Town meeting preview PD budget scrutinized as vote approaches

THETFORD—Police funding is the key issue in Thetford’s proposed budget for 2021.
The budget shows an 18.8 percent increase in police funding yet a line item shows a reduction in payroll which could mean a reduction in hours and pay of department personnel.
Besides Chief Michael Evans, the police department consists of two other full-time officers: Stuart Rogers Jr. and Michael Scruggs, and one part-time administrative assistant, Judy Powell.
“Although numerous lines within the police budget were reduced without conferring with department staff, the most concerning is the line for Police Officer Salaries,” Evans wrote on the town listserve