GREENFIELD — After voting down spending for a new police cruiser, a city councilor is looking to recast his vote, saying it is “only fair” for the Police Department to receive some kind of capital spending in fiscal year 2024.

“I wanted to give everyone a chance to rethink this particular one,” At-Large City Councilor Philip Elmer said. “It felt like it was only fair to give the police something, otherwise it would look like we were trying to punish them. That was not what the City Council was trying to do.”

The motion — which sought to appropriate $62,180 toward the purchase of a pickup truck that would be outfitted as a cruiser — was one of four Police Department capital requests that were voted down by councilors last week. The motion failed to get a two-thirds majority, with four “yes” votes compared to seven “no” votes. Elmer was among those to vote against the capital request.

The motion to reconsider, which offers councilors the opportunity to change their vote if they choose, will be brought up at the next full City Council meeting on May 17.

Prior to City Council, this particular financial order received a unanimous negative recommendation from the Capital Improvements Committee and a unanimous positive recommendation from the Ways & Means Subcommittee.

In general, councilors appeared to be in agreement the capital request was more of a “want” than a “need.” Those who spoke in favor of the capital request, however, argued the addition of this cruiser to the fleet could help to alleviate staffing issues in the event of road closures where the Department of Public Works would otherwise be required to bring signs or barricades.

Still, Elmer said unlike other financial orders that were rejected, this one didn’t “free up” any free cash that could potentially be used for School Department funding.

“Someone said we didn’t want this to be political; we’re trying to find ways to raise money for the schools,” Elmer said, referring to a comment by Precinct 1 Councilor Katherine Golub, which addressed Mayor Roxann Wedegartner’s $1.5 million cut to the School Department’s proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2024. “It felt like we went one step too far.”

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.

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