ANDOVER — Fearful next year's budget crunch could lead to employee layoffs, Selectman Mary Lyman wants to keep town payroll costs in check by imposing a hiring freeze.
Lyman said she is putting together a proposal that, if approved by selectmen on Jan. 5, would prevent all non-public-safety job openings from being filled.
The freeze would remain in effect for an indefinite time period.
Under the proposal, Town Manager Reginald "Buzz" Stapczynski also would be required to consult with the Board of Selectmen before hiring new police officers or firefighters.
Lyman said other non-public-safety vacancies would go unfilled.
With local aid from the state expected to be down 10 to 15 percent next year, the hiring freeze proposal appears to have the support of other selectmen.
"I think it's the right thing to do, or at least the right thing to consider," said Selectmen Alex Vispoli. "I think we've got to prepare for it."
Added Selectman Jerry Stabile, "We're getting ready for what's coming."
This year's operating budget was built with the equivalent of 1,147 full-time employees, 791 of them working for the school department.
Under a spending and hiring freeze that went into effect Dec. 18, Superintendent Claudia Bach said every vacancy and purchase order for the schools will be scrutinized.
"We'll look at all (open) positions," said Bach. "We will look at vacancies ... and ask if we have to absolutely fill that position."
School Committee member Tony James said the enforcement of a hiring freeze makes sense.
"Certainly prospects for 2010 look to be sobering," James said.
Under the school department's hiring freeze, exceptions may be made for hiring positions like classroom teachers, assistants and nurses, if vacancies were to affect student health and safety or the delivery of instruction, according to Bach.
"Occasionally there are some things that you have to do, if it involves public safety, or for example, special education, that legally we have to provide," said James. "Except for those unusual circumstances, the last thing we want to do is hire someone in the first half of the year and lay them off in the second half of the year and pay unemployment benefits."
