Board Votes 4-1 To Advertise Firefighter Jobs

Select Board · Meeting of September 14, 2026

Templeton Select Board splits 4-1 to advertise full-time firefighter jobs despite a hiring freeze. The vote, opposed only by Chair Bennett, came after Town Administrator James Ryan said the department will be down three of six full-time positions by week's end, days before the September 28 override vote. Board member Culver questioned why the town would hire a firefighter while freezing an assessor's office hire.

Members also unanimously let the fire chief add more on-call firefighters, set an October 21 special town meeting at Narragansett Middle Auditorium, and heard the mayor of Gardner describe a $7,500-a-month grant-writing contract that has brought in roughly $50 million over six years. A Bridge Street resident used citizen input to allege political targeting and call for an independent review tied to a sitting board member, without naming names.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,166 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of September 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.