RANGELEY — During the Tuesday, Jan. 21 Board of Selectmen meeting, Town Manager Joe Roach said an agenda item addressing the police budget was a place holder and a plan was being considered for moving forward. Information included in the meeting packet indicated the budget prediction, based on current wages, reflected a deficit of approximately $95,000 by June 30, the end of the budget year.
A memo from Roach to the board explaining the budget status was also included in the packet. The memo stated, in part:
“The Town has been successful in recruiting a full roster for our Police Department. We have been operating on a 24/7 coverage model since last fall. The amount of overtime necessary to facilitate this level was not specifically budgeted for the FY ’25 (current year) budget.
A new Collective Bargaining Agreement was ratified last spring after the budget was adopted. The budget that is in place now was built using wage info from the previous CBA. This is normal practice in Rangeley during a time of contract negotiation.
The overtime and the increase in wages and benefits from the last contract to this contract could lead to an overdraft in the Police Department budget later in this fiscal year.”
The memo included information on how overages could be addressed, including calling a special town meeting or using a recurring Town Meeting Warrant Article in June to close the overdraft using the unassigned fund balance.
“I understand the long term goal of transitioning to 24/7 coverage,” said resident and newly-appointed Budget Committee member Ethna Thompson. “I can’t help but feel that management and department heads should be mindful that the current fiscal year budget is not designed to support that. As public servants entrusted with the responsibility of managing tax payer funds it is their duty, and yours, to ensure that expenses are made within the approved budget. This is not a simple overdraft but rather a significant overrun. In my opinion, given the magnitude of the size of the overrun, it is essential that the decision to exceed the budget be brought before voters at a special town meeting.”
Roach thanked Thompson for her input.
“When we have a plan for going forward, everyone will know,” he added.
The issue was addressed again during a budget committee meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 28, Roach clarified the difference in what was budgeted and the projected expenditures.
Again, a memo was distributed, which read, in part:
“Recruiting and retaining police officers is an incredibly difficult task in Maine. Many towns and law enforcement agencies are struggling to attract officers to fill vacancies. When we had the chance to hire three experienced Academy certified officers last fall, we did not let the opportunity pass us by. Waiting until a later date would have left gaps in coverage and likely would have left us in an unfavorable hiring position for the long term.
Our officers are working a rotating schedule of 24 hours on/48 hours off. Each week one officer works three shifts or 72 hours total. Since the inception of the 24/7 coverage model last fall, officers have been paid overtime for all hours worked beyond forty hours per week. This was necessary so that the Town would be compliant with our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Town is currently in discussions with the union regarding certain overtime and on-call provisions that should benefit officers and result in some financial relief for the Town. This discussion is ongoing and confidential in nature, however, when an agreement is reached we will release the details.”
During the budget meeting, Roach explained only 55 percent of the overall Police Department budget had been spent to date but the budget was on track to exceed the budget by approximately $95,000.
“Roughly $54,000 of that is the result of pay and benefit increases from contract to contract. The bulk of the rest of it is related to overtime associated with the schedule,” Roach said. “Just to be clear, this is not over budget. It is on track for going over budget. The main reason, as I see it, is primarily in contract to contract. What I mean by that is, outside of overtime, what an officer made in 2024 is less than what they are making in Fiscal Year 25. Wages were increased. It’s that way in public works and the fire department. The bulk of the remainder is based on scheduled overtime.”
Roach’s memo concluded with, “I assure the Board, the Budget Committee, and the public that the projected overdraft is not a result of whimsical spending – it is, instead, a reflection of a serious approach to staffing our Police Department with experienced personnel in a remarkably tough hiring market. I am happy to discuss this with anyone who may have questions or concerns.”
Budget Committee member Cyndy Egan asked about officers sleeping during their shifts.
Roach said officers are taking rest breaks.
“They are available and they are responding to calls,” he added. “I can’t tell you what a great team we’ve got.”
“The state police doesn’t have 24 hour coverage. The warden service doesn’t have 24 hour coverage,” Egan said.
Roach said having an on-call officer was difficult because that position would need to be filled by someone who lived locally, or was willing and able to live locally.
To address the issue, Roach recommended in his memo to calling a special town meeting to request that any Police Department overdraft be closed from the unassigned fund balance. Selectmen are expected to decide how to handle the projected overage at their next meeting, Monday, Feb. 3 meeting.
Board of Selectmen Chair James Jannace said, “If there are people out there who have questions or concerns, please come to a meeting. I’ve been saying that all along.”
In other matters from the Jan. 21 selectmen’s meeting, the board voted in favor of accepting a $6500 donation from the Rangeley Firefighters Association to be used toward the purchase of a 2024 Skandic Sport 600E snowmobile for Rangeley Fire Rescue.
Mountain Side PowerSports of Wilton returned a quote of $14,757 for a 2025 Ski-Doo. A 2025 Polaris ProStar S4 Titan from Oquossoc Marine was quoted at $14,999.
The 2024 Skandic from Boss Power Equipment was quoted at $8,148, including a $1,000 trade in allowance for the department’s oldest snowmobile, a 2002 Polaris. The remaining $1,648 will be debited from the fire budget current equipment line item.
The request was first presented at the Jan. 6 board meeting with one quote from Boss Power Equipment. The board opted to table making a decision so that a variety of quotes could be gathered and reviewed.
Selectmen also voted in favor of accepting an updated Planning Fee Schedule the reflects increases in permit and board review fees. The schedule is reviewed by the board every January.
“We looked at other communities. It will help offset the administrative cost of the planning department,” said Code Enforcement Officer Breck Parker prior to the vote.
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