On Monday the Antrim Select Board met to discuss the proposed 2023-2024 operating budget of just under $4.1 million, a 5.2 percent increase.
Police Chief Brian Lord, Library Board of Trustees Chairman Rick Wood, Road Agent Jim Plourde and Fire Chief Marshall Gale spoke on the budgets for their departments and extra expenses the departments would require for the upcoming fiscal year.
Gale spoke about a warrant article he hoped to put on the ballot in March that would allow the town to appropriate capital reserve money toward a new fire truck, saying the department’s Engine 2 is 30 years old.
“We’re starting to push the envelope with it,” Gale said.
The pandemic and subsequent supply chain issues have continued to push out the replacement of the engine, so Gale is hoping to replace the truck this year.
“We just want that option,” he said, and if they find an engine that fits their needs, “It gives us the ability to say ‘Yes, we want to buy it.’’’
Gale also discussed the how difficult it is to hire on-call people.
“In this day and age, it costs money to volunteer,” he said.
In the past, they have been increasing salary steadily, by about $1 per year. EMTs and firefighters are currently paid $15 an hour.
“It’s still kind of below the average for the area,” he said.
Gale proposed a new idea, that instead of raising the pay another dollar this year, firefighters would be paid for a minimum of three hours for any call that requires the truck to roll out of the station. The fire station had 130 calls this fiscal year, and while Gale said a large number of them were false alarms, they still require the on-call firefighters to drop what they’re doing and respond.
The Select Board agreed that this seemed fair.
“If there’s a chance it’s going to increase retention and bring more people in” it sounded like a good decision,” Selectman Michael Ott said.
Lord spoke on the proposed police budget, which would increase by 7.19 percent. Lord explained that the department hopes to upgrade its office equipment and software system, so they are budgeting more for these items. They plan to invest in laptops that would replace the old desktop computers in the office and would also be able to connect to the cruisers. Lord said this would help streamline police processes and would set the department up to make technological upgrades in the future.
An additional $20,000 is being budgeted for overtime hours. Lord said the department is having a difficult time finding part-time employees, and in fact the part-time officer academy is being eliminated in New Hampshire.
“I just can’t fill the shifts like I used to with newcomers,” Lord said.
The Select Board and Town Administrator Russell McAllister also discussed giving Brenda Slongwhite, the town’s part-time welfare officer, a raise.
“We didn’t have a lot of ac tion this year, but we probably will have action in the new year – would be my guess,” McAllister said. They decided a $150 per week stipend seemed fair.
“She’s been here a long time,” Select Board member Donna Hanson said, “We hope she stays.”