SWAMPSCOTT — The Select Board voted unanimously to accept $731,586 in general-fund appropriation transfers for the final quarter of fiscal year 2024, but not before having an extensive discussion about certain rates.
Board Chair MaryEllen Fletcher first brought the cost of Fire Department personnel, which is nearly $340,000, to her peers’ attention.
“I have to be honest with this board, I am very alarmed by how high these numbers are and I am super concerned about what’s happening here,” Fletcher said. “I think this is the highest I’ve ever seen it.”
She contrasted that with the Department of Public Works, the budget of which had to be frozen in January, resulting in a decrease of $50,000 to the total amount it was allowed to spend.
In June, Fire Chief Graham Archer informed the board that his department had three vacancies. Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald said that filling just one vacancy can be a financial burden.
“If you have one position that’s out, you’re backfilling for that position at that salary plus overtime,” Fitzgerald said. “These are difficult departments in terms of the physical and overall impact that public safety has on our staff… We’re going to see some significant overtime.”
Board member Doug Thompson called for greater detail in quarterly reports that provide an explanation for the department’s expenses.
Fitzgerald also revealed during Tuesday’s meeting that the town was able to decrease its legal-fee deficit of $250,000 by $50,000 through renegotiations with its counsel, KP Law.
“We do have insurance that covers some of the legal claims that come before the town,” Director of Finance and Administration Amy Sarro said. “I just don’t want public concern that there’s a runaway train of legal expenses.”
In recent years, the town counsel’s contract structure changed from a retainership to billable hours.
“We’ve been busy,” Fitzgerald said about the recent legal activity of Swampscott.
