Bridgewater Finance Committee unanimously ratifies police union contract covering four fiscal years

BRIDGEWATER -- April 21, 2026, Bridgewater Finance Committee unanimously ratifies a four-year police union contract and approves a $254,700 appropriation transfer to fund it. The committee voted 6-0 to recommend ratification of the Bridgewater Police Relief Association, MCOP Local 397 collective bargaining agreement covering fiscal years 2025 through 2027, with an addendum extending terms a fourth year. Finance Director Lori Guarini called the deal "a really conservative contract" that mirrors cost-of-living adjustments settled with other town bargaining units, including a split 1-and-1 percent COLA in FY27 netting 1.5 percent, and brings new-hire health insurance cost share to 25 percent from 20 percent. Member John Higgins raised pointed questions about whether the town's 10 percent administrative markup on police detail billing captures the full cost of employment, including pension and health benefits, a concern the chief acknowledged but said does not change whether those fixed liabilities exist. The committee also voted 5-0 to continue, after initially tabling, a $84,995 state energy grant that includes $7,500 toward an electric vehicle purchase, with Higgins questioning why the town would spend roughly $53,000 net on an EV when a gas-powered vehicle might cost $30,000. During a first review of the FY27 annual budget, Higgins warned that the town and school district together carry roughly $180 million in unfunded post-employment benefit obligations and that no structural change is being made to address it.