Finance Committee unanimously approves $2.78M free-cash transfer for four departments

MARLBOROUGH — April 29, 2024 — Marlborough Finance Committee unanimously moves $2.78 million from free cash to fund FY25 capital items. The committee took four separate 5-0 votes on Mayor J. Christian Dumas's request, approving $1.993 million for Department of Public Works vehicles and equipment, $321,983 for the Police Department, $300,000 for inspectional services records digitization, and $170,000 for fire station alerting and radio box receivers. Dumas told the committee her office had cut roughly $500,000 from department requests, leaving about $3.2 million in free cash after the transfer and a pending snow-and-ice deficit. Council President Michael Ossing calculated the records contract with vendor Rico at roughly 20 cents per page across 1.5 million sheets. Police Officer Andy Rose said the department's hybrid Ford Interceptors have been so unreliable — one out of service for 10 months — that the four new cruisers will be gas-powered.