Dukes County sheriff seeks exemption from grant chargebacks to sustain regional 911 staffing on Martha's Vineyard
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Summary
The Dukes County sheriff told the committee H.3389 would exempt the regional emergency communications center from chargebacks (fringe, indirect costs, payroll tax) that the sheriff says would otherwise create a FY26 deficit and undermine recruitment and retention of 911 staff on Martha's Vineyard.
Sheriff Robert Haggen of Dukes County (Martha’s Vineyard) testified in support of H.3389, a bill to exempt the county’s regional emergency communications (9‑1‑1) operation from certain grant chargebacks that the sheriff described as creating an unsustainable budget shortfall.
What the sheriff described: Haggen said the regional communications center receives state grant funding that supports salary and operating costs but that current chargeback rules require the sheriff's office to return portions of grant funds for fringe benefits, indirect costs and payroll taxes, effectively reducing net grant revenue. He provided an FY26 impact estimate (testimony cited a net shortfall that, with chargebacks, would require reallocation of roughly $1,000,219.865 from the sheriff’s main appropriation and would reduce net grant funds substantially). He said the resulting deficit would threaten staffing and the center’s 24/7 operations.
Why the exemption is requested: The sheriff argued Dukes County’s cost structure (high local housing costs, seasonal population, a regional dispatch that serves many agencies) makes recruitment and retention difficult; he said an exemption would not expand the state budget but would allow the sheriff’s office to use the already‑awarded grant dollars to cover the intended emergency communications functions.
Committee response: The sheriff urged a favorable report. The transcript records testimony but no committee vote on H.3389 during the hearing.
