Fire department cuts and disagreement over Whitefield selectmen’s salaries dominated the final vote approving $946,109 for 2011-12 expenditures Tuesday evening.
Six of the seven budget committee members were present.
“They’ll fight it on the floor of town meeting,” said Selectman Frank Ober of voters weighing $7000 in fire department reductions. For uniforms $1000 was approved instead of the $2000 requested, and firefighter stipends were set at $10,000 instead of the requested $15,000.
In town administration, a cut from $4000 to $3000 in Ober’s and Selectman Sue McKeen’s pay prompted Ober to dissent. Last year the board sliced $1000 off their $5000 salaries. With two additional members coming on after March town meeting, the idea was to contain costs. Newcomers to the board will be paid $2000 and the chairman will continue to receive $4000.
Budget committee member Louis Sell, a volunteer in the Kings Mills Fire Association, supported retaining the $15,000 firefighter stipends. “I think it’s important for firefighters and the fire protection the town gets. I’m impressed seeing the increase in the turnout in the 10 years I’ve been in the fire department,” he added, praising the many young people who have joined.
Lester Sheaffer got no traction with his suggestion to move $5000 from the charity requests (American Red Cross, Healthy Kids, Spectrum Generations and others) into the stipend line.
Stipends are paid according to time spent on a call and are intended to help with gas expenses. Not all firefighters collect at year’s end.
Barry Tibbetts wondered if the number of individuals responding to such calls as a car off the road could be limited. Perhaps the officer in charge at the scene, he said, could indicate no further response is needed.
Jim Fitz-Patrick voiced a similar concern, referring to a Christmas Day fire in Pittston where 19 Whitefield firefighters showed up. “Did they need that many?” As a former fire department lieutenant in Vassalboro, he said “You can end up with a lot of firefighters standing around.”
Tibbetts said he believes the $73,000 bottom line for department expenses “reflects an enormous commitment on the part of the town of Whitefield to the fire service.”
Officers also receive the stipend. Fire chief Tim Pellerin received $460 last year, rescue chief Lynn Talacko received $1189, and deputy chief Scott Higgins received $380, for a total of almost $2000.
Deliberations on whether salaried officers should forego the stipends since all are getting raises faltered on the realization that EMT director Talacko, who is frequently called out, would actually take a pay cut. The budget provides for Talacko, currently paid nothing, to receive $1000.
Since the initial meeting in early January, the budget committee also slashed $4750 from cemetery costs.
Even with cuts the expense totals are $13,719 above the current $932,380 budget.
Committee members voted unanimously on all but three budget items; selectmen were divided only on their own salary question.
Town meeting is Sat., March 19 starting at 2 p.m. in the school gym.