Waldoboro selectmen have charged Waldoboro Police Chief Bill Labombarde with the task of cutting $110,000 from the police budget, which Labombarde said might require cutting one, and perhaps two, police officers.
After an impassioned plea by the chief to not make up the needed budget cut of $110,000, “on the backs of the police department,” the selectmen voted 3-2 to do just that.
The crux of the Waldoboro Board of Selectmen’s meeting July 9 addressed two of the three failed budget articles from the referendum vote of June 11, specifically, Article 7 – asking for $249,160 for the finance and customer service department; and Article 11 – the police budget of $641,585.
Selectman Ron Miller said he believes the article would have passed if it were broken “out so people would know what it [$249,160] included.”
“It is important for me to make it clear that the finance director is responsible for overseeing customer service, and I feel more strongly than I did a year ago, that we’re trying to foster a team approach and I strongly urge you defeat this motion,” Town Manager John Spear said.
The selectmen voted to carry the motion, however, 3 to 2 splitting the department into two budgets.
Selectman Ron Miller led the charge in favor of reducing police coverage, arguing the cut will not compromise public or police officer safety, as Labombarde contends, but would simply be a “reduction in services.”
Selectman James Bodman pointed out that just because certain articles failed, it did not mean the voters were singling out one budget item over another.
Bodman suggested any cuts should be evenly distributed throughout the entire budget, and cutting the required $110,000 shortfall from the police budget alone was “irresponsible and not well thought-out,” he said.
Miller, with numbers in hand, said in “2007, it [the police department budget] was $363,379 and has gone up to what’s proposed at $641,585, and I don’t believe we live in a city environment and dangerous crime rate is that high, and all this is going to do is cut services.”
Spear said, “For the record, I don’t dispute the numbers but there have been changes in the budget format.”
Spear explained previously, benefits were broken out of the police department budget, which now translates to adding a total of $190,000 to the police line. Additionally a resource officer was added at the high school, with part of his salary reimbursed.
“I’m not saying it hasn’t gone up, but I want to be clear that $190,000 of that” is benefits – cost of living and more, Spear said.
“But it has progressively gone up and all of a sudden a huge increase when we added a detective,” Miller said.
Searching for words, Labombarde said, “Boy, that one took me by surprise by cutting the deficit on the backs of the police department. So, we lost 28 hours of Mel’s [Melody Tracy] service last year, and leaving her only helping us out for 12 hours a week; and this year your recommendation is to cut two more officers. I think that is irresponsible, with all due respect.”
Labombarde spoke of a 1998 and 2008 study that recommended considering the size of Waldoboro, its population, crime rate and calls to service, according to the Department of Justice, the department should have 8.64 officers.
“The gradual increase is the cost of living, cost of doing business…everything. We’ve cut and there’s nothing else to cut to maintain the level of service that Waldoboro residents want, and by reducing number of officers you create a public safety issue and an officer safety issue – not a good idea,” Labombarde said.
Addressing the argument that Waldoboro taxpayers are paying for Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Maine State Police services, and getting little for tax dollars, Labombarde said comparing Waldoboro’s average response time of 10.3 minutes and considering the average yearly calls for service are more than 6800, and the budget shortfall equals about $10 per Waldoboro household, the recommendation is irresponsible.
Emergency Technician Mike Poli, worried about lack of police coverage, addressed the selectmen and said during certain emergencies, “If there is no officer there, EMS doesn’t roll for possible suicide and domestic violence, and elderly people do accidentally overdose. We can’t leave that barn without police.”
In his report, Spear said “he [the candidate] would have been an excellent candidate and I believe this position is critical.” Spear also said existing CEO Stan Waltz would “stay on for a while.”
Bodman asked if the candidate gave a reason for withdrawal.
“I think it involved, and I don’t want to mis-characterize, but there are certain budget uncertainties here, and an improving budget at his current position,” Spear said.
In a quick Waldoboro Day wrap-up report, Spear said the public works overtime for the event was “excessive at 29.5 hours for three individuals” and recommends the selectmen address the issue before Waldoboro Day 2014.
“I would request if the board wishes to eliminate our services for this day that we give Waldoboro Day advanced notice that we are going to reduce our presence so they can plan,” Spear said.
Waldoboro selectmen, in a follow up discussion to the finance and customer service department budget, considered a request by Spear to shorten the open hours of the town office
“People are working too many hours,” Spear said, calling the board’s attention to the length of time to close out the books at day’s end, when sometimes residents come into conduct business at “two minutes to five o’clock.”
Though Spear said it was not necessary for the selectmen to vote, he sought opinion and the decision was made to close the counter at 4:30 p.m., giving the staff time to “properly” cash out. It was not discussed when this change would take effect.
Before adjourning, the selectmen discussed the next step in the budget process, setting a date for the budget committee to meet as Tuesday, July 23 at 6 p.m., on the road to scheduling another referendum vote to pass a budget.
