MARBLEHEAD — At a Finance Committee Select Board Liaison meeting, the Fiscal Year 2025 and 2026 budgets were discussed for the finance and police departments.
Finance Director Aleesha Benjamin said that changes had been made with respect to each department’s budget. She said the meeting primarily focused on examining per-person salary costs, which includes health insurance.
For FY25, Benjamin said that the Police Department had been reduced, with one officer being removed, making a total of 31 officers.
Benjamin also said that in the future, the Police Department “would like additional training funds for the officers.“
Last year, Benjamin said, the Finance Department reallocated funds by replacing the position of financial analyst with that of a senior clerk, fully staffing the Treasurer Collector Division of the Finance Department.
Benjamin said that the budgets for both departments are inclusive of both non-union and union employees, with their budgets having been adjusted to account for estimated cost of living expenses and “contractual step increases.”
The increases align with union contractual requirements, which include an estimated 2% cost of living adjustment.
Both the finance and police departments have submitted preliminary FY26 budgets, but they are pending approval and possible adjustment from the town administrator and finance director.
