HADLEY — Ongoing staffing challenges for small-town police departments, which in Hadley included four officers departing over a recent three-month period for higher-paid work, is prompting officials to consider a significant investment in public safety.
In a preliminary unveiling of a fiscal year 2023 budget that could be brought to annual Town Meeting in May, Town Administrator Carolyn Brennan told the Select Board and Finance Committee on Wednesday that a difficult public safety environment is the reason she is proposing to increase spending.
“We are seeing extremely high turnover. We’ve got to address that,” Brennan said.
When officers depart, she said, there are major costs to Hadley to find replacements, including sending officers for academy training.
Current projections show a town budget of $19.42 million, a $1.18 million, or 6.5% increase, from this year’s $18.25 million budget.
Brennan has put together a budget that would feature a $219,808 bump in wages for police officers, firefighters and emergency dispatchers. The spending would be part of an overall $375,478 increase in public safety spending next year, from $2.95 million to $3.33 million.
The town would also invest $22,484 in hiring a health agent. Brennan said this position is important to make sure restaurants in town are inspected and providing safe food to customers.
The municipal operating budget is $812,938 short of having enough revenues to cover expenses. Treasurer Linda Sanderson said the current thinking is to apply $409,566 from free cash and $400,000 from American Recovery Plan Act revenue to present a balanced budget to voters.
