The Arundel Budget Board began its final review by making
recommendations to the Board of Selectmen that included increasing funds
for the fire department training from $7,500 to $17,500, allocating
$50,000 to the fire department reserve and employing a part-time fire
chief.
“I’m very happy at where we are right now. I think we made some
wonderful progress; ... and I hope to continue that progress in the next
couple weeks,” said Arundel Town Manager Todd Shea. Shea said he would
like to have a budget ready for voters by April 18.
The board spent a majority of the April 4 meeting discussing fire
department issues, particularly the training budget and building the
reserve. Members also looked into the cost of testing for dead spots in
radio communication. Details into what exactly will be done and the
costs haven’t been determined.
Board member Melanie Mitchell said she had a difficult time reviewing
the fire department budget due to previous discussions about
dismantling the department. Mitchell said she would have felt more
comfortable voting on the budget if there were assurances the fire
department wouldn’t be eliminated.
Shea stressed that closing the fire department is not being considered.
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