NORWOOD – The Norwood Finance Commission met on March 12, 2026, to navigate a fiscal crossroads that could redefine the town’s public safety landscape. At the heart of the discussion was a proposed $1.5 million public safety override aimed at addressing what department heads describe as a “long-coming” staffing crisis in the police and fire departments.
While there was a general consensus on the need for more police officers and firefighters, the meeting grew tense as commissioners pushed back on the “all-or-nothing” nature of the proposal, urging town leaders to consider a “Plan B” involving Free Cash should voters reject the override tax increase.
Both the Police and Fire Chiefs presented a sobering look at Norwood’s current capabilities. Police staffing has remained largely stagnant, despite a dramatic increase in call volume and complexity. Police Chief Chris Padden says Norwood’s arrest rates and call volumes have outpaced larger neighbors like Braintree and Randolph. The loss of Norwood Hospital has doubled ambulance run times and increased the strain on police who must assist with mental health calls. Chief Padden also warned that without a permanent funding source, the town risks preemptively losing officers to more financially stable municipalities to avoid being laid-off.
Despite acknowledging the need, some Finance Commission members expressed deep discomfort with the current strategy. Board member Myev Bodenhofer characterized the choice being presented to voters, better services for more taxes or inadequate safety, as “manipulative”.
Bodenhofer questioned why the town couldn’t look at internal reallocation before asking for an override. “I’m not comfortable recommending a budget that doesn’t reflect any of those increases that are needed,” Bodenhofer stated, suggesting that “tough decisions” should be made elsewhere in the budget to prioritize public safety.
Town Manager Tony Mazzucco said the voters will ultimately decide whether public safety is important enough for a tax increase. “I think we’re asking the public [to] make a decision about the level of service they want,” he said.
Bodenhofer countered “But as I said before, you’re not really asking the community what they feel is the appropriate level of service. You’re giving them a choice: you can have a better level of service and you can pay more taxes or you’re just not going to have adequate services. And there’s no in between” she said.
The most significant point of contention was the use of Free Cash as a fallback. With approximately $7 million expected to remain in the bank by the end of May, some board members argued it is difficult to ask taxpayers for more money while “sitting on millions”.
However, Town Manager Mazzucco warned that using Free Cash to fund permanent positions is a dangerous game. He noted that if Free Cash is used to fund the public safety positions now, the town will completely exhaust its reserves within two years, making a massive general override in 2028 a mathematical certainty. Mazzucco predicted this action would force a second override in as many years.
“To fundamentally add services [using Free Cash] is a bad idea,” Mazzucco argued. If the money runs out in a year, the town would have “wasted 100%” of the training and academy costs if those officers have to be laid off.
The Commission concluded by requesting a formal five-year financial plan in writing. They want to see exactly how different funding scenarios, including the use of Free Cash, would impact the town’s long-term stability before making a final recommendation to the voters. However, with the public safety shortcomings that were presented during the meeting, it’s safe to say an override within the next year is overwhelmingly likely. -RD
