Brookline Selectboard discusses Fire Department 2025 budget, per-diem increases and possible restructure of chief appointment

The Brookline Selectboard spent the bulk of its Jan. 3 workshop reviewing the Fire Department’s proposed budget for 2025 and debating whether to pursue a change to how the Fire Chief is appointed.

Selectboard member Brendan Denehy presented a handout titled 'Fire Department Budget Process' and said the town’s total Fire Department budget was $612,000 last year. He said full-time and clerical salaries were estimated at $210,867.15 for 2024 and that the Selectboard’s 2025 salary proposal is $223,673 to reflect an approximate 3% increase; the figure is intended to cover positions including the Fire Chief, Fire Inspector and an administrative assistant. Brendan also described a proposal to budget $30,000 in per-diem pay for on-premise coverage during the first six months of 2025 to cover shift gaps while the town recruits a new chief.

Board members examined historical per-diem figures. Brian Rater cited Sharon’s figures showing $2,487.80 in actual per-diem payments for 2023 and said the 2024 proposed per-diem line had been about $13,600. Based on those figures, Brian suggested a per-diem budget of $43,600 (adding $30,000 to the prior $13,600) to cover anticipated coverage needs.

Selectboard member Bill Atkinson raised fee and revenue items: sprinkler inspections were discussed as a revenue source, but Brian said the town must also account for the associated inspection expense. Mark Fessenden said the inspection fee would increase from $500 to $565 this year to cover inspector time. Brian said total Fire Department expenses for 2024 were $561,538.16 excluding a fire truck and that $96,000 remained unspent and moved into the Unassigned Fund Balance. The board noted there is an existing warrant article for a fire truck and that a separate capital equipment warrant article has been used in the past (last year $50,000) to prepare for a future replacement; they observed a replacement fire truck could cost over $1 million in approximately five years.

The meeting also included a written statement from Selectboard Chair Eddie Arnold, which Brian Rater read aloud. In that statement Arnold urged changing the Fire Department structure so that the Fire Chief is appointed by the Selectboard and firefighters are appointed by the chief, arguing that would align the fire department with other town departments and centralize responsibility for policy, discipline and budgeting. "I strongly believe it is time for change," the statement concluded. The Selectboard has not formally voted to pursue a warrant article; Arnold’s statement was presented as his personal view and the board did not indicate a final position.

Bill Atkinson recited statutory options under New Hampshire RSA 154:1 and listed six governance structures permitted by state law (including town-appointed chiefs, elected chiefs and the current Fire Wards model in which Fire Wards appoint the chief and firefighters). According to the transcript the Fire Wards prefer to keep the current structure but proposed adding two additional Fire Wards — the Town Administrator and a Selectboard member chosen by the Selectboard — to improve communication; the Fire Wards plan to consider whether the Town Administrator is eligible to serve and to make all five members voting participants if eligible.

Board members discussed whether to present a single warrant article or let both the Selectboard and Fire Wards present competing articles at Town Meeting; they agreed to take the item up at the Selectboard’s Jan. 6 meeting. Brian Rater said he would prepare a neutral public information document for the town website and Facebook explaining the structural options and the process for Town Meeting consideration.

No formal vote on the department’s governance model took place at the Jan. 3 workshop; the board approved routine administrative items and adjourned at 10:20 a.m.