DPW, FPD Park&Rec budget review

 

One of the promises made to Framingham voters by the Charter Commission some years ago was to hold public meetings about the budget process. In the good old bad days of Town Meeting anyone could ask any elected or appointed official questions about spending. Since becoming a city, less and less time reviewing budgets is now normal practice. Maintaining the status quo, is now the status quo. Take last Saturday’s budget review of three major divisions. One resident who was asked to be brief, was allowed 10 minutes to ask questions and that was it. Since there has been no meaningful financial oversight of the police department since becoming a city from the Finance subcommittee or the administration, reviewing the police department budget is left to concerned residents to do the “check and balance” work promised by the charter. The charter folks promised to dig deeper into the budgets, look for efficiencies and increase transparency and accountability. FPD’s overtime budget, which has increased from 1.3 million in 2023 to 1.8 million for 2024 without real tangible explanations, is troubling. Police OT abuse has run rampant among all types of law enforcement agencies across the state and should have been scrutinized more closely here in Framingham. In the FPD small capital budget, lumped in with purchasing 4 cars are 100 tasers are 20 body cams for a pilot program. And the explanation of why only 20 body cams was less than credible along with reasons to replace cars. The math is fuzzy and constantly changing for some reason. Since the Mayor, CFO and Police Chief ignored grants that could have helped pay for the body cam program, taxpayers will be forced to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars this fiscal year and again in 2024 when the rest of body cams will be purchased. The foolish foot dragging around body cams is well noted by residents. Framingham lags 36 other communities, including the State Police, that have body cam programs in place already, many without pilot programs. Tax payers are being fleeced by our own local government. If we want transparency and accountability from our police department, we will be forced to pay extra taxes, in lieu of a grant,  to achieve that goal. We are forced to rely on our gullible finance subcommittee members who are not the least fiscally curious and are running for reelection, just believing every word that comes from FPD without any fact checking. And on a sunny Saturday in May, who wants to be inside reviewing budgets anyway. Where are the check and balances we were promised?

Have a look for yourself. 1:17:00 to 1:55:00

http://vod-framingham.cablecast.tv/CablecastPublicSite/show/2843?channel=1