Finance Committee flags fire department budget gaps for FY27
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, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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