Public safety chiefs said the bulk of the stimulus money released to area cities and towns this week will help pay for police and firefighter overtime. But with overtime budgets increasingly in the red, the infusion of federal dollars is expected to have a limited impact, they said.
"It's a partial quick fix," said Andover fire Chief Mike Mansfield.
Gov. Deval Patrick announced on Monday the release of $17.8 million in stimulus funding to police and fire departments across the state. Just under $530,000 will be spread among the fire departments in Andover, Lawrence and Methuen, and an additional $200,000 will go to the Lawrence Police Department.
In Haverhill, the Fire Department will receive $263,000 and the Police Department $64,000.
Lawrence police Chief John Romero said he will use the money to supplement his overtime budget, which was cut from $1.2 million last year to $480,000 in the fiscal year beginning July 1. Of that total, Romero said about $280,000 is already tied up for holidays and other contractual days off, leaving just $200,000 this year for unanticipated overtime shifts.
As a result, Romero said the Police Department is running an overtime deficit. He originally requested $878,000 in stimulus money to help close it.
"We're appreciative that we got anything, but it's going to be a tough road for us," said Romero. "We needed about $400,000 to continue operating the way we operate. We're really going to have to look at what we do and how we do it."
To close the overtime deficit and balance the Police Department budget, Romero said officers assigned to specialized units ranging from gangs to automobile theft may be reassigned to regular patrols.
Lawrence fire Chief Peter Takvorian said his department's $198,000 could be enough to reopen either the Prospect or Tower Hill fire stations, if it's combined with a supplemental overtime appropriation of up to $271,000 that was approved by the City Council.
But with additional stimulus money possibly coming to the Fire Department as early as next month, Lawrence Budget and Finance Director Mark Andrews said the city will wait to see how much money must be transferred to help address the Fire Department's overtime deficit.
"Let's use these dollars first and our dollars last," Andrews said. "Why would the city use, in difficult financial circumstances, local dollars when we know we have a good chance to get federal dollars to help us?"
The Lawrence Fire Department already accepted $537,000 in stimulus money earlier this month and used it to rehire eight firefighters on Nov. 15. Eight Lawrence firefighters were laid off Aug. 13, but continued to receive full pay while their releases were appealed.
In Andover, Mansfield said the $98,000 awarded to the Fire Department will be used to offset a $133,000 reduction in his overtime budget compared with last year's funding.
Mansfield said Andover was eligible for the money because the department has an overtime deficit and because he has been unable to fill three vacancies caused by recent retirements.
"I'm being really cautious about what moves I'm going to make to use that funding," Mansfield said. "The $98,000 is great. I'm elated that the state awarded us the money, but it's not near enough to fill the (overtime deficit) we have."
The Methuen Fire Department was awarded $231,000 this week, after already receiving $205,000 last month to rehire three laid-off firefighters.
Methuen fire Chief Steven Buote could not be reached for comment.
In Haverhill, the stimulus money will be used to hire three firefighters and retain two police officers slated to be laid off as soon as this month. The firefighter hires will allow the city to keep the Bradford fire station on Route 125 open for at least several months and possibly until the end of the fiscal year in June, according to Mayor James Fiorentini.
Without the money, the city planned to close the station in January or February.
