Temple residents are set to vote on a budget that boosts salaries for public servants and employees in an effort to keep up with other area towns and retain their best people.
This comes only a year after the towns of Temple and Greenville seriously debated ending their long-standing law enforcement partnership, the Temple-Greenville Police Department. While the tax burden of the department is going down this year compared to previous years, the department’s budget is actually going up due to increases in pay.
Chief James McTague said that after researching other area departments, it was concluded that the Temple-Greenville department was underpaying its officers.
Greenville and Temple do not necessarily pay their portions of the department budget the same way. Temple’s is $241,706.01, 39 percent of the total. Greenville’s share is $378,052.99.
Other public employees, including at the town office and Mansfield Library will also see pay increases.
One item that will be discussed at Temple Town Meeting is, yet again, whether to become a Senate Bill 2 town, which would scrap town meeting in favor of a deliberative session and ballot vote.
This is brought up in Temple every year and is steadfastly opposed by town officials, including all three selectmen. Most local school districts, including ConVal, already follow this method.