Select Board approves transfers to cover firefighter contract, returns cruiser sale proceeds to police budget

The Westford Select Board and the Finance Committee met jointly May 11 and approved two year-end transfers to cover recent contractual and equipment funding needs.

Finance Director Dan O'Donnell told the boards the town reached an agreement with the firefighters' union (IAFF) for retro and FY26 pay, and that an intra-town transfer is needed to make the Fire Department whole. "We did reach an agreement with the IAFF," O'Donnell said, explaining the mechanics allowed under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 44, section 33B. The committees approved a transfer of $396,899 to the Fire Department personnel services account to fund contract obligations.

O'Donnell also described proceeds from police cruiser disposals. Rather than accepting a low trade-in amount, the police department auctioned the cruisers and recovered $9,700; the Select Board voted to transfer those funds from the workers' compensation/accounting receipts back into the police expense account for cruiser upfitting.

Both the Finance Committee and the Select Board approved the transfers. The finance committee recorded a roll-call vote; the Select Board approved the motions by voice vote.

Under M.G.L. c.44, 33B, the town may make intra-department transfers in May and June (and up to July 15) to avoid calling a special town meeting for items that did not appear on that meeting's warrant. O'Donnell noted the town will bring any ambulance-enterprise adjustments to a future special town meeting because enterprise fund transfers cannot be made outside town meeting.

Next steps: The transfers were enacted at the May 11 meeting and will be reflected in the town accounting records; the manager said additional budget items related to the fire contract may appear at an October special town meeting.