Templeton holds FY27 budget hearing as departments press for planners, truck and more EMS staffing

A Town of Templeton budget hearing on March 7 opened with department-by-department presentations that spotlighted staffing gaps, rising operating costs and several capital requests. The meeting — broadcast on TCTV — did not include formal votes but set the stage for follow-up meetings and requests for more detailed cost backup.

Development services officials asked the board to consider restoring a planner combined with a grant-writer, arguing the department is overwhelmed and that a full-time position would coordinate grant work townwide. “I have been talking about a planner for a very long time,” the presenter said, noting the department has operated with reduced staff for years and that previous planners had been employed in the past.

Public works leaders and advisory members spent significant time on highway and supplies budgets, pressing on a proposed diesel price assumption of $5.67 per gallon. One advisory member said that figure represents roughly a $30,000 hit compared with a $3.43-per-gallon average and urged staff to recheck the projection. The DPW presentation also flagged uniform cleaning costs and other line items that contribute to a roughly 20% year-over-year increase in some supply accounts.

Capital requests drew attention as well. Administrators said the select board's discretionary free cash for the year is about $83,009, which is why a $95,000 small utility truck has been presented as a leading candidate for that allocation; several members asked staff to confirm whether other deferred building repairs or procurement needs should take priority.

Public safety was a dominant theme. The fire chief outlined increases in turnout gear and brush-gear replacement and described a push to pursue state and federal grant opportunities for apparatus — but warned of long build times and rising prices: the chief described a replacement ladder truck estimate in the multimillion-dollar range and multi-year lead times. On EMS coverage, the chief said extended hospital transports and busy call volumes sometimes leave the town thinly staffed and offered a blunt assessment: “More staffing, new building,” he said when asked how to improve response times. The chief and others discussed the tradeoffs and the risk that grant-funded personnel can leave when temporary funding ends.

Emergency Management officials asked for modest recurring funds to sustain CERT and other programs after available grant dollars and donations declined; the EMD said federal and regional grant opportunities have been limited in recent years.

Several commissioners and advisory committee members asked department heads for more line-by-line detail and documentation of prior-year disallows, actuals and contract terms so the board can make targeted cuts or reallocations without jeopardizing compliance or service levels. The board scheduled follow-up questions and indicated many line items will return for more scrutiny at future budget meetings.

The hearing continued through multiple departmental presentations; no final decisions or votes were recorded in the transcript excerpt.