Police Chief Brian Giammarino brought the department’s proposed 2017 budget in front of the select board for the second time during its regular meeting Tuesday evening.
Giammarino previously proposed $15,000 to a part-time wage line item in the budget that would increase hourly wages for officers from $15 to $20 per hour and also cover the cost for part-time help when officers take vacation. He told board members at a meeting two weeks ago that the number wasn’t enough to cover all of the department’s part-time expenses, but said he didn’t feel comfortable asking for any more money in the line item.
But select board members asked Giammarino during that meeting to go back and rework the number so that it accurately reflected the department’s needs.
On Tuesday, Giammarino told board members the line item would need to be boosted to around $20,000 in order to meet the department’s part-time needs.
The department set aside about $10,000 for the part-time wages this year, but has already overspent the line item by about 137 percent. That is largely a result of part-time help needed during a paid leave of absence while the state’s attorney general’s office investigated Giammarino’s use of lethal force on 19 year old Lane Lesko in June. An investigation released in July found Giammarino’s actions were legally justified. He returned to work in August.
Sgt. Glenn Roberge also took time off this year, which added to the overage.
The Police Department currently has four part-time officers on the roster. Town Administrator Aaron Patt suggested the department may want to look into deepening the bench.
The board also scanned a revised version of recycling center budget.
It saw a $5,000 increase since the last time it was reviewed. Supervisor Carol Burgess said she would like to raise the part-time wages for recruitment and retention purposes.
The board will meet again next Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
Abby Kessler can be reached at 924-7172, ext. 234 or akessler@ledgertranscript.com.