By James Lomuscio
Next year’s police and fire department budgets seemed to please the Board of Finance as it pored over Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe’s proposed $79 million 2017-18 municipal budget Tuesday night.
Police Chief Foti Koskinas listens to Board of Finance members along with First Selectman Jim Marpe and Finance Director Gary Conrad. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
The proposed police budget of $8,141,397 represents a 0.5 percent decrease over the current year, and the $9,110,386 proposed fire budget is down 0.7 percent.
The Police Department decrease does not factor in salary changes as contract negotiations continue. Officers have been without a contract since June.
Still the first responder overall budgets seemed on target with Board of Finance Chairman Brian Stern’s zero-base budgeting directive as the town girds itself against the state’s fiscal malaise.
Even the Police Department’s Animal Control Division’s 1.9 percent bump up with a proposed $146,549 budget and its Emergency Medical Services unit’s’ 1 percent jump to $1,257,437 showed restraint.
Fire Department brass at the Board of Finance session included Chief Andrew Kingsbury, Deputy Chief Bob Kepchar, and Assistant Chief Rob Yost (r), who will succeed Kingsbury as chief later this month. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Brian Stern, finance board chairman, seemed pleased with the presentations by Police Chief Foti Koskinas and Fire Chief Andrew Kingsbury, thanking them both. He told Koskinas he runs “a very disciplined shop.”
Koskinas said that of the 12 new police hires, half were not taking medical benefits, which would have a long term positive impact on the town’s OPEB (other post employment benefits) obligations.
Kingsbury said that the number of firefighter injuries were down 54 percent, which translates into reduced workers’ compensation claims for the town.
He also said the department had a “very aggressive wellness program” for its staff, and that it has been very successful in getting state grants to offset equipment costs.
