Voters approve new public safety positions, school override
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

Voters approved the hiring of an additional full-time firefighter and police officer at Tuesday's Annual Town Meeting, as well as voting to send the override request from the School Department to the ballot box.

The two departments asked voters to approve the additional personal to help increase coverage during shifts that are now only staffed with one responder.

The new firefighter and police officers were not supported by a majority of the Advisory Board, and a majority of selectmen only supported the additional firefighter. They said financially it made more sense to wait.

"I think to date, as a town, we have supported everything on the police side and the fire side," said Selectman Thomas O'Toole. "Let's get a solid plan in place with all of the departments."

Fire and police officials said residents should decide what type of response they want when the dial 911.

"We're dealing with an increase in crime on persons and property," said Lt. Michael McDonald. "You expect a response that is appropriate to the crime."

The police officer will cost $42,921 plus benefits and the firefighter will cost an additional $3,106 plus benefits.

In a meeting that lasted 4.5 hours at Westminster Elementary School, voters approved 34 of the 36 articles in the regular Town Meeting and a three-article special Town Meeting. The only two articles which were not approved were skipped over at the request of town officials.

Voters also approved a request by the school for $729,309 for the school's operating budget to be raised through a Proposition 2 ½ override.

"It's a level-services budget," said School Committee member Lenny Beaton. "It's a budget I hope that you can support."

The override is equivalent to 72 cents per $100,000 of house valuations

Selectmen - at the last minute - supported the school override request. They had voted two - Fairbanks and O'Toole - to one - Nick Hay - not to support the override on Monday night. O'Toole said after another review of the budget he changed his mind.

"It is really what we signed on to four years ago," he said. "I honestly believe there is nothing there (to cut). I think it is an honest and fair number on the part of the school."

But Selectman John Fairbanks said he was only supporting the measure to get it to the ballot box so more residents had the chance to vote on the matter.

A few residents got up to speak about the benefits of the schools and the improvement from where the district was four years ago.

"I've seen, in my children, a big turn around in the last few years because the communities want to support them," said resident Tom Mader.

On the other hand, the Council on Aging president, spoke against the budget.

"Taxes are increasing too fast for people like me and a few others," he said. "I'm just asking you to think twice before you put it on the ballot. I appreciate what the good schools do … Let's try to keep the costs down or give the seniors a break."

Voter turnout hovered just above 5 percent through much of the meeting but a large number of people left after the article requesting additional funds for the school district was approved.

A ballot election will be held on Tuesday, June 12.

Other issues that were debated included an increase to the Crocker Pond Recreation Committee's budget, which would allow them to pay the attendants $11.15 or $12.05, respectively.

The Advisory Board recommended that the budget remain at the lower amount.

"It's not really a career a person is looking for," Burstall said, explaining the logic for the lower wages. "It's not a fulltime position."

Joe Macchia, the co-chairman of the pond's development committee, and the selectmen and the Personnel Board members spoke in favor of the higher wages.

"We're going to be hard-pressed to hire people and say we are not going to pay you for the job," Macchia said.

The personnel board said the position had been reviewed through the standard objective process of reviewing job descriptions. The total difference to the budget was just over $5,000.

Although a debate on the matter was not scheduled for the meeting, many people brought up the need for a new senior center and more funding for senior programs.

"We spend more on the dead people then we spend on the live people in this town," Don Barry said. "We have senior citizens who have been ignored for a long-time."

The discussion started when Barry questioned the Council on Aging's budget, and arose again during the discussion on the requested school override, future town building planning, and then when $12,000 was appropriated for repairs and improvements to the American Legion Building.