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."