Ways and Means Focuses On Fire Department

The Ways and Means Committee requested cuts in three specific areas of the town budget, while adding $32,000 to the fire department’s budget.

They made their recommendation to cut a total of $75,437 from the budget at this week’s Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday. They called for a $10,000 reduction in contingency, a $25,400 cut towards health and human service agencies and a reduction of about $40,037 in Cost-Of-Living Adjustments for town employees.

David Chen said that volunteer firefighters needed to be compensated for the training and meetings they need to attend. His committee decided that $17,000 of the $32,000 should be put towards this compensation.

Also, he said the department should have $15,000 of that total for additional SCBA equipment and walkie-talkies.

He stressed that changes needed to happen to maintain the town’s volunteer fire department and prevent any costly changes in the future.

Members of the board agreed that compensation for emergency volunteers is a problem in town, but said that focusing on just one department this year would be unfair to the others.

“We need to look at the bigger picture,” said Chairman Bruce Bowler. “We don’t want to increase the morale in one area and decrease it in another.”

for volunteers compared to neighboring communities, which has led some of them to transfer to those areas.

“It is dangerous to throw $17,000 in the fire department and not address EMS or salaries in general,” said Selectman Brad Galinson.

The board’s current proposed budget is $11,100,166, while the one suggested by the committee is $11,056,729.