The meeting delved into the specifics of the police department’s budget, addressing concerns raised by Chief Clark about the necessity of hiring new officers to reduce overtime costs. The committee weighed the option of adding $150,000 to the police budget, which Chief Clark argued would decrease overtime expenditure by allowing for more officers on the road. The fire department’s budget was also under scrutiny, with discussions on restoring overtime to requested levels and increasing expenses. Chief Simmons confirmed that the $4 million override would ensure level services, whereas the $6.5 million option would allow for additional funds.

The committee’s rigorous examination of budget allocations included debates on the necessity and rationale behind various line items. This included whether to increase the reserve fund, assessors’ expense line items, and the potential impact of new building energy usage on budgets. There was also a focus on free cash use, with members debating its appropriation and the impact of different budget scenarios on ambulance receipts.

Members tackled the confusion around putting multiple override budget options on the ballot, questioning whether recommending one or two budgets would be seen as a political statement and how it might affect voter understanding. The possibility of surplus funds from the overrides was raised, prompting discussions on the responsibility of spending all received money and the implications for future budget increases.

Several departments’ budgets faced scrutiny, including the planning board, Southeast Regional Planning, zoning board of appeals, and municipal building expenditures. For example, the planning board’s request for an additional $10,000 for engineering services and membership dues sparked a debate over maintaining or reducing the original budget.

The Parks and Recreation budget was a point of contention, with members concerned about departmental underfunding. A vote was taken to recommend budget increases under both override options, including a proposal to double the current director’s salary and add another part-time staff member.

The committee also discussed potential cuts to the $6.5 million override budget to lower the amount, with a proposal to review the $4 million override budget swiftly, as it was similar to the previously approved 1% budget. The implications of using $50 million a year for a self-insured account to address long-term budget issues were suggested, with members expressing confusion over the budget totals and the impact of not using $1.2 million in free cash.

Further discussions included departmental allocations for the Fire Department, Emergency Medical, Emergency Planning, Inspections, Sealer of Weights and Measures, Communications, Animal Control, Tree Warden, School Department, Southeastern Regional, and Bristol County Regional Agricultural School. The committee made recommendations for various budget accounts based on these discussions.