Despite hopes that many residents would turn out from the municipal Budget Committee hearing on March 5, only two residents spoke out at the public hearing and the majority of the input criticized the committee for slashing the proposed Police Department budget by more than $200,000.

Hooksett resident Vincent Lembo, a former Budget Committee member, blasted the committee for cutting proposed police positions and unnecessarily reducing other areas of safety spending.

“Because (the police chief) can’t fill those positions, you, as a Budget Committee, are eliminating those positions. How can you do that?” Lembo asked. “I would request that you have a reconsideration vote. Crime rate’s going up. Everybody is out of work and the crime rates are going up.”

Currently, the Police Department employs 26 sworn officers, although its operating budget is large enough to fund 28. In the department’s proposed budget, funding for a 29th officer was added, but was subsequently cut by the Budget Committee. An unfilled dispatcher position was also cut from the police budget.

Budget Committee Chairman John Pieroni said the Police Department likely will not suffer from the proposed cuts because the revised budget still accommodates two unfilled positions.

Furthermore, the reductions to the Police Department budget – totaling about $206,000 – brought the entire proposed municipal budget under the default level, he said.

The Budget Committee’s proposed operating budget is $15.8 million. If this budget is defeated by voters, the town would default to a $15.9 million bottom line.

“The Police Commission had left over $300,000 in their budget last year, even after spending money on the sign, the training range and other police equipment,” Pieroni said. “To say it’s a punishment – no. It’s a reality.”

Budget Committee member Marc Miville said he expected more input from the residents who turned out for the hearing last night.

“I was expecting more, but I’m new to this,” Miville said. Based on the small number of residents that turned out for the school deliberative session last month, Chairman Pieroni said he expects the municipal deliberative session to be relatively quiet, too.

“I would like to see a lot of people there, but I’ve been disappointed in the past,” he said.

The deliberative session of Town Meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, at Cawley Middle School.