FOXBORO - Fire Chief Gerald McNamara's request for almost $500,000 to beef up his department will bypass selectmen because petitions were filed late last week that will take the proposal straight to voters at the Dec. 15 special town meeting.

Two petitions were filed Friday supporting McNamara's request for the extra cash to hire four firefighter-paramedics and to replace an old fire truck.

Finance Director Randy Scollins and Town Manager Andrew Gala oppose the move.

"We're expecting state aid cuts, possibly this year, certainly next year," Scollins said during Monday's selectmen meeting.

Gala said he will ask the advisory committee to oppose the fire department's spending plan at town meeting. "I don't want to hire people mid-year and cut them in six months," he said.

But Selectman Paul Feeney, himself one of the petition signers, argued the clear intent of mitigation payments from the Kraft Group to the town was largely to beef up public safety departments to deal with the impact of Patriot Place, with its 12 new liquor licenses.

A total of eight police officers and firefighters have already been hired under that plan, Scollins said.

Meanwhile, Police Chief Edward O'Learly defended his request for $80,000 for police overtime and $43,000 to hire two student officers to replace officers who have filed for retirement. "Trends in the past indicate crime has gone up, and we have to position the department to deal with it," O'Leary said.

Selectmen declined to place those items on the warrant, and no citizens petitions were filed to grab a place on the warrant for the police requests.