METHUEN, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Methuen City Councilor Steve Saba shares the council's finance committee. He said the biggest reason for the recent budget cuts is a police contract.
"So we have a situation in this city, that before COVID hit, you're talking about a community like Methuen having to afford to pay these people those types of salaries," Saba said.
Methuen Police salaries have been controversial, with the superior officers' contract that would pay some officers over 400 thousand dollars a year. That contract is an arbitration.
Captain Gregory Gallant heads the Methuen Police's Superior's Union. Gallant said it is not a contractual issue.
"This is not a contractual issue, but an economic issue due to the pandemic," Gallant said.
WBZ NewsRadio's Karyn Regal (@Karynregal) reports
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