RUMFORD – It took two hours, but the overwhelming majority of selectmen from the three major River Valley towns agreed to begin seriously looking at a possible merger of the towns’ three police departments.
Thursday night’s regionalization meeting was the first in nearly six months, and many thought the same as Dixfield Selectman Eugene Skibitsky.
“Seems like we all want to give regionalism a try and I think we should move forward. We should decide to take a department and regionalize it. Let’s decide that tonight,” he said.
Other potential areas for regionalization were considered, including public works, recreation and fire departments; a regionwide arts initiative; and the sharing of a code enforcement officers. And some of those may yet give shared services a try, partially or completely, in the future, but for now the focus is on the three police departments.
“The police department would be the easier one to tackle. Rumford would see an immediate savings,” Rumford Town Manager Steve Eldridge said.
Tony Carter, chairman of the Dixfield Board of Selectmen, said he favored regionalization in many areas.
“It doesn’t fit every department, but if we don’t start the (regionalism) process now, we’ll go broke,” he said. Later, he emphatically agreed that the first place to try would be the police department.
Right now, the three towns with a total population of about 12,000 people employ more than 20 police officers, including a police chief for each of the three towns.
Statistics provided at the previous regionalization meeting in the spring showed that nearly $1.8 million was spent during the last fiscal year for police coverage. Merging the three departments may result in cost savings. Rumford spends nearly $190 per capita for police coverage; Mexico spends $111, and Dixfield spends $96 per capita.
A study of the advantages, disadvantages, logistics and other components of a possible merger will begin at 6 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Mexico town hall. At that meeting, a strategy will be developed for a thorough study.
Plans are for the selectmen and town managers from the three towns to meet monthly in alternating towns to discuss progress and problems for the possible merger.
Eldridge said he didn’t know when such a merger would be complete.
He said the Rumford Police Department believes a merger can be done effectively with improved police coverage and service.
Rumford Selectman Jim Rinaldo suggested that once the departments of the three major towns merge, and if it is shown to be successful, then the smaller towns would be able to decide whether they want to join.
Rumford is currently searching for a new police chief to take over from Chief Timothy Bourassa, who will retire on Dec. 23.
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