Editorial: Why Voting for the Templeton Override Makes Sense
Why voting for the $1.38 million override in the Templeton Special election on September 28, 2026 makes sense:
Why voting for the override is in your best interest – the real reasons: In my opinion, finger-pointing is not the answer. I don’t think any municipal government in this State is as efficient as it could be, but that’s because I’m cheap and try to spend both sides of a quarter – I have unrealistic expectations.
Voters approved the School Budget narrowly which has left the rest of the town budget in crisis if the override is not approved. Just like everybody else, I don’t like my taxes going up, but, and here’s the big but, I’d rather spend an extra dollar or 2 per day to have full police coverage, to have full fire coverage, and to have other departments fully staffed and have the services we’ve come to expect.
While I have no current intention to sell my Templeton home, I would like to have the option. If the override is defeated, it is likely that the value of the average home would fall by 10 to 15%, which could easily mean $40,000 – $60,000 loss for many homeowners in Templeton. Is it worth screwing ourselves over just to prove a point. I’m in favor of the override coming up on September 28th, not because I think having to do it is wonderful – but I do think voting for it is necessary to preserve the safety of people in the community, to preserve the character of Templeton, and to preserve property values. This is not something I pulled out of thin air – there is anecdotal evidence of property values falling in communities when funding has been cut. And once the damage is done, it’s hard to recover.
For whatever reason you choose to vote for the override on September 28th, there are so many people who will be positively impacted and I will tell you exactly who they are:
1. The Police, Fire, and other team members who will keep their jobs.
2. The person who’s life is saved because public safety personnel could arrive at their house fire or their auto accident.
3. The person who is saved because criminals will know that Templeton is defended by our men and women in blue and not left open to marauders who would take advantage of the security lapse.
4. The person who does decide to sell their home, and instead of taking a huge loss actually gets full value because people hear that Templeton is a great community and want to move here.
5. The children you have now who later in life will thank you for keeping the wonderful character of Templeton alive and well.
6. You – it will positively impact you and it’s a relatively small price to pay for the benefit.
Werner Poegel – Publisher.