Advocating for the only sustainable solution to Stoneham's budget crisis:
the passage of a Proposition 2½ override on Tuesday, December 9th
Why does Stoneham need an override?
Stoneham is underwater. Every department is underfunded and short-staffed. A Proposition 2½ override isn't optional. An override is essential to prevent deeper cuts and keep services afloat.
Our schools are at a breaking point
Our schools have made more than $5 million cuts to teachers and staff, programming, and services since over the past 3 years.
Our teachers, who earn as much as 30% below market rate, have been without a contract since July 2025.
The district projects ongoing annual budget deficits of between at least $1.6 million and $1.8 million.
We're losing experienced teachers and failing to attract new ones: the district was struggling to hire for 28 vacant positions at the start of this school year, most of which were created by veterans that cited salary as their reason for leaving Stoneham.
Our ability to staff classrooms with qualified educators is at serious risk.
Stoneham's police and fire departments are dangerously understaffed
We average 8 firefighters per shift in Stoneham; national safety standards call for 16.
This low fire department staffing means that firefighters on site at a fire must decide between putting out and venting a fire or doing a search and rescue.
A town Stoneham's size should have 46 to 48 police officers; we have 40.
Budget constraints mean that both departments have hiring freezes. Without sufficient staff, the departments are forced to spend more than $1 million per year on overtime to ensure shift coverage.
Our fire station, built in 1916, is too small for modern equipment, forcing off-site storage for trucks that the department actively uses.
"Current staffing is below safety standards and limits effective response."Chief Grafton
Compared to our neighbors, Stoneham spends and staffs far less on public safety
| Fire Budget | Police Budget | |
|---|---|---|
| Melrose | $6.3 million | $5.9 million |
| Reading | $6.4 million | $6.4 million |
| Wakefield | $7.2 million | $7.5 million |
| Stoneham | $4.5 million | $5.5 million |
| Fire Staff | Fire Stations | Police (all staff) | Police (patrol staff) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melrose | 51 | 3 | 50 | 35 |
| Reading | 51 | 2 | 46 | 32 |
| Wakefield | 55 | 2 | 47 | 32 |
| Stoneham | 43 | 1 | 40 | 29 |
Our Department of Public Works is running on fumes
DPW had 60 employees in 1985. Today it has just 23, less than half that of many comparable neighboring communities.
Our mechanic staff has been cut in half, to just 2 mechanics responsible for the maintenance of 80 pieces of town equipment.
Recent inspections of DPW facilities (built in 1960 and 1976) identified a series of structural integrity issues.
Ongoing budget constraints have prevented us from replacing aging trucks. Stoneham needs at least 6 new pieces of equipment to complete its work effectively and efficiently.
Low staffing also means that things like sidewalk repairs fall by the wayside; Stoneham has at least $5.8 million worth of sidewalk repair backlog.
"We are grossly understaffed for the amount of work that we do."Director Gonzalves
Stoneham public works budget and staffing vs. our neighbors
| Operating budget | Snow and ice removal budget | Staff | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melrose | $3.3 million | $743,000 | 68 |
| Reading | $11.1 million | $675,000 | 52 |
| Wakefield | $7.4 million | $850,000 | 85 |
| Stoneham | $2.1 million | $317,000 | 24 |
Stoneham's community services are under serious threat
Stoneham cut over $100,000 from the library's budget this year, forcing weekend and evening closures and elimination of all paid programming for children, adults, and seniors, and leaving 4 staff vacancies unfilled.
Recent cuts put the library at risk of losing state certification. Loss of certification would mean losing $57,000 in state aid, reciprocal borrowing privileges, and access to grants. Only 4 libraries in MA are uncertified.
Budget cuts mean that Stoneham's Council on Aging "will be in the red at some point this year," putting its transportation, congregate meals, and other services at risk of major reductions.
The Council on Aging no longer has the funds needed to contribute to the salary of a shared staff member with other communities and cannot complete needed repairs to the senior center building.