Boxborough Finance Committee backs police restructuring plan that could cut overtime budget

BOXBOROUGH — February 10, 2026 — Boxborough Finance Committee gives informal backing to a police command restructuring that would add a second lieutenant and cut the overtime budget by roughly $19,000. Meeting Tuesday night, the six-member panel heard the Police Chief argue that converting a long-budgeted fourth sergeant slot into a second lieutenant position — at an incremental fiscal year 2027 cost of about $12,944, of which $10,000 is already in the budget — would raise supervisory shift coverage from 75 percent to the mid-80s and allow the lieutenant to serve as a second on-road officer without triggering overtime. "This is just smart — cut his overtime budget by $19,000 and provide a benefit to the department, the town, and the officers," said member Tony Newton. The committee also pressed the Recreation Commission on revolving fund management, directing staff to move all FLARA summer program expenses out of the operating budget and into the revolving account, which currently holds approximately $30,000 against projected summer registration revenue of $72,500. Members separately flagged that Acton-Boxborough Regional School data presented the prior evening showed 57 percent of district third graders are not meeting reading proficiency standards and special education costs rose 16 percent — figures that, combined with a projected 5.25 percent minimum annual regional assessment increase, drew alarm from several committee members.