Letter: In Response to: Dalton Police Budget for Special Town Meeting
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To the Editor:
In response to the letter from Dalton Finance chair, Mr. William Drosehn, published on May 28, 2025, he misleads the public once again.
In the letter published May 28, 2025, Mr. Drosehn, chair of the Dalton Finance Committee, shares that the Finance Committee did not "target the Police Department." Simply watch the video of the Finance Committee on March 26, 2025. At the 2:01:50 mark, the motion for the vote is read to support the budget, it was quickly rejected 1-4 vote with many of the Finance Committee members not present. Watch the body language and the surprise on the vice chair's face, who then resigned the next day.
Mr. Drosehn states in his May 28 letter to iBerkshires, "Normally when a budget is rejected by the voters at an annual town meeting, the rejected budget is reviewed by the Finance Committee." Mr. Drosehn is the chair of that committee. A separate group of elected officials which act independent of the Select Board. He has the authority to call a hearing at the Finance Committee but failed to do so. Rather, he blames the Select Board. The board in which he lost the race by 13 votes.
In addition, Mr. Drosehn, as the chair of the Finance Committee, failed to represent the elected body which unanimously voted in favor of the budget as presented at the town meeting. Rather, he let his personal bias get in the way and not only did he vote against the budget at town meeting, he then motioned to level fund the department.
Finally, I find it interesting that he reports data from the beginning of Chief Strout's tenure as chief of police. He did not go further back in the prior police administration. That data will show that the budget expense came OVER budget and then were offset with internal departmental transfers. Transfers of expense which do not have public transparency unless the public attended each Finance Committee meeting.
The facts will come out at the June 9 special town meeting. The residents of Dalton should attend and show very strong support for Chief Strout, the excellent officers and staff of the Dalton Police Department! I will be there and voicing strong support!
Joe Diver
Dalton, Mass.
