The agenda for Tuesday night’s council meeting was brief, but the meeting took additional time because the council did a much-needed deep dive into Fire Department overtime spending. The issue arose due to a proposed Vote in which City Manager Tom Golden recommended that the council do two things: Increase the amount of money raised from taxpayers this fiscal year by an additional $900,000 for the Fire Department overtime account; and transfer $600,000 from the Salary Stabilization Fund to the same Fire Department overtime account. (The Vote document and a lengthy report are
A prior version of this post erroneously stated the overtime pay counts towards an individual’s pension; that turns out to not be the case. -Richard Howe
This piece, with its deep dive into the matter of Lowell Fire Department staffing, budget, and sick days/overtime is an excellent example of why local journalism is so important for a community. By shining light on some of the complicated issues a city and its representatives must deal with, it brings added transparency and helps citizens understand how and why their taxes and being spent.
A prior version of this post erroneously stated the overtime pay counts towards an individual’s pension; that turns out to not be the case. -Richard Howe
This piece, with its deep dive into the matter of Lowell Fire Department staffing, budget, and sick days/overtime is an excellent example of why local journalism is so important for a community. By shining light on some of the complicated issues a city and its representatives must deal with, it brings added transparency and helps citizens understand how and why their taxes and being spent.