Oakham Chiefs Cite Aging Equipment and Officer Pay Gap at Annual Reviews

OAKHAM — January 30, 2026 — Oakham Select Board reviews department chiefs amid warnings of officer attrition and a looming budget crisis. At a special January 30 meeting, Fire Chief Tim Howe presented a year of stable call volume — roughly 191 responses in 2025 — and flagged a $200,000 radio infrastructure replacement need and $90,000 in aging extrication tools, while crediting a joint grant with Paxton for approximately $700,000 in combined turnout gear funding. Police Chief Frank Gehring reported motor vehicle stops fell 45 percent since 2022, attributed to losing seven or eight officers under the state's police reform act, and proposed a $6-per-hour raise for part-time officers — from under $20 to $25.97 — that would add roughly $10,000 to the $48,012 part-time line item. A board member noted the town enters FY27 roughly $260,000 structurally short, prompting Gehring to name a Proposition 2 1/2 override as the likely path forward, warning against repeating what he described as a communication failure in Paxton's failed override attempt.