West Bridgewater Finance Committee Reorganizes, Hears Requests Including New Firefighter

WEST BRIDGEWATER -- February 6, 2025, West Bridgewater Finance Committee opens budget season with new firefighter request and unresolved waste disposal contract. The committee, meeting February 6, reorganized unanimously, retaining existing leadership before receiving budget presentations from five departments. The Fire Chief, whose name was not captured in the audio, requested a 10.9 percent increase in the permanent salaries line to add a 23rd full-time firefighter, the final hire in a three-year phased staffing plan, partially offset by a $20,000 reduction in overtime recall costs; he noted January 2025 call volume exceeded 200 incidents against a prior monthly average of roughly 158. DPW Director Phil disclosed that the town's 10-year waste hauling and disposal contract, which contained no escalation clause, expired in December 2024 and is in its fourth round of renegotiation, meaning the disposal line in his budget remains a placeholder pending Select Board ratification of a new agreement. Treasurer-Collector flagged a postage line request of $16,500, noting she had already spent $14,000 by the end of January, and confirmed the town holds the second-highest available credit rating despite no formal review in four years.