

    Adding the holding cells to the police station was not on the Add Back List. The $300,000 was a gift to the police department; not tax payer money.

    The senior center project is nearing completion with possible occupancy by the end of this summer. The Open House for the Senior Center held April 18th was very successful. Nothing is to be gained by stopping that project now. The money for the Senior Center project is dedicated specifically for that project; just like the police department gift of $300,000 can only be used for police department projects

    While not good news, the shortfall of $300,000 was discovered in time to make corrections before town meeting. The original proposed baseline budget is still intact. The BOS will meet on Thursday to deal with this issue. If you are concerned about the manner in which budget decisions are made, I urge you to attend this meeting.

    I believe the Town of Templeton is in a better place financially, this year than last year. It took more than a few years to create the structural deficit by using Free Cash and stabilization to run the operating budget of the town. It will take a few years to create the financial stability necessary for good government in Templeton.

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