Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sheriff Contract topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Acton Select Board signs one-year sheriff’s contract despite concerns over vehicle-cost formula
Summary
The Acton Select Board voted Jan. 14 to approve a one-year sheriff’s contract through Dec. 31, 2026, despite members’ objections that a new vehicle-cost formula could make the town pay the full cost of a cruiser over time. Board members considered sending a letter of protest to the sheriff.
The Town of Acton Select Board voted Jan. 14 to sign a one-year contract with the county sheriff’s office that changes how the cost of a patrol vehicle is charged, drawing sharp criticism from some board members.
Under the contract presented to the board, vehicle costs would be converted into an hourly rate by dividing the acquisition and outfitting cost over three years and then prorating that annual figure across 2,080 hours; the hourly charge would apply only when a contract deputy is performing duties under the Acton agreement. The contract is otherwise identical to the prior year’s agreement and runs through Dec. 31, 2026.
Tom McGurty said the change was handled poorly and expressed concern about the town’s long-term exposure if the county does not purchase new vehicles on a matching timetable. “If we hold that vehicle for six years, we will pay double for that vehicle,” McGurty said, adding the last-minute contract change "sticks in his gut." He urged the board to send a letter to the sheriff expressing disappointment about the lack of prior discussion.
Chair Daniel Norwood and other board members also criticized what they described as a potential for “double dipping,” noting rising county taxes and frustrated by the perceived unilateral change to the vehicle-cost language. Despite those objections, Select Board member David Winchell moved to sign the contract “with distress for one year under the direction of the voters.” The motion was seconded and carried unanimously.
Board members said the contract must be signed for the coming year but discussed informing voters at town meeting and possibly holding a straw poll to gauge public sentiment before future commitments.
What happens next
The one-year agreement is in force through Dec. 31, 2026. Board members asked the Town Administrator to consider a formal letter to the sheriff and to raise the issue with voters at the upcoming town meeting; the board did not adopt any formal amendment to the contract during the Jan. 14 meeting.
