SHUTESBURY — An acting officer-in-charge is overseeing the Shutesbury Police Department through the end of June, with the current chief on administrative leave.

In a June 4 communication from Town Administrator Hayley Bolton, Police Sgt. Devon Pelletier was announced as the temporary officer-in-charge, appointed by the Selectboard through June 30.

“Sgt. Pelletier will be handling all of the town of Shutesbury Police Department’s official business,” the correspondence states.

Pelletier took on a similar role earlier in May when Police Chief Kristin Burgess was previously on leave, but an announcement was made at the board’s May 20 meeting that this designation had been rescinded when she returned to the role. Burgess went on leave again starting May 30.

Town Meeting discussion

In part because of these changes, the Police Department was at the center of budget discussions at the May 31 Annual Town Meeting, which took place a day after the Selectboard announced that Burgess would be on leave through June.

Draft minutes from the meeting, which passed a $7.7 million fiscal year 2026 budget for town and school operations, indicate voters were concerned about Police Department spending and an amendment was proposed to keep the Police Department budget at current spending levels. That amendment was withdrawn prior to a vote.

Later, a majority of those present voted down a more targeted budget adjustment that would have cut the police chief’s salary for FY26 from $95,000 to $71,663, keeping it the same as it has been; reducing the department’s expense line from $23,000 to $21,000; and reducing total spending from $283,356 to $258,019. Part of the concern was that town employees were getting 3.3% cost-of-living adjustments, but the chief’s raise would be much higher.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.