BRISTOL — The Bristol selectboard has proposed spending $461,374 on the police district in fiscal year 2019, which reflects a decrease of $1,588, or 0.34 percent, from the budget year that ends June 30.
Residents of the Bristol Police District, which encompasses a large part of the village, will vote on the budget proposal by Australian ballot on Town Meeting Day, March 6.
Though the Bristol Police Department will see administrative, facilities and communications cost increases, the overall budget is lower because of adjustments in personnel costs, said Town Administrator Valerie Capels.
The new budget includes the projected salary and benefits for a new police chief; officials said they would be less than this year. Long-time Chief Kevin Gibbs retired this past August after three decades on the force.
Lt. Bruce Nason is the department’s Officer-in-Charge until the town hires a new chief. A job description and recruiting strategy will be reviewed at the Feb. 19 selectboard meeting, Capels said.
At this time the town intends to maintain its current staffing level of three police officers.