Council trims police budget lines, agrees to remove one full‑time position; keeps cruiser funding under discussion

Councilors examined police department staffing and equipment needs and reached several consensus directions for the budget packet.

Staff described the department’s current mix of 10 full‑time officers and a small part‑time pool, noting that three of the part‑time slots were unfilled. A staff spreadsheet showed the requested part‑time wage line at $138,881, while historical averages suggested lower usage; the council discussed trimming that line to reflect typical utilization.

One councilor proposed cutting $40,000 from the police part‑time budget. After discussion about how reducing part‑time hours could increase overtime for full‑time officers, the council registered consensus to present a version of the packet with a $40,000 reduction to that line and to remove one proposed full‑time officer from the budget article. The clerk recorded the direction as consensus rather than a formal vote.

Councilors also weighed a request to finance a new police cruiser. Staff said vehicle maintenance costs are trending high and that new cruisers can have longer useful lives. Several councilors supported adding one cruiser this year, while others said they preferred to prioritize positions. The council directed staff to leave the cruiser funding in the packet for the town meeting warrant.

"It's $24,960" a staff member said when explaining the total cost in one part‑time line item, and the council asked staff to supply last‑year actuals to inform the final presentation.

Next steps: staff will model the $40,000 reduction and show the package in the packet for the next meeting; the council will vote warrant article by warrant article before town meeting.