Sounding the alarm: Falmouth voters face $950K override to beef up firefighting force

Whether to raise taxes so Falmouth can hire additional firefighters to fully staff what will soon be six fire stations is among the decisions voters face as they head to the polls for the annual town election on May 16.

Voters will also decide on three townwide races for elected office — including Select Board, School Committee, and the Board of Library Trustees — in addition to choosing representative town election delegates in several precinct-specific races.

Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

$950K override is sought to boost Falmouth fire force.

Passing April's annual town meeting on a voice vote, a proposed $950,000 Proposition 2 1/2 override to augment the town's firefighting and medical response force must next gain approval at the polls before it can take effect. Approval would allow the town to raise taxes above the standard 2.5% maximum annual increase allowed by state law.

If approved, the measure will add about 6 cents to the tax rate, resulting in an estimated increase of $45.71 to the average single-family property tax bill. The average single-family property in Falmouth has an assessed value of $761,884.

The money will pay for 14 additional firefighters and ensure staffing for all of the town's fire facilities, which will number six once the fire station in Hatchville comes online.

Acting Town Manager Peter Johnson-Staub has stressed that the override is not lightly sought, noting, "the last thing we want to do is come to town meeting and ask for additional taxes."

The Select Board considered a slightly larger override of $1.5 million, but elected to seek a smaller override and make room for an additional $550,000 in future budget years.

The proposed plan includes establishing a stabilization fund, also approved at town meeting, "to ensure the money raised by the override will be spent on firefighter wages and expenses only." The town has also applied for federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grants to help offset any budget impacts for the first three years.

Fire Chief Timothy Smith at town meeting said the additional personnel will allow for 15 to 21 staff on duty at the start of shift daily, and a daily minimum staffing of 18 across the various fire facilities. "Experience of past two years shows that 78 personnel is not enough for our five current stations," Smith said.

He said he also needs a larger "buffer" to account for vacancies and leaves of absence.

The fire department has seen a steady increase in calls for service since 2002, Smith said, and the call volume continues to rise.

Johnson-Staub said it will take some time to get the positions filled because of recruitment and training timelines. The town is looking to hire seven additional fire personnel by this November, and the remaining seven by November 2024, with all 14 on duty by 2025.

Construction on the new Hatchville station could be completed by next spring.

Also on the ballot

Also on the May 16 ballot is a three-way race for two, three-year terms on the Falmouth Select Board. Competing for the seats are incumbent Nancy Taylor, Robert Dugan and Robert Mascali.

A six-way race for three, three-year terms on the School Committee is also on the ballot. Candidates include incumbent Terri Ann Medeiros, Christopher Lumping, Alison Brodet, Michael McCarthy, Terry Alves-Hunter and Susan Kinchla Augusta.

Three candidates are eyeing two, three-year terms on the Board of Library Trustees: incumbent Judith Fenwick, Jane Ziegenfus-Martin and Camille Romano.

There are also a number of candidates for town meeting members in all nine precincts, each with nine, three-year terms up for election. Here is the lineup.

Precinct 1: Fourteen candidates are running - incumbent C. Diane Salter, Kerry Walton, incumbent Charles Swain, incumbent Susan Shephard, incumbent Linda Whitehead, incumbent John Waterbury, incumbent Lysbeth Ackerman Abrams, Virginia Ann Apel, Thomas Crane, incumbent Kenneth Foreman, Kelly McKeon, China Mapp, incumbent John Nolan, incumbent Meghan Palanza

Precinct 2: Ten candidates are running - Frank Geishecker III, and incumbents Karen Heylin, Catherine Ann Offinger, Keith Schwegel, Samuel Hanson Patterson Jr., Paul Dreyer, Kelly Ashton Welch, Harriet Dugan, Ken Buesseler and Stephen Rafferty.

Precinct 3: Eight candidates are running - Incumbent Robert Donahue, incumbent Mary Little, incumbent James Grady, incumbent Stephen Pheeny, Thomas Dignes, incumbent Paul Kapp, Laura Lee Brothers and incumbent Michael Zmuda.

Precinct 4: Nine candidates are running - Pamela Wolfe-Schumacher, incumbent Stefanie Hoffer, incumbent Gary Schneider, incumbent R. Mark Petersen, incumbent Ahmed Mustafa, incumbent Edward Pride III, Lorraine Jordan, incumbent Robert Boettger, and incumbent Todd Duffany.

Precinct 5: Seven candidates are running - Margaret Souza, and incumbents Deborah Scanlon, David Salter, Rachel Jakuba, Lillia Donica Frantin, Ray Rowitz and Catherine Jewett.

Precinct 6: Nine candidates are running - incumbent Stephen Baker, incumbent Melissa Freitag, incumbent J. Malcolm Donald, incumbent Deborah Siegal, incumbent John Netto Jr., Todd Taylor, incumbent Peter Cook, incumbent Thomas Moakley, and incumbent Michael Stone.

Precinct 7: Ten candidates are running - incumbent Linda Collins, Taryn Peterson, incumbent George Lawrence, incumbent Jeffrey Brodeur, Eric Peterson, incumbent Paul Kanellopoulos, incumbent Gail Sylvia, incumbent Margaret Szuplat, incumbent Herbert Luther, and Eula Walsh.

Precinct 8: Thirteen candidates are running - incumbent Margaret Finnell, Robert Jude Wilber, Kim Comart, incumbent Ralph Herbst, Joel Ruhe Kubick, incumbent Sheri White, Winifred Dick, incumbent Kira Jones, Juliana Germani, incumbent Aileen Mahoney Jensen, incumbent Grace Abromaitis Simpkins, Camille Romano, and incumbent Meghan Hanawalt.

Precinct 9: Nine candidates are running - incumbent Syrel Dawson, Cindy Papa, Sean Lucey, incumbent Onjale Scott Price, Vincent Alberico Pizzi, incumbent Carol Murphy, incumbent Diane Ella Huban, incumbent Andre Lamont Price, and incumbent Tracey Waggett.

Where to vote

PRECINCT 1: Falmouth Town Hall, 59 Town Hall Square, Falmouth

PRECINT 2: John DeMello Senior Center, 300 Dillingham Ave., Falmouth

PRECINCT 3: Falmouth High School (new) gymnasium, 874 Gifford St., E. Falmouth

PRECINCT 4: St. Anthony's Lodge Building, 167 E. Falmouth Highway, E. Falmouth

PRECINCT 5: St Elizabeth Seton Church Hall, 481 Quaker Road, N. Falmouth

PRECINCT 6: Falmouth High School (new) gymnasium, 874 Gifford St., E. Falmouth

PRECINCT 7: Waquoit Congregational Church Hall, 15 Parsons Lane, E. Falmouth

PRECINCT 8: Navigator Club, 55 Ashumet Road, E. Falmouth

PRECINCT 9: Jewish Congregation Community Center, 7 Hatchville Road, E. Falmouth

Gain access to premium Cape Cod Times content by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Falmouth ballot includes $950K override, three town-wide races