Date: 3/15/2021
Get ready for an increase in the fire tax. At the Feb. 24 Prudential Committee Meeting, the Fire Chief proposed adding two additional Advance Life Support (ALS) paramedics to the Fire Department, bringing the contingent up to 24 full-time positions.
While the chief stated that the combined salary of both positions would add $124,590 to the fire department payroll, which includes salary consisting of $101,119 plus vacation buyback, $2,778 plus holiday pay, $5,093 plus stipend, $15,600 equals $124,590, he did not originally take into consideration the high cost of other ongoing benefits for adding these two positions as confirmed later by the fire chief and the clerk/treasurer.
Other costs that must be added to the calculation are: drills, $3,919, uniforms, $1,200, health insurance, $35,161, dental insurance, $3,321, life insurance, $128 and retirement, $43,729. This brings the total cost of adding two paramedics to a whopping $212,048. This still doesn’t take into account overtime, step raises, other post employment benefits (OPEB), retirement rate increases and FY2022 contract negotiations.
Guess where the money to fund these two positions is coming from? The answer is YOU in the form of increased fire taxes. These two positions were already voted on and added to the FY2022 budget by the Prudential Committee chairman and the Prudential Committee clerk. It was a two to one vote with no outside public input or any public written justification. Public safety is one thing, but fiscal responsibility is another. These costs represent a 6 to 7 percent increase in the FY2022 spending at a time when people in town are struggling to pay their bills. How much more can people afford to pay? These are questions that you might want to ask of the Prudential Committee chairman, and PC clerk along with the clerk/treasurer and the fire chief. Furthermore, these two new paramedic positions and all their associated costs should be listed as a separate warrant article at the district meeting for an up or down vote.
Please consider attending the annual district meeting to be held on April 14th at 6 p.m. at the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School located at 15 Mulligan Drive and voice your opposition to these actions.
Michael J. Wozniak
Former Prudential Committee Chairman
