Sturbridge Finance Committee approves $41,900 in reserve fund transfers

Finance Committee · Meeting of July 9, 2026

Sturbridge Finance Committee approves $41,894.50 in reserve fund transfers, largest for fire overtime. The committee voted 6-1 to send $32,000 to the Fire Department after Chief Grasso reported emergency callback hours rose 300 percent, from 204 hours in fiscal 2022 to 844 hours in fiscal 2025, partly driven by a firefighter's nearly 10-month injured-on-duty leave before his disability retirement. Members also approved $9,243.50 for a Town Hall air conditioning repair and $651 for veterans services, unanimously, leaving $79,933.13 in reserve.

"Every one of those dollars was spent providing a service to the community," Grasso said. The panel also fought over how its own minutes should read, rejecting one member's proposed "baseline" language on a 2-2-3 tie, before reorganizing for fiscal 2027 and electing James Waddick vice chair and Michael Hager clerk.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,149 words

Source: the Finance Committee meeting of July 9, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.