Finance Committee flags fire department budget gaps for FY27
Finance Committee flags fire department budget crisis. Interim Town Manager Joe Perkins reported that the FY27 fire department budget book lists 35 full-time staff but payroll records show 41 to 42 people, creating a 162,000-dollar shortfall between federal Safer Grant funding received and payroll
Finance Committee · Meeting of April 16, 2026
MIDDLEBOROUGH — Finance Committee flags fire department budget crisis. Interim Town Manager Joe Perkins reported that the FY27 fire department budget book lists 35 full-time staff but payroll records show 41 to 42 people, creating a 162,000-dollar shortfall between federal Safer Grant funding received and payroll costs. Overtime spending has exploded, reaching 895,445 dollars in FY25 against a 315,000-dollar budget and climbing to 700,000 dollars in just nine months of FY26.
The committee discussed but withdrew a motion to recommend a forensic audit, instead asking committee members to add a narrative letter to the budget book documenting the discrepancies.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 301 words
Source: the Finance Committee meeting of April 16, 2026, compiled from the official minutes.
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