Open, Honest, Transparent ...NOT!
A tale of two meetings
This is the posting of the selectmen's meeting (10/24/16) from the Town's official webpage:
Looks like a real yawner right? Well, here's what was actually discussed:
So the financial team gave a presentation on the 1st quarter of FY 17. But didn't the special town meeting fix all that? Guess Not!
Areas of concern (as in not enough money!) for FY 17 -
Snow & Ice deficit and Group Insurance ...there seems to be a $40,000 gap at this point. Revenues seem to be on track according to the town accountant.
The Assessors reported that the DOR has certified the figure of $69,092 in New Growth. A dollar on the tax rate raises $597,739. The tax recap sheet is moving forward and the tax rate is projected to be set before Thanksgiving!
TAX BILLS ARE DUE NOVEMBER 1, 2016
Tax Exemption applications are still open!
In other discussion:
Group Insurance may be "right-sized" after the selectmen explore offering an "Opt-out " program where employees are offered a stipend to leave Templeton's plan. Other options to reduce costs in this area include reducing the hours of part-time employees to below 20 hours a week.
The interim town administrator delivered the treasurer/ collector report. there is $3,210,356 in town accounts of which $1,200,00 is in "old vendor" accounts - some dating as far back as 2002.
The check register needs to be reconstructed in its entirety .
Delinquent taxes for FY 14 have been posted in the Gardner News. There was not enough money budgeted to post the delinquent taxes for FY 15 and FY 16. The 19 parcels posted in the Gardner News cost $800 just to advertise. It will cost another $75 per title for liens and mailings. There was not enough budgeted in this account. (had to give out raises!)
Properties owing taxes:
Fiscal Year # of properties Taxes owed
FY 14 19 $11,987
FY 15 89 $73,394
FY 16 188 $193,197
The town administrator made it clear that the town is NOT in crisis. There will be a department head meeting to discuss pending cuts to the FY 17 budget, because the FY 17 budget is STILL not balanced. The FY 17 budget was NOT balanced after the annual town meeting in May; the FY 17 budget is still NOT balanced after the very special town meeting in October.
Planning for the FY 18 budget begins soon.
How comforting, we are not in a crisis ! Tell that to the people who are going to get their hours cut or their jobs eliminated entirely. Maybe the suggestion that the "superior board" rescind the raises that good old Mr. Markel gave out was not such a bad idea after all. Oh yes, that suggestion was from appointed people, so why listen to them. Here we are in the last days of October and last Mays budget is still not right ! This is sad for the people who work for the town and the people who voted for people expecting them to do what is right for the whole town.
ReplyDeleteThe check register needs to be reconstructed in its entirety .
ReplyDeleteWHY?
The TMLWP accounts are also on deposit with the town are they all gone?
C'mon, does anyone really expect anything in this town to operate a logical fashion.
ReplyDelete$$$$ should not be handled or managed by people that take 10 minutes to add 8 numbers.
Did anyone ever question how come 512 registered voters supposedly were at the meeting and around 450 decided to vote? I didn't see anyone even question the difference? Not that it made a difference, but damn, do we even know if the 4 guys counting ,could? I mean it's off 10%
Not everyone votes. People can come and not raise their hand.
ReplyDelete