Oakham Police Budget Cut $15,000 as Town Faces $450,000 Deficit

OAKHAM -- March 24, 2026, Oakham Finance Committee reviews police cuts and floats Proposition 2½ override against a $450,000 deficit. Police Chief Frederick Daring appeared before the committee Tuesday to present a revised fiscal year 2027 budget of $255,509, down roughly $15,000 from the original request of $264,981, after the department's sergeant resigned for a position paying $30,000 more annually. Daring said he would eliminate the sergeant's line and consolidate remaining wages into a part-time pool at $26 per hour, generating a surplus of just over $3,000. Finance Committee Chair Corey Packard disclosed that the town faces a deficit exceeding $450,000 and that scenarios under review include zeroing out the library, parks and recreation, Council on Aging, and the Highway Department's operating budget. Preliminary override modeling puts the annual property tax impact at roughly $1,200 to $1,800 on a $400,000 home, though members noted that approximately 15 percent of Oakham's roughly 860 households rely on SNAP benefits. The Select Board, not the Finance Committee, holds authority to place an override question on the ballot, and the town accountant has described the remaining calendar as doable but very tight.