Voters only made minor changes to Rindge’s warrant during the town’s deliberative session on Saturday morning, including sending the budget and a proposal for a ninth police officer onto the ballot.
The majority of the 11 articles discussed during Saturday’s deliberative session were forwarded to the warrant with little discussion among the small crowd that attended in person, which consisted of less than 30 people.
Townspeople offered no amendments or objections to the $4.5 million proposed budget.
About $183,000 of the increase in this year’s budget is attributed to the addition of a bond for fiber internet approved last year. However, the bond is being paid back through a user fee for those who sign up, not taxpayer dollars. Discounting the bond, the budget is up about 3.4% compared to the previous year, or $142,000.
If the budget fails, the town will adopt the default budget, which is last year’s budget plus contracted increases, and is set at $4.43 million.
The article that generated the most discussion was a proposal to add a ninth police officer to the town’s force, which is being presented as a separate article this year, and if approved, will be added to the budget moving forward. The article requests a total of $57,736 for the officer’s pay and benefits, which represents a partial year of service. A full year’s pay and benefits is expected to be $80,881.
Police Chief Dan Anair told the crowd that the town regularly recruits and trains officers, only to have them leave for neighboring communities that offer higher starting pay. He said that scenario has played out six times in the last three years. The result, he said, is that officers are often working a man short already in a community that he said really needs an average of 12 officers, not the eight it has.
The lack of staffing results in the use of a high amount of overtime, including currently a 10-hour weekly shift that is routinely covered by officers working overtime.
He said the hiring of a ninth officer, and the reduction of the overtime pay for the department will actually save the department a small amount in the coming year.
“Can you feel what it is like to save money and add a benefit to our community?” Anair asked.
Rindge resident and Budget Advisory Committee member Cheryl McCabe Charron said she was in favor of the article, but reminded the crowd that the cost would be added to the budget going forward, and that the cost of employees is likely to go up, not down in the future.
Fellow Budget Advisory Committee member Dan Whitney agreed, but said it was time to “invest” in the department.
In the only article amended during Saturday’s session, those in attendance agreed to replace an article that would have changed the income limit amount for the town’s disabled and elderly tax exemption with one that would study the exemption and put forward recommendations for the 2022 warrant.
Selectwoman Roberta Oeser said the town’s current elderly and disabled credit captures more people than surrounding communities. About 117 people in Rindge qualify for the credit, resulting in about $305,397 in tax exemptions, or 44 cents on the tax rate.
The original article would have reduced the income limit amount for the tax credit to $25,000 for a single person or $35,000 for a married couple, and reduced the asset limit to $75,000 for a single person or $100,000 for a married couple.
Whitney put forth an amendment to the article, asking that instead of implementing the changes this year, the town study the tax exemption and make a plan for an article in 2022.
Of the small crowd in attendance, 18 voted in favor of the amendment, and 6 against.
The crowd offered no objections to articles asking to continue lease payments for fire vehicles. A $55,011 article would provide the second payment for the lease for the fire rescue truck, and a separate article for $92,976 would provide the fourth payment for the lease of Engine One. Both leases are for five years, and contain escape clauses if the town does not vote in favor.
A third article requests $25,000 for the capital reserve for the department’s command vehicle, in what is likely to be a two-year request before the purchase of the vehicle.
The town is also asking for $50,000 for the Highway Department Equipment capital reserve. In a separate article, another $50,000 is requested for the town’s Town Buildings and Facilities reserve, which Selectman Bob Hamilton said will go in part to the repair of the roof of the highway garage, which is failing.
Ballot voting on all articles and zoning amendments, as well as town officials, is scheduled to be held at the Rindge Memorial School in Rindge on March 9 at 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.