Oakham Board of Selectmen Sets Police Budget at $217,729 Under Part-Time Chief Model

OAKHAM -- May 1, 2026, Oakham Board of Selectmen sets police budget at $217,729 under a restructured part-time chief model. At a special work meeting Friday, the board and Police Chief Fred Gehring worked line by line through the department's revised spending plan, setting the chief's part-time salary at $48,503 and part-time patrol wages at $118,720 to cover 16 hours of daily coverage. The board eliminated a $500 lockup-fee line after Gehring confirmed a state law change allows prisoner housing at the Worcester County Sheriff's Department at no charge, cut the communications equipment budget from $3,150 to $1,956 after Gehring offered to use his personal cell phone with a small stipend, and reduced training materials from $7,500 to $4,500. The board also confirmed the town's overall budget deficit at $28,051.76 after resolving a health insurance discrepancy involving $37,201.87 in savings from two eliminated positions. The session ended with a unanimous vote to enter executive session for highway superintendent contract negotiations.