PD Chief Salary Cut, Selectman Ratio Stays: Milford Town Meeting

MILFORD, MA — Milford's Town Meeting members cut the police chief's salary from the police department's budget by just a single vote on Tuesday. The 79-78 vote defunded close to $172,000 from the salary section of the Police Department's budget in protest of the Board of Selectmen's interim chief choice. Town Meeting also voted on the town's budget, and the ratio of selectmen on the board.

Earlier this month, selectman voted in retired Milford police Sgt. Michael Pighetti as the interim police chief. Chief Thomas O'Loughlin's contract is set to expire at the end of June, in a controversial 2-1 vote, selectmen decided not to renew O'Loughlin's contract. The vote to appoint Pighetti was similar to that of the chief's contract with Selectman Michael Walsh voting against, and Selectmen William Kingkade Jr. and William Buckley voting in favor.

Deputy Police Chief James Falvey was recommended by Walsh and advocated for himself in front of the Board of Selectman earlier this month. Town Meeting members argued that appointing Falvey would save money and result in a better transition for the department.

While Town Meeting doesn't have the power to retract the position from Pighetti the vote served as a symbolic gesture — money could still be added to the budget in a special Town Meeting in the fall.

Town Meeting also voted to approve the towns 107,318,498, a 3.5 percent increase over this year's budget.

An article that proposed increasing the Board of Selectmen from three members to five was struck down by Town Meeting. Members decided in a 52-110 vote. The petition was submitted by Town Meeting member Michael Soares, who cited Milford being the largest community in the state with only three selectmen. He said Milford is the 19th largest town in the state.