Jan 15, 2009 5:40 pm US/Eastern
Hopedale Budget Cuts Hit Fire Department Hard
HOPEDALE (WBZ) ―
Many small towns in Massachusetts rely heavily on local financial aid from the state. So, deep cuts in that will affect those small towns in a big way. Ron Sanders visited one to give us an idea of what's ahead.
There is little hope in Hopedale of avoiding budget cuts only a few weeks down the road that would hit schools hard, eliminate 11 teaching positions, a police officer and dramatically affect other town services.
"It's very grim," says accountant Karla Hopkins, who chairs the Finance Committee in Hopedale, a town of about 6,000 people whose tax base is mainly residential. "But this year we hit our ceiling for our levy, the amount we're allowed to raise, at the same time the state is looking to cut local aid."
Some 43 percent of Hopedale's budget is local aid. So, the fire department, like other town departments, is planning for 10 percent cuts, which would include the elimination of one firefighter.
"We only have two full-time firefighters on during the day. We just got back from our fourth call this morning," said the chief, who's been cutting costs for two years. "I mean it's not a good way to run a public safety department," he said.
"You can only put so many jobs on so many people and get efficiency," said Michael Collins, who chairs the Board of Selectmen is talking about sharing services with nearby towns.
At the Town Common restaurant, customers are talking about it.
"Taking money away from the fire department and those basic necessities would not be a good idea," said Jenny Kangis of Hopedale.
Even though things don't look good in Hopedale, the restaurant owner Eddie Holland is not giving up hope. "It is what it is and you have to keep going on cause if you give up, then there's no hope left. You have to have hope."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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