Council approves most fire-department supplemental transfers; one motion continued for more review

The Town Council on March 18 approved several supplemental transfers from certified free cash to the Fire Department to cover budget deficiencies identified during the fiscal year. Finance Director Mike Esman and Fire Chief Paul Viola described the transfers as necessary to address payroll, overtime and maintenance shortfalls that were not fully funded at budget adoption.

Esman told the council the supplemental request would transfer approximately $1.144 million from certified free cash across multiple Fire Department programs to resolve known deficiencies. Chief Viola said the adopted budget did not fully fund contractually required pay raises for the International Association of Fire Fighters and provided only a small overtime allocation; the department also is operating with vacancies that have increased overtime pressure.

Ways and Means recommended approval of motions 2 through 8; the council voted unanimously to approve those motions during the meeting. Those motions included smaller, program-level transfers explicitly listed in the meeting record: fire administration $11,800; fire building maintenance $12,350; equipment maintenance $50,200; fire alarm repairs $1,250; hazardous materials $3,900; transfers into fire training comprised of $500 plus $1,600 from fire prevention (transfers to training). The council recorded unanimous votes approving those transfers.

Councilors and Ways & Means members said they had examined supplemental items in detail over multiple meetings and that one larger supplemental motion remained under review. By unanimous procedural vote the council continued motion 1 to April 1 to allow Town Counsel to provide an opinion and for the administration to supply additional detail on that particular transfer. Councilors said they expect the administration to incorporate lessons learned into planning for FY26 budgeting to avoid similar supplemental needs.

Chief Viola described administrative steps taken since last May to gain control of overtime and to improve collection of detail (special-duty) revenues, including implementing an invoicing and tracking system and requiring payer information prior to authorizing details. Finance Director Esman and councilors said the majority of the requested funding was appropriate to address outstanding liabilities for FY25.