Proposal cuts assistant fire chief position, merges the town with county emergency dispatch, and closes municipal offices on Fridays.

With a crowded council chambers filled with public safety employees nervous about their future, Windham Town Manager Tony Plante Tuesday night presented to the town council a budget proposal that eliminates an assistant fire chief position, merges the town with county emergency dispatch, and closes municipal offices on Fridays.

After getting much input from fellow department heads, Plante presented a flat-funded municipal budget that he said takes into account the “new normal” of reduced revenues brought on by the economic recession and acts as a starting point for further budget discussions.

Plante’s proposed 2011 municipal budget is $13.72 million, which is 0.9 percent less than 2010’s budget, he said. But, because Plante is forecasting lower projected revenues from such sources as building permits and excise taxes, the budget would increase property tax rates 4 cents per thousand of valuation, or about 1 percent, Plante said.

Jason Burke, Windham police officer and police union representative, said of the budget, “The Windham Police Association recognizes the significant financial challenges facing the town of Windham and its taxpayers. We seek the opportunity to work with the town to ensure that the citizens of Windham receive the best police and dispatch services possible while at the same time, not sacrifice the safety of our officers. Certainly, the announcement of moving Dispatch services to Cumberland County has been cause for great concern to us and we feel it is important to have the opportunity to discuss this issue further with the town.”

After the meeting, Plante framed the budget proposal as a starting point for discussion.

“If you have less and less money, and it costs more and more to do it, at some point you reach a breaking point and you either have to do less of it, you have to make due with less of it, or you have to spend more to get it. That’s what it really boils down to,” Plante said after the meeting. “And if what my budget represents is one way for people to get a look at what that means, if that spurs them into action, that’s what it’s all about.

Under the proposal, Plante said there would be some “big changes” in the way Windham would provide services. With rising fuel and insurance costs, these changes would affect multiple departments.

Because town employees knew cuts could be severe in the lead-up to the budget presentation Tuesday night, Plante said times are tough at town hall.

“Telling people they might not have jobs, it’s not fun. As hard as it is for me, I’m sure it’s much harder for them. At this point, the only thing that has happened is I’ve presented a budget to the council. They still have jobs. I expect, and I have no doubt, they will continue to do their work. That’s what they’re here to do. But it’s very difficult knowing that you may not have a job come July 1,” Plante said.

One person who may lose his job, Deputy Fire Chief John Wescott, rose to address the pared-down budget and said the cuts would be felt by townspeople.

After the meeting, Wescott said, “I think the cuts across the board are too deep. And I think eventually in the end it’s going to impact the town. It’s going to impact our customers, police and fire on both sides. It will have a major impact. Crime’s going up, fire’s don’t stop, and EMS calls are going through the roof. And when you take the command and control staff away, it makes it tough on the citizens and they’re our ultimate customers, our tax payers … And I assume the fire chief is going to become a lot busier than he already is.”

At the meeting, Councilor Carol Waig voiced her dissatisfaction with proposed cuts to fire and rescue as well. “I think that cutting that (deputy chief position) is going to compromise the town, as is moving dispatch to county,” she said.

Jason Burke, Windham police officer and police union representative, said of the budget, “The Windham Police Association recognizes the significant financial challenges facing the town of Windham and its taxpayers. We seek the opportunity to work with the town to ensure that the citizens of Windham receive the best police and dispatch services possible while at the same time, not sacrifice the safety of our officers. Certainly, the announcement of moving Dispatch services to Cumberland County has been cause for great concern to us and we feel it is important to have the opportunity to discuss this issue further with the town.”

After the meeting, Plante addressed the concerns Waig, Wescott and Councilor Donna Chapman voiced during the meeting.

“I respect John Wescott as deputy fire chief. There’s no question that the position brings value to the department. I was one of the people who advocated for it in the first place nine or 10 years ago. And now to be put in the position that among the options available to me, one of them is eliminating that position doesn’t mean I think eliminating that position is a good idea. I don’t. But given all of the other available choices and looking at all the needs of the community, I made the choices I made,” Plante said. “When times get tough maybe you have to say some of the things I advocated for and believed in and still believe in as having value to the community, I’ve got to give up, and does that impact real live people, with real live families? Yeah it does. And that’s not easy. But they don’t pay me to do just the stuff that’s easy.”

Windham public safety employees listen as Town Manager Tony Plante presents his budget Tuesday night. In an effort to withstand the current economic crunch, Plante is proposing the town merge dispatch with Cumberland County, close town offices on Fridays, and cut positions and services throughout town government. (Staff photo by John Balentine)