The town of Rindge will wait for legal direction before deciding whether to accept a $125,000 federal grant to help pay a portion of a new officer’s salary.
Town Administrator Joe Byk said Wednesday he will not make a recommendation as to whether the town should accept the grant, as he has yet to receive an opinion from Town Counsel Gary Kinyon.
“I have been working on this with town counsel for the past 10 days,” said Byk. “I think it is time well spent to ensure that the town is making a prudent decision.”
The Police Department was one of four New Hampshire agencies to be awarded a $125,000 U.S. Department of Justice COPS Hiring Program grant this year, which would require the town to hire an eighth full-time officer for at least four years.
While the grant subsidizes a portion of the officer’s salary in the first three years, the town is then required to pay the salary and benefits of the officer for one full year before deciding whether to keep the position.
Selectmen have delayed a vote on the grant is because of a gray area in RSA 31:95-B, as section IV of the RSA says action to be taken regarding unanticipated revenue shall “not require the expenditure of other town or village district funds except those funds lawfully appropriated for the same purpose.”
Residents asked Byk to share his opinion, but he deferred until he had Kinyon’s opinion.
“I would be happy to say if I agree with [Kinyon’s] opinion,” said Byk, who expects the letter by the end of the week.
The board voted unanimously on Oct. 19 to allow Police Chief Todd Muilenberg to pursue the hiring of an eighth full-time officer.
Muilenberg said at that meeting that an eighth officer was desperately needed.
Should the grant be accepted, Muilenberg said taxpayers would pay an additional estimated $69.40 on tax bills over the course of the four years, factoring a property valuation of $200,000.