Cost of a Police Officer
At
a recent budget workshop, a statement was made that the cost savings of
combining COA/Library/Veterans/Recreation & Culture into the
department of Community Services would generate roughly $20,000. One
selectmen felt this amount would be enough to fund a police officer by
the year 2019.
From the Gardner News article '
Debate split over
merger of COA and library directors" April 12, 2017:
"Selectmen
Chairman John Caplis noted that although Dianna Morrison has performed her job
well as Council on Aging director, selectmen “have to look at the entire
community as a whole.” In addition, he said he “looked at the future. I said
OK, it’s not just about today, or maybe tomorrow. It might be year from now or
two years from now. What happens with the cost savings that reflects from that
position back into the community? We’ve been talking about a police officer for
how many years?”
Caplis
said that based on the savings that would be created by combining the two
positions, the town would have the potential by the year 2019 of hiring a
full-time police officer who will have the opportunity to patrol the streets
and “make us all safe.” "
If
a savings of $20,000 were to be realized by merging departments, the
above statement ignores the fact that the savings is on a one year
basis. Something else will come along along the next fiscal year and
gobble up that savings. It always does.
As an aside, the cost of a police officer is much more than $20,000.
$20,000 might cover the benefit package for a FT police officer, but certainly not the salary and OT costs.
Now think about this ! After the last BOS/AC meeting Carter told Julie and myself that the budget that the BOS has been working on for this coming ATM is not sustainable for next year. He said we could close the Senior Center and knock off a couple of smaller departments to make ends meet next year. So, why in hell are we working on a budget like this one ? How does our Accountant think we will manage ? Where will the money come from that is needed to go along with a bond rating to satisfy any decent bank ! Sorry, a bond rating alone will not cut it ! If you stick around long enough, you learn the truth about how things work. I unfortunately have a few more miles on me, than our Town Accountant and I graduated from the school of hard knocks. I do know we do not need another rookie on the BOS, sitting at a seat shell chocked, trying to figure out what is going on for the next two or three years ! Bev.
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