Budget Commission OKs Police Promotions, Temporary Librarian

The Woonsocket Budget Commission approved three promotions Thursday, allowing Police Chief Thomas Carey to fill two vacancies in his department he's been waiting on several weeks.

Carey has been before the Commission during meetings since early July to get permission for the promotion of a police sergeant to fill an open lieutenant's position and the promotion of an officer to fill an open sergeant's position. A third promotion of an officer to sergeant was also required to replace the sergeant promoted to lieutenant.

The promotions were tabled for discussion July 10 and votes on them have been delayed a few times as the Commission tackled other issues.

Budget Commission counsel Edward Alves asked if the promotions would affect Carey's talks with Budget Commission members to re-organize the department. 

"I don't think this will create a glut that we will have to roll back," said Commission member Mayor Leo Fontaine. With that, the Commission voted to approve the promotions.

"I'd just like to say thank you," Carey told the Commission, adding the thanks of the promoted officers on their behalf as well.

The Commission also approved hiring a part time reference librarian for the at the request of Library Director Leslie Page. She wrote to the Commission Aug. 8 to request the part-time help, since one of the reference department's three full-time employees, the Readers Advisor, recently retired, quickly followed by an extended medical leave for the library's Chief of Reference and Adult Services.

Page asked for permission to hire a part-time reference librarian to fill in during the Chief of Reference's medical leave, 13 weeks, at $20 per hour for a 19.5 hours per week. The funds to pay the position will come from library fines and fee collections, Page told the panel.

"This will allow us to adequately staff our reference desk, especially after Sept. 6, when we again open on Saturdays," Page wrote.

The Commission approved the request.