By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — The Town Council’s budget review process continues as the board this week approved three more departmental budgets for FY2026, which begins July 1. All budgets are also scrutinized by the Finance Committee before going before the voters at the Annual Town Meeting on May 5.
This week, the Town Council approved the Police Department, Library Department and Information Technology Department budgets.
Assistant Town Administrator/Chief Financial Officer Kevin Gill presented each budget with new Town Accountant Elizabeth Rourke alongside. Department heads were also on hand to answer questions.
Gill said that the FY2026 police budget was increased by $417,216 for a total budget of $7,931,833. He said that the additional funding included contractual and negotiated salary increases as well as the addition of one uniformed officer.
With those exceptions, the Police budget was level funded, according to a memorandum submitted by the Finance Committee. The FinCom noted that the added officer was justified based on the complexity of calls and the anticipated increase in responses driven by the town’s growing population.
Councilor Jonathan Chines said that he supported the additional officer, calling it “a responsible budget.”
Police Chief Steven Skory added that he anticipates that as many as nine officers could retire in the next few years and having the additional officer helps to fill the gap considering the length of time that it takes to get new officers through the Police Academy and other training.
Selectman John Carney said that today’s Police Department is far superior to those of his youth in terms of the caliber and professionalism of the officers.
Skory agreed, “Character is everything,” he said. “They represent the department and the town with pride.”
Councilor Edward Dombroski said that he appreciated the level-funded budget other than personnel. He agreed that staffing needs to keep pace with the town’s growing population.
Councilor Douglas Butler questioned why today’s police calls are termed “more complex” than those of the past.
Skory cited the frequent mental health crises that require multiple officers to respond. He also cited increases in domestic violence, Internet fraud, homelessness and the opioid epidemic.
Despite all that, he said, there were only two cases in the past year where use of force was required.
“That speaks volumes about the quality of people we have,” he said.
The Town Council approved the budget unanimously.
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The Library Department budget was approved at $2,088,525, including an increase of $65,189. Gill said that $55,086 of that increase was in personal services for contractual and negotiated salary increases
Library Director Catherine McDonald said that most of the remaining increase was for the purchase of a maintenance contract for the building’s aging HVAC system.
The Town Council’s vote to approve the library budget was unanimous.
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The Information Technology budget was reduced by $27,639 for a total of $465,614.
Stephan Chase of the FinCom’s IT Subcommittee said that the FY2026 budget reflected a reduction of one full-time employee in the department.
He also mentioned plans for an upgrade of the town’s website and the centralization of IT costs from other departments.
The board praised IT Director Todd Bowden’s success in applying for grants to help keep the budget in check.
The Town Council approved the IT budget by a vote of 7-0.