By CHRIS FROST
Eagle Times News Editor
WINDSOR, VT — Windsor’s Select Board has its work cut out for it if the town’s residents are to avoid a 15% tax hike.
That’s the message that Chair Jeffrey Johnson shared with the board Tuesday.
“We obviously don’t want to increase the budget by almost 15%, which has been written in,” she said. “I think we’re going to have to do some serious work to make this work for our town.”
The budget is being driven by staffing and wages at the police department.
“The increase in the budget came from a union-mandated element,” said Police Chief Jennifer Frank. “This year, the union presented to the town, and the select board, for an increase in wages so we could become more comparable to our nearby agencies. We have a compliment of 10 full-time officers supplemented by part-time officers, a crossing guard and some specials who help us with special detail.”
She said the department has lost people because other communities pay higher wages to officers. Now that the department is paying higher wages, officers who left have returned, she said.
Frank said 9% of the police budget is for dispatch through Hartford Emergency Communications.
“People look at that and say it’s a large chunk of money that goes to police services,” she said. “When someone calls 911 and calls the police department, and on a night like tonight, everyone is on the road, and the call goes to Hartford, and they’re going to answer that call.”
She said another 3% goes toward vehicle loans.
“Our cruisers typically go five years, and those cruisers are cycled out to a new cruiser,” she said. “Gas is 2%, and everything else is 1% or less.”
She said wages account for 80% of the police budget.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Frank said. “The value of your agency is the people you have, not the stuff you have.”
She said the remainder of the budget doesn’t have a significant change and has decreased slightly in places.
Staffing was also up for discussion with the rec department. Rec Director James Aldridge said they’re in charge of the fairgrounds, Kennedy’s Park and the dog park.
“We also take care of the Common, and the Common has been there since the early 1900s,” he said, adding that the expanded dog park and playground means more upkeep. “The more we do on Kennedy’s Pond, the more upkeep we have. That’s where three full-time staff are.”
He said during summer, the Town of Windsor has 12-18 staff members working at summer camp, night shift workers, weekend help and working as lifeguards.
“My guys are part of the union, as well,” said Aldridge. “They don’t pay dues, but they are part of it. That’s why there’s an 8% increase in wages. There was a 3% as soon as the fiscal year that happened in October, and there was an extra 5% rate increase. That’s 8% right there. I’m not part of the union.”
He said the minimum wage keeps rising, and when he first started at the Rec Center, the wage was $7.25 per hour.
“This year, yesterday, it went to $13.67,” Aldridge said. “We have to keep up with that for our part-time staff, or we’re not going to get everybody.”
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