$4.19 Million Police Budget Sought for Fiscal 2010-11

By Andrew Gorosko

The Police Commission has endorsed a proposed $4,196,249 police budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year, representing a 5.69 percent increase in spending over the $3.97 million police budget that was approved by voters last spring as part of the town government/school system budget for the current fiscal year.

The 2009-10 municipal budget now in effect is $103.7 million, of which $66.3 million represents public education spending, and $37.4 million covers town government expenses.

Following discussion earlier this month on the proposed $4.19 million police budget, which was presented by Police Chief Michael Kehoe, Police Commission members unanimously endorsed the spending plan.

Chief Kehoe said this week that the major increases in the spending proposal come in two areas, reflecting costs for sworn personnel and costs for the replacement of police vehicles.

The Police Commission proposes spending $3,118,545 for sworn personnel, compared to $2,976,070 in current spending in that category. The proposal reflects a $142,475 increase, representing 4.78 percent spending hike. There are 47 sworn police officers in the police department. Forty-five of those officers are in the police union.

Under the terms of their labor contract with the town, police received no pay raise for the current fiscal year. For the 2010-11 fiscal year, the contract specifies that police will receive a two percent wage hike for the first six months of the fiscal year, and then receive another two percent pay increase for the second six months of the fiscal year.

Also, the Police Commission proposes increasing spending for police vehicles from the current $95,000 to $180,000, reflecting an 89.4 percent spending hike. The proposed funds would cover the purchase of six vehicles.

Chief Kehoe said hat the police spending proposal is tightly budgeted. “It’s as lean as it can be,” he said.

The funding proposed to cover sworn personnel expenses is specified by a contractual agreement between the town and the police union, Chief Kehoe stressed. “We have to abide by those terms,” he said.

The proposal to buy six police cars stems from a need to replace older police vehicles, he said.

In commentary included in the police budget proposal submitted to the town for review, the Police Commission states: “Contractual raises will cause an increase in the personnel line [item] equal to a 4.7 percent jump. The increase is due to contractual step increases and negotiated raises. It should be noted that all police personnel were subject to [no] raises in the [current] fiscal year. Personnel line items…make up 87 percent of the entire police budget.

“This year, because of prior budgetary decisions, this agency is requesting the replacement of six vehicles. Internal policy controls on replacing vehicles make this request extremely important and necessary. To ensure budgetary monies are available for new front-line cruisers, all budget [line items] were scrutinized for possible cuts,” the commentary adds.

“Our goal [for fiscal 2010-11] is to maintain the services we have given to the community in past years…Maintaining staffing levels will ensure direct services to the community and maintain the highest ideals of professional policing. This ‘status quo’ philosophy is reasonable and justified in the face of tough economic times. Cuts will result in reduced services to the community,” it adds.