Call for funding police, fire OT
Town official cites public safety gaps
Gaps in police and fire coverage in Saugus could ease if Special Town Meeting voters approve up to $350,000 in overtime funds from new money made available because last year's budget deficit was $1.1 million less than originally estimated.
Town Manager Andrew R. Bisignani proposes increasing the police overtime account by $150,000 or $200,000, and the Fire Department's account by $150,000 to help improve staffing that has fallen below minimum standards in each department.
"We have a crisis, particularly in the Police Department," Bisignani said. The department doesn't have enough officers on the street, he said. "It's a safety issue."
Bisignani said the extra $150,000 should allow the Essex Street Fire Station to remain open until January. The station closed on Aug. 14 for the first time this fiscal year, when staffing fell below the minimum requirement. "It won't solve all the problems of either department," he said. "But it will give them more money for overtime. Public safety is my priority."
Bisignani also proposes appropriating $150,000 for the Saugus school system. This year's budget for the schools is $3 million less than last year.
An additional $100,000 would go to the town's unemployment compensation account, which covers costs related to the layoffs of dozens of town employees this fiscal year. Additional funds would go to other departments, including public works, he said.
The new funding request will be presented Monday during Special Town Meeting, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall.
The town's Finance Committee was scheduled to review Bisignani's request last night. "We'll make our recommendation to the Town Meeting," said Robert Palleschi, the Finance Committee's chairman. "It's ultimately their decision."
The proposal is the latest attempt by Saugus to stabilize town finances. The state Department of Revenue has told Saugus it must keep spending in line with revenues, or face possible intervention in the form of a control board. Voters in April rejected a $5.2 million property tax increase. Town Meeting later rejected a trash fee proposal aimed at increasing revenues. The result was widespread cuts to jobs and services for the fiscal year that started July 1.
The cuts included four patrolmen and two firefighters, and sharply reduced overtime funding for each department. Since then, both departments have struggled to cover shifts. In the Police Department, for example, staffing has fallen to four officers on duty, compared with the required seven, Bisignani said.
"It's a safety issue that confronts us daily," he said. "They don't have enough bodies to cover the shifts."
Lieutenant Michael Annese, a Police Department spokesman, and Fire Chief James Blanchard could not be reached for comment.
Saugus originally expected to have a $3 million deficit for the fiscal year that ended June 30. But healthcare costs went down in May and June, and revenues went up in some accounts, such as permit fees. As a result, the actual deficit for fiscal year 2007 was $1.9 million, Bisignani said.
The $1.1 million difference will be used to stabilize finances, and increase appropriations, for the current fiscal year. Bisignani proposes setting aside $400,000 to cover any deficits that could arise if local receipts, such as building permit fees, fall short of projections, he said.
"I'd like us to be more conservative with our budget estimates," Bisignani said. "The economy is not going in a positive direction. There is not a lot of building going on. The interest rates just dropped. People are not buying new cars. . . . That all has an effect on our budget."
Bisignani is not requesting any additional funding for the struggling Saugus Public Library. "I have to prioritize," Bisignani said. "My priority now is public safety."
Jean Bartolo, chairwoman of the library trustees, could not be reached for comment.
The library now is open 18 1/2 hours per week, after Town Meeting approved a sharply reduced figure, $277,271, for its operations this year. The library director recently resigned, but an interim director has been appointed, Bisignani said.
After voters rejected the tax increase this spring, the library was closed to the public for six weeks while the staff prepared to mothball the building and shut down completely on July 1. The temporary closing prompted the state Board of Library Commissioners to revoke the library's certification, which is required for the town to receive library funds from the state.
The permanent closing was avoided when Town Meeting shaved enough money from other town accounts to keep it open on a limited schedule.
Now the state board has told trustees that the library should be open 50.4 hours per week by Labor Day, or risk not qualifying for state grant money.
The commissioners also threatened to make Saugus repay the balance of a $1 million state construction grant given to the town 10 years ago to build the new library.
"They have to get their hours back up," said David Gray, spokesman for the state Board of Library Commissioners. "If they hadn't actually closed, they would not have been decertified and this would not be an issue."
Kathy McCabe can be reached at kmccabe@globe.com. 