FROM THE NEWSROOM: The Putnam Special Services District Board Monday heard concerns from Police Chief Rick Hayes about the amount of money that is spent directly from the district budget on police coverage for events. Hayes says that about half of the polices overtime budget was spent covering events in the downtown Putnam area this year, and is looking for the financial burden to be at least partially lifted off of the Special Services Districts budget. Chief Hayes said that $23,000 of the $46,000 budget allocated for overtime was used to establish a police presence at these events. He believes that these costs can be partially mitigated if the financial burden is shifted away from the Special Services District with the help of the Board of Selectmen. Hayes also believes that because there has been an increasing number of events in Putnam that require policing, the future costs associated with those events for the police need to be addressed. District Chairman Gerry Cotnoir also says it is common for larger municipalities to have events that require a parade permit, which would include paying for a police service. However, many of the events are sponsored by the town, which is why the Special Services District will approach the Board of Selectmen to see if there are other ways to pay for police protection. Both Cotnoir and Hayes believe that because the entire town enjoys the events, the tax burden should not rest solely on the taxpayers of the Special Services District, but instead should be distributed throughout the towns budget. Tune in for the full report.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 12:31:40 +0000
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