Contractual obligations limit fire, police budgets as chiefs try to meet FY 27 targets

The Milford Select Board on April 6 expressed discouragement over proposed service reductions in the fire and police budgets as both departments work with the town’s finance director to meet budgeting targets for fiscal year 2027.

The board held a hearing with finance director Zachary Taylor as well as Milford Fire Chief Mark Nelson and Police Chief Robert Tusino to hear the departments’ budget recommendations. Taylor began the discussion noting that he has been working across town departments and boards to aim the overall budget at a 2.5% increase.

“We seem to be on target,” Taylor noted, adding that the town has not met such a number “in some time now.” He also commended the fire and police chiefs for their collaboration in developing budgets that meet the guidelines the town has set.

Nelson presented an overview of the MFD’s proposed FY 27 budget, stressing that it was not a cut in spending but a reduction in services. “We’re still increasing the budget by 3%, we’re just staying within the parameters,” he explained.

The MFD contractually is mandated to cover an 8% increase in its salary line item. In order to pay for that and other expenses, Nelson said he will have to take from the department’s overtime budget. He also will maintain two open firefighter positions but will not fill them during FY 27. Money otherwise allocated to fund benefits for those positions will help “lessen the blow in losing the overtime,” he said.

Additionally, the department will cut back on one firefighter in its staffing. “The downside to that is the loss of two people on the ladder truck,” Nelson said, noting the additional personnel on the truck was a recent improvement the MFD made.

Tusino noted a similar impact on the police department’s budget. “The increases in [our] budget are strictly contractual,” he said of the MPD’s FY 27 budget. “Not a dime went anywhere else.”

The department plans to cut back on its vehicle allotment and delay other changes it has been looking to make. Tusino noted he would have to delay adding a third school resource officer and put a traffic enforcement unit on the backburner. He added that overtime is unforeseen, and that there are no guarantees a major incident won’t drive up overtime costs or other incidental expenses.

“If that happens, you do what you got to do,” Taylor assured Tusino, Nelson and the board. “Leave the financing to me to figure out.”

Board member Matthew Walsh commended the chiefs on their work to meet the budgeting restrictions but called the results “discouraging.” He worried that town emergency services would be moving to a more reactive approach instead of proactive. 

“It makes me very nervous,” he said regarding the cuts to personnel on the ladder truck.

Member Paul Mazzuchelli agreed with Walsh’s sentiments. “We can’t put people’s lives and health and safety in jeopardy over — when you really come right down to it — a few extra dollars,” he said.

Walsh, along with chair Thomas O’Loughlin, expressed hope that there would be opportunities to revisit funding for the police and fire departments later in the year.

Following the discussion, the Select Board voted to approve the proposed fire and police budget.