More than 20 employees in Middleboro could be cut

MIDDLEBORO -- More than 20 town employees will lose their jobs and another nine posts will not be filled, according to a preliminary budget presented to the Select Board May 4 by Interim Town Manager Joseph Perkins.The cuts were part of an effort to address a $3.5 million shortfall in next year’s budget.

Jobs to be lost include five civilian dispatchers for the fire department, four police officers and the positions of land steward held by Darren Vasa and facilities manager filled by Matt Foye.

“I want people to understand the gravity’’of the situation, Perkins said. “This is a life event, and not a good one’’ for employees.

The cuts include laying off 19 people and cutting funding for an additional 1.5 positions, Perkins said. Four positions will eliminated through attrition, three to retirement and one to resignation. Five vacant jobs will remain unfilled.

Perkins said he made the cuts with an eye to maintain services for residents.

 Residents thanked Perkins for his efforts in paring down the budget but raised concerns about specific cuts.

Cutting land steward Vasa was one proposal that drew objections from several residents and from Vasa himself.

The job involves maintaining trails at town lands including Picone Farm and Pratt Farm, creating and overseeing the community gardens at Picone Farm and monitoring water levels of the Stony Brook Pond Dam and helping with plans to replace the structure.

Finance Committee member Nate Demers was concerned with the position elimination. “When we purchased Picone Farm, we promised it would be well-kept. We owe that responsibility to our community.’’

Select Board member Tracie Craig-McGee questioned the $7,000 cut to employee appreciation efforts.

“Employee morale is horrible right now, and rightly so,’’ she said. “We need to let our employees know how much they’re appreciated.’’

Select Board Chair Teresa Farley urged Perkins to reconsider the loss of the land steward and facilities manager as well as his proposed elimination of the media department.

Returning those posts to the budget would require putting about $200,000 back into the budget.

Budget numbers could change as updated state figures come in,  Farley said. “We hope it gets better. We want it to get better.’’

Hearing the public provides valuable feedback for the board to consider prior to the vote to approve the budget, Farley said.

The select board is scheduled to vote on the budget May 11. The budget then goes before Town Meeting June 1.