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Selectmen approve budget and back a $2,000 fire-services adviser in first selectman's budget
Summary
Board accepted a largely flat Board of Selectmen budget and discussed a $2,000 consulting line to bring an experienced West Hartford fire chief in a mentoring role for Waterford's new fire director; the first selectman said the adviser provides operational support and the line sits in his budget because he supervises department directors.
The Board of Selectmen voted to accept the Board of Selectmen budget as presented and debated specific lines that drew questions, including a $2,000 consultant allocation intended to support the new director of fire services.
A member asked why the $2,000 request was higher than a signed contract figure of $1,500; the first selectman explained the consultant in question is a 30-year veteran and a respected West Hartford chief who can provide mentoring on operations, staffing and department transition. "This was my idea of the best $2,000 I probably could commit to to provide support for fire services," the first selectman said, adding the adviser would not supersede existing committees or boards but would act as a mentor and technical resource.
Board members also questioned whether the expense should come from the fire budget; the first selectman said the line is in his budget because providing supervisory support for department directors is an executive responsibility. The board approved the budget by voice vote and directed staff to provide any requested comparative materials on neighboring towns as part of follow-up discussions.
