Budget committee tables police spending and asks select board to reconcile carry-forwards before finalizing budgets

The Phippsburg budget committee unanimously tabled police operations and police capital recommendations until the town provides reconciled carry-forward balances or hires accounting support.

Committee members said discrepancies between spreadsheets and what department heads reported made it impossible to approve several public-safety budgets. One member summarized the concern: "We're coming in blind" and urged the Select Board to address the structural problem of unaudited carry-forwards. Staff confirmed the municipal auditor is behind and suggested engaging an accountant or consultant to balance accounts ahead of the official audit.

During the discussion committee members pressed the police representative and staff for clarity about carry-forward totals that in some places diverged substantially from what the committee had been given. The committee also debated whether to budget a signing bonus or discretionary hiring incentive to attract patrol officers in a tight labor market; members agreed that salary ranges recently approved by the compensation committee would inform that discussion but deferred final action pending reconciled financials.

The committee voted to table police operations and police capital until the Select Board identifies a plan to reconcile carry-forwards, provide five-year capital projections from the police department, or fund the accounting work necessary to make reliable recommendations. The motion passed unanimously.