Rockland Police Department Promotes Two Officers, Town Prepares for Crucial Vote
South Shore Tech Building Project and Debt Exclusion on January 25 Ballots
ROCKLAND - January 7 - The Rockland Police Department has promoted two officers following a rigorous assessment process. Lieutenant Steven Somers and Sergeant Keith Brodeur were recognized for their achievements during a recent select board meeting.
Chief Nicholas Zeoli presented the officers to the board, highlighting their careers and qualifications. Somers, who began his career with the department in 2001, holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, a master's degree in criminal justice, and a law degree from the Massachusetts School of Law. He has served as the department's canine officer for more than 17 years.
Brodeur, who joined the force in 2009, currently serves as one of the department's firearms instructors. Both officers ranked first in their respective positions during the promotional assessment conducted in March 2024.
"Having worked with both of these officers for many years, I can certainly attest both of them are dedicated to the profession of law enforcement and to this community as well," Zeoli said.
The promotions come as Rockland prepares for a crucial vote on Jan. 25 regarding the South Shore Tech building project. Residents will decide on the $163 million project to construct a new vocational high school at South Shore Tech.
Town Administrator Douglas Lapp explained the complexities of the upcoming vote. "The first election that was called by South Shore Tech, and it is a regional election, so each town is holding an election at the same date and time within their respective towns," Lapp said.
Rockland will run two simultaneous Special Elections. The first is a regional vote on the building project itself, which requires no town meeting approval. The second is a Proposition 2 1/2 debt exclusion question specific to Rockland, which would raise taxes to fund the town's share of the project if approved.
Rockland's estimated share of the project is approximately $35 million. For the average single-family home valued at $517,000, this could mean an annual tax increase of $250 to $300.
Lapp emphasized the importance of the debt exclusion vote. "Should the regional project pass, but our debt exclusion fails, what that means is we will have to pay our bills. We'll have to fund and pay for our share of that project," he said. "The only way to cover the debt service on a $35 million project, which would be roughly, let's call it around $2 million a year, we'd have to cut $2 million a year out of our budget every single year to be able to cover our share of that debt."
Town Clerk Liza Landy announced that absentee voting for the election is now available. "We've had some traffic already come in and ballots have already been mailed out," Landy said. "So if you're unable to make it on the 25th, please come to the clerk's office and absentee vote."
The town has also opted to provide early in-person voting at town hall for this election. Early voting will be available the week before the election, including the Saturday prior.
To inform residents about the upcoming vote, the town has mailed postcards to households with registered voters. Lapp said, "We did send out postcards yesterday regarding the South Shore Tech election. To keep our costs down, the Town Clerk and the Assessing Department and Courtney and others worked on a mailing list to send one postcard to every residence that has at least one registered voter."
Select Board members urged residents to participate in the upcoming election. "Please pay attention and go vote so that you don't have to scream later. It may not turn out the way you want, but please take the opportunity to make your voice heard," said Select Board member Donna Shortall.