With Toth and Cover Absent, Templeton Select Board Hears Plan from Terenzni
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The Templeton Select Board met on November 9, 2026. Board members Bennett, Graves, and May discussed Finances and Operations. The most critical takeaway from the meeting is an impending fiscal crisis for Fiscal Year 2028 (FY28). After utilizing $1.2 million** of the town’s **$1.55M–$1.6M Stabilization Fund** to balance the FY27 budget, the fund has been depleted to approximately **$350,000. Because standard 2.5% property tax levy increases cannot cover escalating fixed costs (such as 12–15% increases in pension and health insurance obligations) and rising regional school assessments, the Interim Town Administrator Carter Terenzini announced plans to draft a barebones baseline budget balanced strictly on recurring revenues, supplemented by a menu-style override option for town voters.
In municipal operations, the Board addressed key personnel transitions, including a temporary $65/hour supervisory arrangement with the resigning Town Accountant to ensure continuity for Schedule A filings and free cash certification. The Board also debated strategies for restructuring Animal Control Services following a resignation, ultimately voting 2–1 to simultaneously explore hiring three part-time officers and negotiating an Intermunicipal Agreement (IMA) or non-profit partnership.
The Carter Terenzini Plan is outlined in the infographic below. Essentially, the plan is to present a balanced budget utilizing available funds and then present an “override menu” to residents to they can decide what essential services to fund or not fund. The proposed timeline to is to present this plan in early February.
