Charlestown commissioners review police budget; discuss overtime, vehicle purchases and taser contract

Charlestown Budget Commission members on Jan. 15 examined the police department’s draft FY26 budget, focusing on overtime projections, staffing gaps and a handful of capital items including planned vehicle purchases and a proposed paving project behind the station.

The discussion centered on whether overtime should be budgeted at historical levels or reduced to reflect recent hiring and a military leave. Commissioners agreed to reallocate $10,500 from several non‑payroll lines into the department’s overtime line as a temporary measure to better match expected staffing pressures. Police leadership also described capital proposals — replacement of two patrol/administrative vehicles and a roughly $22,000 paving project in the station’s rear parking area — and listed recurring contractual costs such as a $10,027 per year taser contract spread over five years.

The move matters because the police overtime line has historically run over budget and the department said it will face a retirement and a 36‑week hire-and-training timeline for replacements. Police leadership said the department expects to send recruits to a 20‑week academy followed by a roughly 16‑week field training period, creating a multi‑month window when overtime and backfill will be higher. The commission’s temporary transfer was intended to reduce the need for end‑of‑year transfers.

Police staffing and operations The police presenter noted that salary increases and contractual obligations (including collective bargaining package steps and other step increases) drive the total payroll increase; the department flagged a planned retirement in 2025 and one officer on military leave through mid‑August. Commissioners and staff discussed the effect of those absences on overtime costs: historically overtime has tended to exceed the budgeted amount, and members argued the FY26 overtime target should reflect that track record rather than an optimistic staffing profile.

Equipment, contracts and capital Commissioners reviewed several nonpayroll items: a five‑year taser contract costing about $10,027 per year, red light camera revenue and operations, and proposed purchases using previously awarded ARPA funds (a mobile command post and other equipment). The department requested two new vehicles (one marked cruiser and one administrative vehicle, both proposed from Dodge) and presented a quote of approximately $22,000 to asphalt a 75-by-50‑foot gravel area behind the station to improve secure parking and equipment storage. Staff noted trade‑in or auction sale proceeds typically go to the general fund; commissioners discussed creating a restricted vehicle-replacement account to retain future sale proceeds for fleet replacement.

Budget detail and small adjustments Commissioners pressed department staff on line‑by‑line items: internet and telecommunications (questioning a $20,000 line that historically runs closer to $13,000), computer licensing changes, training and tuition reimbursement lines, and utilities (where chief staff noted a 20‑year building and rising HVAC costs). Training and tuition lines were discussed at length (training ~ $16,000 historically; tuition reimbursement was proposed at $8,000 for courses that staff said fluctuate by year). The police representative said accreditation requirements and training delivery choices (computer‑based vs. classroom) affect overtime and training costs.

Quotations Police Chief: “I am very proud to present the budget that we presented.” Paul Casey, incoming harbormaster (speaking to a separate agenda item): “We’ve taken possession of it,” (referring to Metagrip Pond) — see the separate harbor article for context.

What was decided and next steps - Commissioners agreed to a temporary internal reallocation totaling $10,500 into the police overtime line (taken from communications, rental/leases, and training lines) to better reflect near‑term staffing needs and reduce the chance of large year‑end transfers. - Capital requests (vehicle purchases and the back‑lot paving) were left for further review in the capital section and to be considered against the overall five‑year capital plan and available fund 75 (capital maintenance) balance.

Ending Commissioners asked staff for updated budget narratives and historical audited figures; staff committed to deliver narrative write‑ups on the Friday prior to next meetings and to produce historical detail to help calibrate overtime and utilities assumptions. The panel signaled interest in creating or strengthening a vehicle‑replacement reserve to capture proceeds of future surplus vehicle sales for fleet replacement.