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Inside Town Finances (03/21) • 1 Inside Town Finances Volume 8: Municipal Expenses Municipal expenses represent 25% of the Town’s total operating expenses. Altogether, approximately 80% of these expenses are salaries and wages. Municipal expenses are grouped into 5 categories. Municipal Expense Categories General Government (17% of total municipal expenses) includes permitting and licensing activities, support staff, and departments responsible for the care and custody of Town assets. • Specific General Government responsibilities include Assessor, Bare Cove Park, Community Planning, Conservation, GAR Hall, Human Resources, Information Technology, Land Use & Development, Legal Services, Select Board Office, Town Accountant, Town Clerk, Treasurer/Collector, Elections, Town Hall, and Town Meeting. This work is performed by 34 full-time and 14 part-time personnel. Public Safety (54% of total municipal expenses) includes Animal Control, Building Department, Dispatch, Fire and Emergency Management, Harbormaster/Shellfish Constable, Police Department, and Public Safety Utilities. • Fire and Police provide 24x7x365 protection of Town citizens. The Fire and Emergency Management Department has four operational groups consisting of 13 firefighters/EMTs/paramedics who respond to calls (4,600 in 2019). The Police Department has 53 full-time officers, including 5 School Resource Officers. In 2019, Hingham Police received over 29,000 calls for service. • From July 2019 – June 2020, Public Safety departments generated $3,000,000 in Local Receipts revenue from the Town’s ambulance service, harbor-related fees, and building permits. This additional revenue offset 22% of the total Public Safety budget for that year. Public Works (excluding Sewer, which is funded through user rates, 18% of total municipal expenses) includes Engineering, Fleet Maintenance, Highway, Transfer Station, and Tree & Park. • Among the responsibilities of Public Works are the care of 140 miles of public roads, 60 miles of sidewalks, over 10,000 public shade trees, and the Transfer Station, which accommodates 7,000 vehicle trips per week. The Public Works staff includes 51 full-time and 2 part-time personnel. Human Services of total municipal expenses) includes the Department of Elder Services, the Health Department, Veterans’ Services, Health Imperatives, and the South Shore Women’s Center. • The Department of Elder Services operates the Senior Center, which is supported by 3 full-time, 4 part-time personnel, and numerous volunteers. In the year preceding the pandemic, Senior Center volunteers served a total of 8,732 hours, which is equivalent to nearly 5 full-time positions. During that same time, Veterans’ Services volunteers provided 531 hours of Valor Act support to the Veterans’ Services Department. Culture and Recreation of total municipal expenses) includes Library, Recreation Commission, Trustees of the Bathing Beach, Historic Commission, and Celebrations Memorial Day, Veterans’ Day). • In the year preceding the pandemic, the Hingham Library accommodated 252,000 visits. The Library is staffed by 12 full-time personnel and 23 part-time personnel.