Essex Names Two Police Chief Finalists, Sets Friday Public Interviews

ESSEX — February 10, 2025 — Essex Select Board names two police chief finalists and confronts a potential Proposition 2.5 override. The Police Chiefs Screening Committee announced Monday that Sergeant Tom Shamshack, an internal candidate, and Lieutenant David Costa, an external candidate, advanced from 14 applicants to face public Select Board interviews tentatively scheduled for February 14 at 8 a.m. Town Administrator Brendan Sweeney briefed the board on a school district budget that now carries a potential Essex apportionment increase of 8.61 percent — just over $850,000 — after the Manchester-Essex Regional School District learned its health insurance costs would jump 26.9 percent rather than the 10 percent budgeted, adding $699,000 to the original figure. Essex's combined Proposition 2.5 levy growth and new growth of roughly $517,000 falls short of even the original school ask of $561,395. "It would seem that the town is going to need to consider an override for the school," Sweeney said, adding that a municipal operations override may also be necessary. The School Committee delayed its budget vote to March 18 while seeking competing insurance quotes.