SAUGUS – The Finance Committee declined to support an article seeking $10,000 in funding for the Police Department and if Town Meeting follows its lead, it could lead to problems.In Article 11 Town Manager Andrew Bisignani is seeking $10,000 to fund two part time positions within the Police Department. Bisignani said $4,000 would be used to pay for part time help in the records department while $6,000 would fund a parking officer for the rest of the fiscal year.Bisignani said it frustrated him to see the committee not support funding for a parking clerk after Town Meeting approved the appointment last spring.He said at least one Finance Committee member was upset the position wasn’t in the budget but Bisignani said the issue was still in litigation when the budget was settled.Initially the Patrolmen’s Union fought the idea of a parking clerk but Bisignani negotiated a deal and won its approval. He then hired Angelo Serino to work 19 hours per week and Serino, he said, has brought in $22,600 in six weeks.”That’s pretty good,” Bisignani said. “This is an issue of public safety and it’s a revenue stream and it’s not like we’re hitting people over the head. If you don’t want a ticket, don’t park illegally.”While Bisignani finds the parking clerk situation frustrating it’s the part time help in the records department that could lead to trouble.When the records clerk went out on disability last year the record keeping at the Police Station began to back up. Bisignani said his office began receiving calls from attorneys and insurance companies that couldn’t obtain the police records needed for various claims or lawsuits.Police Chief Domenic DiMella said the office was all but closed for nearly six months and even now is subject to close if the one clerk calls in sick or takes a vacation day.”It’s essentially like shutting down your service department,” DiMella said. “The most contact with the public is done in records, we need someone in there.”Finance Committee member Ken DePato asked DiMella last week why, if the position was so important, it wasn’t in the budget or raised before.Bisignani said he was unaware of the severity of the issue until DiMella brought it to his attention.DiMella said as a detective he saw the office was closed often but it wasn’t until he became chief in August that he realized it was only open four to six hours per week.”That just didn’t cut it and I went to the manager with the request,” he said.While the Finance Committee declined to spend the money the ultimate decision sits in the hands of Town Meeting, which will meet for a special meeting Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall.”It could lead to litigation,” Bisignani said. “If people can’t get the records they need it could lead to litigation.”