[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6222099,"mediaKeyId","3610750-f217ff390e003d8a6630885daf12ea2b","parentId",3610750,"title","Council OKs fire department budget after chief cites overtime pressures, new ladder truck and planned assistant chief hire","audioSeconds",2342,"startMs",3065000,"endMs",5407000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3610750-f217ff390e003d8a6630885daf12ea2b&start=3065&end=5407","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3610750-f217ff390e003d8a6630885daf12ea2b/thumbnail_3065000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6222099/Haverhill-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Council-OKs-fire-department-budget-after-chief-cites-overtime-pressures-new-ladder-truck-and-planned-assistant-chief-hire","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6222099-9b29265e5514c15281db34f603276a7b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197829&Signature=kqEGpXMip3wQqFkAMRuOM8ncQF0BvbLP4AVo60Ogkqo0Wf4m4noHhoLd8yibfAjyifrFH4lGDAmjfS6Gk0fUPND74Vey~ZxFTA8vm8Tywv74iS2nPHBTD1lR8BDUVXfYjf9BHskwC7LfiCaQXX4jbthE32vCc97rdTItHN0KHjaUn5EjgJcK~WGU0cS~cI2gYwsKZRDXac1Q4waBNG5rFDGg0Y~cKaGM-sPLYxmYLqrPe2TDPk5iUBu-Oj~lJtX3uRRfwKTDVqwd1jSPb7RDZeROz2S4vX-a9-~zgLpPkl55Ifei8S22cEzi4pDFBAYtT-SlUpgizrdiPXXhvp4Cxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Haverhill City, MA","date","2025-05-29T00:00:00Z","article","The Haverhill City Council voted to approve the fire department\u0000s budget after the Fire Chief outlined staffing gains, overtime pressures and equipment plans.

The chief said the department has welcomed 30 new firefighters in the last 14 months and is currently at a full complement. He announced that, with mayoral support, the department will hire a new assistant chief in January and that a used \"bridge\" ladder truck purchased from Lowell will allow the department to maintain a two-ladder response while performing scheduled maintenance on older trucks without relying constantly on mutual-aid partners.

\"We currently are operating at a full complement right now. We have no openings right now,\" the Fire Chief said. On equipment, he said a used truck purchase would be a lower-cost immediate solution and that a new ladder truck is scheduled for delivery in August 2026, assuming no delays.

The chief described overtime as the \"elephant in the room,\" saying overtime reflected several factors: a heavy 2024 season with wildfires and mutual-aid calls (he cited mutual aid up roughly 60% last year), injuries that left multiple officers on long-term disability and the city\u0000s responsibility to backfill shifts for firefighters hired under a FEMA staffing grant. He said six officers were on long-term injury last year and that those absences and other high-demand events drove overtime costs.

Councilors pressed for detail on the assistant chief position and budget columns. The chief said the assistant chief position is partially funded in the current fiscal year and will be fully staffed beginning in January; he described the city\u0000s preference for promoting from within when qualified candidates exist. Councilor McConachal and others asked about vehicle ages; the chief said Ladder 4 is more than 20 years old, Ladder 1 about 17, and the purchased used truck is about 15 years old.

The council voted on the department budget; Councilor Toohey moved and Vice President Jordan seconded. A roll-call vote recorded \"yes\" from members present and the motion passed.

Why it matters: The budget vote funds a department already operating at full staffing but facing high overtime driven by regional mutual-aid demands, medical leaves and post-grant staffing obligations. The ladder-truck purchase and assistant chief hire are presented as steps to stabilize operational readiness and reduce reliance on outside aid.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Haverhill City Council Budget Hearing – May 29, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Haverhill City Council approved the fire department\u0000s budget increase after Fire Chief detailed overtime drivers — wildland responses, mutual aid, injuries and backfill for FEMA-funded hires — and described plans for a used bridge ladder truck purchase and an assistant chief appointment in January.","taxTitle","Haverhill City, Essex County, Massachusetts","taxId",64850,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6222104,"Council approves planning budget as Haverhill pushes for Ward Hill densification and business recruitment",462,2274000,2736000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3610750-f217ff390e003d8a6630885daf12ea2b&start=2274&end=2736","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3610750-f217ff390e003d8a6630885daf12ea2b/thumbnail_2274000.jpg","/articles/6222104/Haverhill-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Council-approves-planning-budget-as-Haverhill-pushes-for-Ward-Hill-densification-and-business-recruitment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6222104-112be39af3c039066140279d453a44f5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197829&Signature=PJ5lOQTRV5fLbKWQpitZ6tZGBXiQDkzTGmCoLkpSCLG1cI0CIpsB~DL4sa3qdNW7gpyT5o-O~c9Vcdi9f3ESMqwUVdW3TNALJGXEp7RORk~yOkjpEIJPBXAtIvJCtjcF3d7d1D9I-UFIEw70~ANXEgoAlvcce3xl1E94KV3xzTALzOI-yhUDBvlq13LXoAkadseZ18JbQk--NbfTcsd1vhTwdfDcGlCaZ1XCRrWRqyE~tc4uSRUdwk29ufwIV~9R82rAMCh56OpQru2jvLc5iltHLWnZaQ6wChtPE1rVfEsX0mEK4PYvkSMwm5~lI8JrKQpykAsaBJR33nJBBjI3nA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Bill, director of economic development and planning, told the Haverhill City Council his office is pursuing business-retention and recruitment work while encouraging development to \"go up and not out\" in Ward Hill.

\"Our mission in both economic development and planning is to implement the city's master plan and to take that to the next level,\" Bill said, describing work with existing companies and interest from a company that might \"probably triple the space\" at an existing site by building up rather than out.

Bill said there are currently two projects under construction in the city and reiterated that the city is watching the absorption of previously approved housing units while performing fiscal-impact analyses on new proposals. He noted a roughly 2.5% overall increase in his department\u0000s budget but described the proposal as \"level funded\" service with minor adjustments, including moving some positions and offsets from Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) support to the city budget because CDBG funding has been cut and federal proposals could zero out the line.

Councilors asked about the types of companies showing interest; Bill said several are in the food-manufacturing category and at least two are advanced-manufacturing food firms, and others are in high-tech. He said available commercial land and market-rate housing are selling points for recruitment, and that the city is coordinating with state economic development officials and the Greater Haverhill Foundation to use new state tools to incentivize development and motivate landowners to free up sites.

A council motion to move the economic development and planning budget passed on a roll call. Councilor Mitchelson moved the motion with Vice President Jordan seconding; the roll call recorded unanimous \"yes\" votes from members present.

Why it matters: The department\u0000s strategy to encourage densification in Ward Hill, retain industrial employers and use new state incentives aims to boost the commercial tax base without large new city-funded projects, while the reliance on fragile federal CDBG funding shifts more cost and risk to the municipal general fund.","Economic development and planning Director Bill briefed the council on efforts to retain and recruit manufacturing and high-tech employers, pursue densification in Ward Hill and respond to cuts to community development block grants; council approved the department\u0000s level-funded budget.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6222109,"Health insurance, benefits drive majority of Haverhill—s proposed property tax increase",1067,1029000,2096000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3610750-f217ff390e003d8a6630885daf12ea2b&start=1029&end=2096","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3610750-f217ff390e003d8a6630885daf12ea2b/thumbnail_1029000.jpg","/articles/6222109/Haverhill-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Health-insurance-benefits-drive-majority-of-Haverhills-proposed-property-tax-increase","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6222109-4daa2aba1d948040755a14adb87680bc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197829&Signature=CHQ~YqOR8Sg-lCfvAe9fNAFxgxrmUzKphKRPLf4V4Q126v6Lg877DMtkrpRaYqWGkWRcVwyA71dMgkaE3VmDfA4ZhsvZrHGeTQydEylc-W2XGQAQzt9pUfLhwIj2utLb840ygvLkTJgs0LIssht8TTWFCqN1K0w0atYIgmd2v7PwTw~BI98Jelx~1jk9O1NFkAuxop3qK0sgD7~yYGkqLH0r4FmpAknA4fT9VofZm1ogozyjKaGkner6StpjLm1s9fnPCzBOHP8AI8cLS3zfBvVhsyPCoZo~xm1W-zV6SQKDRYLxLHq2fUdznD3uQZoEnVz5BI~L3WRMcgOWMaz8QA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Angel, city auditor, told the Haverhill City Council the largest single driver of this year\u0000s proposed property tax increase is employee benefits.

\"The largest driver this year is employee benefits,\" Angel said, adding that the city saw \"an average increase of 12 and a half percent, which amounted to just about, well, just shy of dollars 4,000,000.\" She said that increase accounts for about $139 of an estimated $299 tax increase for an average single-family home valued at $532,000.

The auditor outlined several other contributors to the levy increase. She said payments related to \"the Constantino\" project were being phased in over multiple years, with borrowing and earlier favorable market rates affecting timing; the first payment will not be required until fall 2027 and is reflected in the 2026 operating budget. Angel also cited education contributions, noting a 2.5% increase to direct school contributions and a larger Chapter 70 estimate in the 6%-7% range noted in the budget book.

During council discussion, Councilor Rogers asked what \"state assessment\" meant; Angel replied that it referred to Cherry Sheet assessments the state subtracts from the city\u0000s monthly state aid and listed items such as school choice, charter school charges, MBTA assessments and mosquito control. Angel said the Cherry Sheet assessment was roughly $9.3 million for 2025 and that the Senate budget then under consideration estimated $9.6 million. She said Chapter 70 was estimated at about $94 million, a 7.1% increase.

Councilors pressed on the health-insurance increase and how the spending decisions had been made. Councilor Baselier noted the GIC health-insurance rise was 12.5% after a 5% increase the previous year and called it \"anomalous\" compared with recent years. Angel said the city had modeled a long-term levy strategy and aimed to minimize and stabilize levy use while keeping a prudent excess levy as a buffer against economic downturns.

The auditor said department requests originally totaled about $278 million; the mayor\u0000s office and staff reductions brought the proposed budget down substantially through line-item reviews, trimming roughly $1.3 million after departmental conversations. Angel emphasized the overall goal was a balanced, sustainable budget that preserves services and meets financial benchmarks.

Councilors also asked about resident relief options such as senior tax credits and senior work-off programs; Angel said the city had held an initial meeting and that follow-up work was planned prior to final adoption.

Why it matters: Councilors and residents framed the issue as a straightforward trade-off: rising fixed costs mean the city must either raise revenue or cut services. Angel said the city was trying to preserve services and avoid layoffs while building and stabilizing levy capacity for the coming decade.","City auditor Angel told the Haverhill City Council that a 12.5% rise in employee health insurance costs, combined with prior debt service and school funding increases, account for the bulk of an estimated $299 tax increase for the average single-family home.","actionData","errors"]

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Council OKs fire department budget after chief cites overtime pressures, new ladder truck and planned assistant chief hire

Council approves planning budget as Haverhill pushes for Ward Hill densification and business recruitment

Health insurance, benefits drive majority of Haverhill—s proposed property tax increase