Westborough AFC questions public‑safety staffing; town manager cites earlier studies

Members of the Westborough Advisory Finance Committee pressed for clarity on public‑safety staffing as they reviewed FY2027 budget materials, raising concerns that previous study recommendations have not been fully implemented.

Committee member (speaker 2) said the committee has discussed the risk of delaying hires for the police and fire departments, questioning whether capital purchases should take priority over recruiting sworn personnel. "It seems like more of a nice to have...versus hiring people who are actually on the street," the member said.

Town Manager Christy Williams responded that the 2019 police study had been narrowly focused on patrol ranks and therefore did not capture increases in command staff or the totality of department growth. Williams said a comprehensive organizational assessment—like the fire department study conducted around fiscal 2019—would better address staffing needs across ranks.

Williams specifically cited the fire study's staffing recommendation: "On page 64 of that study, it says that we should be at 12 per shift, and that's by fiscal '29," she said, noting the study's timeline and that one of the four recommended firefighter additions had been implemented. Members noted that other recommended positions remain unfilled and asked whether a new, broader police study is warranted.

The committee discussed tradeoffs between conducting a new study and relying on the existing reports, with members saying a fresh, comprehensive police assessment could provide strategic planning similar to the fire study. No decision was made during the meeting to commission a new study; members requested further information and signaled they expect follow‑up briefings with the town manager and department chiefs.

The meeting recorded no formal action on hiring or study commissioning; discussion will continue in future AFC meetings.