Finance Committee approves FY27 budgets for police and town operations
Manchester Finance Committee approves $2.2M police budget amid recruitment crisis. The Finance Committee unanimously approved the Police Department's FY27 budget of $2,241,755 (salaries $2,109,655, expenses $132,100) alongside budgets for town clerk ($167,752), election and registration ($47,843),
Finance Committee · Meeting of January 15, 2026
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA — Manchester Finance Committee approves $2.2M police budget amid recruitment crisis. The Finance Committee unanimously approved the Police Department's FY27 budget of $2,241,755 (salaries $2,109,655, expenses $132,100) alongside budgets for town clerk ($167,752), election and registration ($47,843), parking enforcement ($70,831), and animal control ($16,215). Police Chief Fitzgerald reported the department is down two full-time officers with persistent recruitment difficulties amplified by police reform requirements that convert trained reserve officers into "free agents" sought by other departments.
Mental health calls have doubled, reaching their highest levels in 15 years; maintaining minimum contractual coverage requires 13 patrol officers but the ideal complement would be 17 to reduce overtime demands.
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Source: the Finance Committee meeting of January 15, 2026, compiled from the official minutes.
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