A special election is scheduled for September 22, 2026 in the Town of Templeton MA, the first step in approving the $1.38 million in funding to avoid disaster in Templeton.
Templeton Police Chief gets Overwhelming Applause at Meeting, but AUDIO of applause mysteriously muted in VIDEO
Listen to the exchange at the Templeton Select Board meeting of August 17, 2026 at which Templeton Police Chief Bennett explained how devastating immediate cuts to the Police and other Departments would be. We have left in the silence for accuracy. CLICK PLAY.
When Chief Bennett concluded, the room burst into applause. For some reason, the techs recording the meeting muted that AUDIO. Proof of this action is shown in our graphic of the meeting AUDIO at left – why they did it, who knows. But to be accurate, residents at the meeting overwhelmingly did not want the Board to make immediate cuts and supported the Chief of PD. Selectman May indicated he was influenced by the public in the room and voted YES to the motion to make cuts only in October if an override on the issue fails. Vote was 3 to 2. To be clear: The failure of an override would wipe out vital Public Safety positions and would be devastating to the Town of Templeton.
The Proposed Override Details: Later in the meeting, a motion to go for a $1.38 million override was approved which would also restore the midnight shift for the Templeton PD – right now the only coverage overnight is the State Police. Our infographics show that the decision is about $438 for the average Templeton taxpayer, a little more than 1 dollar per day to avoid a public safety disaster in the community. Special election is scheduled for September 22nd. Details in the infographics below. Click image for larger view.
