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Published: 7/12/2021 4:42:25 PM
The Wilton Select Board continued its discussion on police salaries in a mostly non-public work session on Friday.
The board scheduled the special work session after its meeting last week, where it discussed with Police Chief Eric Olesen a proposal to increase starting pay for the town’s police officers.
During Town Meeting in June, Olesen requested an amendment to increase the Police Department budget by $30,000, specifically for the purpose of recruitment of new officers and retention of the current staff.
Olesen presented the Select Board with a proposal for a new pay scale last week. But while the new salaries would stay within the current year’s budget for the police department if implemented now, it depended upon funds from empty department positions to make up the difference. If those positions were filled, the Select Board determined the ongoing additional cost to the department would far exceed a $30,000 annual increase.
Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
Published: 6/11/2021 11:31:08 AM
Wilton voters raised the proposed budget by $30,000 for increased police salaries to attract and retain police officers during Town Meeting on Thursday
Wilton voters met outside on Thursday evening in front of Florence Rideout Elementary School, to complete the in-person Town Meeting, which was set at a later date than usual due to COVID-19 considerations.
The first matter of business for the town was the budget, set this year at $5,259,397. However, after an introduction to the proposed budget, Police Chief Eric Olesen proposed a $30,000 addition, to be used for police salaries. He said police departments across the state are in a “critical situation” in trying to hire and retain officers.