Accountability Posts

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Community Power enrollment failures causing direct financial harm to residents who acted in good faith, unresolved before a new long-term contract was signed

Amherst residents enrolled in Community Power, got confirmation numbers, and are still paying higher Eversource rates. The board heard this complaint on 7/28 — then authorized a new 36-month contract without confirming the enrollment problem is fixed.

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Internal board misconduct toward town staff, addressed procedurally but not transparently

At the 7/28 Amherst BOS meeting, the chair publicly stated a board member sent a 'disrespectful and condescending' email to a town employee. The board responded by changing its rules. Residents deserve to know: who, and has it happened before?

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Significant budget surplus and its implications for taxpayers

Good news from Amherst's 7/28 BOS meeting: FY25 ended ~$500K under budget on expenses and $1.2M over on revenues. That's roughly $1.6M headed to unassigned fund balance. How it gets used will affect your future tax rate.

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Divided board on disposition of public asset, with meaningful stakes on both sides

Amherst BOS voted 3-2 on 7/28 to explore selling — not donating — a surplus fire engine to Milan Township, which has served 186 sq. miles without a fire engine since January. The split vote reflects a real tension: fiscal duty vs. regional mutual aid.

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Amherst Board of Selectmen met 7/28/25. Routine on the surface. But look closer: enrollment failures in a town energy program, a board member rebuked for mistreating staff, split votes on taxpayer assets, and a $1.6M surplus. A thread. 🧵

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1/ COMMUNITY POWER: Resident Kelly Mullen told the board that multiple Amherst residents enrolled in the Community Power program, received confirmation numbers, and are STILL paying higher Eversource rates. The enrollment process is broken for real people.

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2/ The board acknowledged it. Then, later in the same meeting, voted 5-0 to authorize a new 36-MONTH contract with Direct Energy Services at up to 11.779¢/kWh — without publicly confirming the enrollment failures affecting current members have been resolved.

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3/ STAFF MISCONDUCT: The board voted 5-0 to amend its rules requiring all board-to-staff communications go through the Town Administrator. The reason? The chair stated on the record that a board member sent a 'disrespectful and condescending' email to an employee.

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4/ No board member was identified by name. The rule change is appropriate — but residents are left to wonder who did it, whether it's happened before, and whether the impacted employee has recourse. A rule fix doesn't substitute for accountability.

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5/ FIRE ENGINE: Milan Township has covered 186 sq. miles without a fire engine since January. Amherst has a surplus engine valued at ~$5,500. The board voted 3-2 to find out what Milan can pay — not to donate it. One member: 'That's $5,500 of taxpayer money.'

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6/ BUDGET: FY25 closed strong. Expenses came in ~$500K under budget. Revenues exceeded projections by $1.2M. Combined, roughly $1.6M flows to unassigned fund balance. That's your money — watch how the board chooses to use it in FY27 planning.

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7/ BUDGET PROCESS: The FY27 budget schedule passed 4-1. The lone dissenter and at least one other member argued it's wrong to give department heads spending guidance BEFORE hearing their strategic plan updates. One called it 'backwards.' Worth watching.

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8/ Bottom line: Amherst's finances are in good shape. But the board has unresolved tensions — over staff treatment, fiscal process, and how to handle public assets. Stay engaged. Next BOS meeting is on the standard 2nd/4th Monday schedule. /end

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Longer-form draft.

📋 AMHERST BOARD OF SELECTMEN — July 28, 2025 Meeting Recap

The board covered a full agenda Monday night, but a few items deserve closer attention from residents.

⚡ COMMUNITY POWER ENROLLMENT FAILURES: Amherst resident Kelly Mullen reported to the board that multiple residents enrolled in the town's Community Power aggregation program — received confirmation numbers — and are still being billed at higher Eversource rates because the enrollment didn't go through. This is causing real financial harm to residents who followed the process correctly. The board acknowledged the issue. Then, later in the same meeting, voted unanimously to authorize a new 36-month electricity supply contract with Direct Energy Services at a rate cap of 11.779 cents/kWh. What wasn't confirmed publicly before that vote: whether the underlying enrollment problems affecting existing members have been fixed. If you think you're enrolled in Community Power, it's worth double-checking your bill.

📧 BOARD CONDUCT TOWARD STAFF: The board voted 5-0 to amend its rules of procedure, now requiring that all board member communications with town employees go through the Town Administrator. The chair explained the reason on the record: a board member had recently sent an email to a town employee that the chair described as 'disrespectful and condescending.' No member was named publicly. The rule change is a reasonable guardrail — but residents should know that internal conduct toward town staff apparently reached a point where a formal procedural fix was needed.

💰 THE FINANCES: On a more positive note, Amherst ended FY25 in strong shape. Expenses came in approximately $500,000 under budget, and revenues exceeded projections by $1.2 million — a combined surplus of roughly $1.6 million going into the town's unassigned fund balance. How the board chooses to apply those funds will matter for future tax rates and capital planning. The FY27 budget process is starting earlier than in past years, with the full schedule approved 4-1 — one member voting no over concerns about the sequencing of budget guidance versus strategic planning presentations.

🚒 FIRE ENGINE & MILAN TOWNSHIP: In a 3-2 split vote, the board directed the DPW director to contact Milan Township — which has been without a fire engine since January while covering 186 square miles — to find out what the town is willing or able to pay for Amherst's surplus Engine 5. A trade-in value of approximately $5,500 was cited. The split reflects a genuine disagreement: some members see a humanitarian and mutual-aid case for flexibility; others argue that gifting or undervaluing a public asset sets a bad precedent for taxpayers. The board will revisit this at the next meeting.