Dudley’s Police and Fire Departments are separately budgeted town departments, each headed by a chief who reports through the Town Administrator to the Board of Selectmen. Their budgets move through the same annual town budget process as every other department — which means public safety staffing levels are directly tied to what Town Meeting approves each year.
Who Decides This
- Sets department policy and operations: Police Chief and Fire Chief, within their departments.
- Sets department budgets: Town Administrator and department heads, reviewed by the Finance Committee, approved by Town Meeting.
- Can raise funding beyond the standard limit: only the town’s registered voters, via a Proposition 2½ override vote.
Police Department — Current Staffing
| Chief of Police | 1 |
| Lieutenant | 1 |
| Sergeants | 4 |
| Full-time Police Officers | 11 |
| Reserve Police Officers | 2 |
| Administrative Assistant | 1 |
| Animal Control Officer | 1 |
| Fleet | 7 marked cruisers, 4 unmarked cruisers |
Source: Dudley Police Department, official roster as published by the Town.
What Proposition 2½ Means for Public Safety Funding
Under Massachusetts’s Proposition 2½ law, a town’s property tax levy can normally grow by no more than 2.5% a year, plus the value of new construction added that year. If a town’s budget needs — including public safety staffing — exceed what that limit allows, the only way to raise additional operating funds is a town-wide override vote, which permanently raises the tax levy limit if approved.
In 2023, Dudley faced this directly: after two proposed overrides did not pass, the town’s FY2024 budget cuts reduced Fire Department staffing to two firefighters per shift, cut two Police patrol officer positions, reduced Highway Department staff, and led to reduced Town Hall public hours and a temporary library closure. That was a specific, dated budget cycle — current staffing levels, reflected in the roster above, may differ from that period. Residents can track current-year staffing and budget levels through the sources below.
How to Follow the Process
- Department heads submit budget requests during the winter/spring budget cycle.
- The Finance Committee reviews requests against projected revenue and the levy limit.
- If the recommended budget requires more than Proposition 2½ allows, the Board of Selectmen can place an override question on a town election ballot.
- Registered voters decide the override by ballot vote — a simple majority is required.
- Town Meeting then votes on the resulting operating budget for each department.
Sources & Public Documents
- Police Department — Town of Dudley
- Fire Department contact & staff directory — Town of Dudley
- Board of Selectmen — meeting schedule & agendas
- Proposition 2½ overview — Mass.gov Dept. of Revenue, Division of Local Services