Council votes 10-0 for $1.5M firefighter hiring

City Council · Meeting of October 27, 2026

LOWELL — The Lowell City Council approved $1.5 million to hire 14 firefighters and split 7-3 on $1.1 million for police equipment. The council voted unanimously for the fire supplemental, which Chief Financial Officer Baldwin said would cost the average homeowner about $46 a year, after union president Billy Harland said the department is seven positions below its budgeted 203-firefighter minimum. Mayor Eric Gitcheer, Councilor McDonough and Councilor Scott voted against reallocating $1.1 million in free cash to buy seven police cruisers and renew a body-camera contract, with Gitcheer saying the money should instead go to school repairs.

Vice Mayor Noon told police officials "we weren't told any of this at budget time." Separately, the council voted 8-2 to review, but not yet release, executive session minutes on Flock license-plate cameras, and ordered a public police demonstration on the technology.

In the full story:

• Career Center performance report
• Police free cash transfer for cruisers and body cameras
• Fire department staffing and overtime
• Minimum residential factor and FY27 tax rate
• Flock camera demonstration and executive session minutes
• Letter opposing shelter use at the ICC building
• Senior property tax freeze report request
• Tree committee regulatory authority
• PEG fund transfer and LTC labor contract
• JAM Plan amendment for 278 Middlesex Street
• Downtown space, Bicentennial Park and Hunts Falls Rotary
• Tree hazard at 38 Fox Street
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,941 words

Source: the City Council meeting of October 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.