LONDONDERRY, N.H. (WHDH) - The Londonderry, N.H. fire chief announced that he is stepping down from his position due to issues with his department’s budget.
Londonderry Fire Chief Bo Butler, who grew up in the area, gave his emotional resignation at Monday’s town council meeting.
“I am providing you my resignation tonight as chief of the Londonderry Fire Department,” Butler said at the meeting.
Butler said he cannot balance the department’s budget and keep safe staffing levels at the same time.
“I am not going to be the chief to violate my own character, and my own integrity, and my own principal to come in under budget at the cost of their health and safety,” he said.
Local 3160, the union representing Butler’s firefighters said the community voted in March to add four staffers to the fire department, bringing the total number of firefighters to 13 per shift.
“We’ve been maintaining 12 members per shift until we could get those four additional on staff. Now he’s being told we have to bump to 11,” said Chris Schofield, the union’s president.
Schofield said Butler was feeling the pressure by town leaders.
“He was threatened with discipline that if he went over his budget, he could face termination,” Schofield said.
In a statement, Town Manager Mike Malaguti disputed those claims.
The statement said in part that “…we informed the Chief that his overtime budget is trending $200,000 over budget just one quarter into the fiscal year, and we answered the Chief’s questions about possible strategies to address this trend. Similarly, the Chief was not ‘threatened … with disciplinary action if he does not comply.’ This assertion is entirely made up.”
With his four daughters in the audience at Monday’s meeting, Butler said he wants to be a good role model for his children.
“I’m going to live the rest of my life in peace, and will always know when push came to shove, Bo Butler stood for what was right and what was true,” he said.
The crowd gave Butler two standing ovations as he left after 20 years of serving on the Londonderry Fire Department.
In order for Londonderry firefighters to collect their pensions, they must serve for 20 years and be at least 45 years old. However, Butler is only 40.
He is set to leave in two weeks.
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