8/20/09
The town may soon split the bill for a full-time veterans’ service officer with Randolph.
If Randolph Selectmen agree to the proposal, and both towns can agree to terms, the towns would begin advertising for the position. The salary, likely to be around $50,000, would be split between the towns. Randolph would pay more, as the community handles more veterans’ affairs cases than Milton.
Milton Selectmen unanimously approved the plan at their Aug. 13 meeting. Although Milton currently has its own veterans’ agent, the position is part-time and Selectmen feel the town will see more veterans in need returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I think it’s a good investment,” Selectmen Chair John Shields said.
The town currently pays Stephen Murphy, a full-time police officer, to fulfill the duties of veterans’ affairs. Murphy receives a stipend amounting to $10,000 annually.
Although he said Murphy works “tirelessly” for Milton’s veterans, Town Administrator Kevin Mearn said he is limited in what he can accomplish in his hours.
“[Murphy] does an excellent job for us. [But] he has a full-time job … and a community of 26,000 really should have a full-time veterans’ services officer,” said Mearn.
Under the deal with Randolph, the town would pay a $15,000 portion of the full-time salary, $5,000 more than the stipends it pays Murphy. Selectmen said the extra funds could come out of the reserve fund.