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Analysis of Public Safety
Police Department: I am proposing increasing this line item from $1,170,219 to $1,201,627 including the last payment on a cruiser lease as part of the Police Department operating budget. It includes a COLA for non-union employees as well as reserving some funds for police union settlements. This budget provides for an increase in the training budget which is desperately needed in the department and allows for an increase in the clothing line which was reduced last year. This line item does NOT include funds for a new cruiser. I shall be requested that this be funded under either a warrant article or a capital article.
Fire Department: Observers of this budget will notice changes in this line item this year. I transferred all personnel costs into this line item (from Public Safety Building) so it will seem unusually larger than previous years. In doing so, I am proposing increasing this line item from $506,022 to $560,650. This budget contains a COLA and contain a modest increase for repair line items to fix and test older equipment. I take this opportunity once again to mention that the existing radio and communications equipment is in deplorable condition and this needs to be considered a priority very soon.
Public Safety Communications: I am proposing increasing this line item from $233,995 to $246,830. This increase provides for a COLA (including a step increase) but does increase our maintenance contract costs due to our old and inefficient communications system.
Building Department: I am proposing increasing this line item from $89,545 to $89,621. This budget continues the existing practice of sharing our building inspector with the neighboring town of Sterling. This arrangement, while saving both Towns some needed revenues, does cut the hours of the Building Inspector in the Town of West Boylston. It does reflect additional inspection costs as the work of the Building Department seems to has increased in recent months as the economy begins to come out of its deep recession.
Sealer of Weights: I am proposing level funding this line item at $1,775 to maintain the current contract with the Commonwealth to do the measure tests. The Town does recoup inspection fees for these tests that pay for the contract.
Emergency Management: I am proposing level funding at $4,900. As always, it is the Town’s hope that the emergency management budget will be supplemented with grants. At its current level, this budget does not allow for any advancement of the Town’s emergency management processes.
Animal Control: I am proposing level funding this line item at $9,300. This line item includes no pay increases for the animal control officer. I believe this line item will adequately maintain services for the animal control department.
Total Public Safety expenditures:
I am proposing funding this section of government at $2,114,703 an increase of 4.9% primarily due to moving money into the Fire Department from the Public Safety headquarters budget.
History of Public Safety Expenditures
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
$1,498,734 |
$1,607,648 |
$1,805,722 |
$2,052,078 |
$2,146,651 |
$2,015,756 |
$2,114,703 |
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