Stoneham Police, Fire, and DPW Chiefs Warn of Critical Understaffing at Override Hearing

STONEHAM — January 7, 2025 — Stoneham Select Board hears urgent staffing warnings from police, fire, and DPW chiefs as Proposition 2.5 override debate intensifies. Police Chief Matthew O'Connor told the board his department's effective street-level officer count is roughly 28 once supervisors and academy recruits are removed from the official roster of 42, and that the ideal complement is 44 rising to 50 — comparable to Melrose's 50 and Wakefield's 47. Fire Chief Matt Grafton said the department runs shifts of 8.27 firefighters against a nationally recommended standard of 16 under NFPA 1710, and that the fire station itself is approaching 110 years old, with a new station estimated at more than $20 million. DPW Director Brett Donahue said he has 17 field workers covering 63 miles of roadway — compared with 85 total staff in Wakefield — and that he personally plows town streets during storms because he lacks the staff not to. Town Administrator Dennis Sheehan said free cash stands at roughly $6 million, with total reserves near $13 million, at the low end of the auditor-recommended range against a combined budget of approximately $100 million. The board set public-engagement sessions on a potential override for January 28 and February 8 at town hall, and member Dave said flatly: "I want to know what the number is to fix our problem, and then fix it."