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Oxford board debates police budget after one‑year union raises, chief warns investigations strained
Summary
The Board of Selectmen reviewed a proposed police budget that reflects recent union raises and two vacant positions; the police chief said lost staffing is hampering investigations, while board members said the full $1.7 million scenario needs voter backing and further negotiation.
A proposed police operating budget that the town presented during the June 1 meeting would raise the department’s salary line to $848,257, an $85,000 increase from last year, largely driven by recent union negotiations and placeholders for an upcoming contract, officials said.
Police Chief (Police Chief) told the board the department is two officers down and ‘‘we're hurting right now’’ on investigations and casework. The chief said the department filled a one‑year contract last year to remain competitive with neighboring agencies and that subsequent bargaining has pushed estimates higher.
Manager said the salary increase reflects both last year’s negotiated raises and a conservative placeholder of a 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment and merit increases for budgeting purposes. Board members cited examples discussed in the meeting — the transcript referenced roughly a 23.5% increase for a mid‑scale patrol officer and about a 30% step for an SRO in the one‑year contract — as factors that materially increased baseline personnel costs.
Board members and the chief traded projections for adding two officers plus a new vehicle. The town estimated adding two filled positions and a vehicle would increase the total police budget to roughly $1.65 million–$1.72 million (about $250,000 more than the currently proposed operating budget). Manager and the chief noted the SRO grant could offset part of that expense for an SRO position, but that grant is restricted to funding a full‑time SRO post and cannot be split to cover other roles.
‘‘If we add both of those officers that we had vacant, we're looking at roughly $250,000 in additional cost,’’ the town’s budget presentation said; the chief added that some high‑profile investigations require multi‑agency work and significant staff time.
Several board members said they could not support the full $1.7 million figure without additional public input and town meeting approval. The board agreed to have the police chief return to the final budget meeting after further negotiations and to defer a final vote on adding officers until the contract talks progressed.
What’s next: The police chief will return for the last budget meeting; the board will consider updated figures after union negotiations advance.
