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Milford police budget grows as aldermen press on red‑light camera revenue use
Summary
Chief Keith Mello told the Board of Aldermen the police budget rises roughly $1.4 million mostly for personnel and overtime; aldermen questioned how expected red‑light/speed camera revenues ($3–4M estimate) can be used and whether the program constitutes "taxation by citation."
Milford Police Chief Keith Mello told the Board of Aldermen on April 20 that the department’s proposed budget includes an approximately $1,400,000 increase driven largely by personnel costs and predictable overtime overages.
The chief said the department deliberately keeps some line items — overtime, training and holiday pay — underfunded because transfers from regular wage accounts (created by vacancies or retirements) have historically covered those overages. "Every year in every budget I've ever done, by design, that account has been underfunded," Mello said, explaining the practice and noting 12 cadets are slated to graduate May 20 and nine sworn positions remain open.
Why it matters: The staffing shortfall and underfunded overtime affect when recruits can be placed on patrol and whether the department will need to rely on higher‑cost overtime to maintain minimum…
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