Randolph Selectboard: Pay
$100% for Fire Coverage
By M. D. Drysdale

The Randolph selectboard agreed Monday that the town of Braintree will indeed be asked to pay 100% of what Randolph taxpayers are assessed for coverage from Randolph’s three fire departments.

The Braintree selectboard had asked to pay a smaller percentage, such as 80% or 85%, based on the fact that the number of fire calls to Braintree is low, and the further fact that it has no large commercial center, as Randolph does, that calls for sophisticated equipment.

In response to those points, Randolph Selectmen Larry Townsend and Jim Hutchinson two weeks ago floated the idea of an 88% assessment, to rise to 100% in two more years.

At that meeting, however, no final decision was made about what position Randolph would bring into the next session with Braintree, which will be the 28th.

The 100% position that emerged this Monday was agreed to by a unanimous 5-0 vote. The conversation before that vote, however, showed that the selectboard was far from united on the issue. Townsend continued to hope that "some common ground" could be found through a compromise. Then Hutchinson proposed an offer of 88% the first year, 94% the second year and 100% the third year.

That proposal seemed to attract a good reception—if there were some way to assure that future Braintree boards would follow through with the increases. When it came time to vote, however, Selectman Steve Springer said bluntly that "I can’t support that."

He then moved that the payment should be 100% and Hutchinson, reversing course, seconded.

In an odd exchange, Selectman Damon Lease wondered if Randolph was ready to "revoke fire services" if Braintree refused the 100% figure. All agreed that nobody had any intention of revoking services, and Springer suggested that Braintree might actually pay less, even though it was assessed the 100%.

If that happens, it puts the public relations "onus" on Braintree for not paying full freight, he said.

The vote was unanimous.