Norwood Select Board Reviews $2.1 Million Override to Add 20 Public Safety Positions

NORWOOD — January 20, 2026 — Norwood Select Board weighs $2.1 million tax-levy override to hire 14 firefighters and six police officers. Town Administrator Tony Mazzucco presented the staffing study at a January 20 workshop, telling the board that fire department staffing levels have been essentially unchanged for nearly 50 years while call volume has climbed close to 50 percent, and that the police department's 65 sworn officers place it at 2.1 per thousand residents — below the FBI guideline of 2.4. The fire proposal would raise per-shift staffing from 15 to 18, fully staff a second engine at four personnel, activate a chase-vehicle paramedic position, and create a float firefighter and a dedicated training officer; total fire cost is estimated at $1.86 million. The six police positions — a task force detective, a patrol sergeant, midnight and split-shift officers, a traffic officer, and a community service officer — are estimated at $786,000. One-time equipment purchases of roughly $199,000 would be funded from free cash rather than the override. If the board gives a go-ahead at its second February meeting, a town meeting vote is targeted for approximately May 11 and a ballot question for June 9, with the average homeowner facing an estimated $120 to $140 annual tax increase.