Foxborough Wants To Add 5 More Town Jobs

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Selectmen at last Tuesday night's meet heard proposals for five new positions for the town including three police officers, an emergency management service director, and billing clerk for the water department.

If approved, the new roles would enter the books starting in the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. Town Manager William Keegan said the proposed $73 million budget maintains the town's existing services, but new positions would be paid with new revenue streams, the Sun Chronicle reported. Department heads gave details on new positions.

Police Chief William Baker requested three new officers to help staff the police station when emergency dispatchers are relocated to the regional communication facility in Foxborough. The plan was originally to have six civilians handle public walk-ins and non-emergency calls, but Baker said this plan keeps officers from having to get called for paperwork and other requests. Money for the new officers would come from savings from the police department switching to a regional dispatch, the Sun Chronicle reported.

Fire Chief Michael Kelleher told the selectmen an emergency service management director creates better communication between town departments, especially the council on aging and board of health. He said the town's aging population is another reason the position is needed, the Sun Chronicle reported. Money for the position would come from $80,000 in Medicaid reimbursements and $30,000 in available funds.

Water and Sewer Superintendent Robert Worthley told the selectmen another billing clerk is needed with the department moving from a quarterly to a monthly billing system. According to Worthley, the department has one clerk who handles 6,000 bills, so another clerk will help get faster response times with fixing leaks and will prevent water waste. The advisory committee is reviewing the new positions.

For more on this story, check out the Sun Chronicle