Beverly City Council Budget Hearing: Library, Police, Parks & More - June 11, 2026

This was a joint meeting of the Beverly City Council Committee of the Whole and the Finance & Property subcommittee on June 11, 2026, to review FY27 budget requests from the Library, Solicitor's Office, Police Department, Parks and Recreation, and Public Services (including enterprise funds). The meeting began with a procedural issue regarding missing agenda items for Community Services and Veterans, which were not listed. The council scheduled a supplemental meeting for Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 6 p.m. to address those items.

Procedural Matter

• Council recognized that the agenda did not list Community Services or Veterans, which fall under that umbrella. The solicitor advised that discussing them would violate open meeting law. Council agreed to schedule a new meeting on June 16 at 6 p.m. specifically for Community Services. Council apologized for the oversight.

Library Department (Alison Babin, Director)

• Presented FY27 budget request, which represents 1.3% of the total city budget. Highlights: 921 programs with 18,813 attendees; 331,461 physical items circulated; 81,746 ebooks/audiobooks; over 172,000 visits (equivalent to 4.5 times Fenway Park capacity).
• Reduced funding led to service changes: Children's room at main library closing at 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday; Farms branch hours reduced from 52/45 (seasonal) to 33/30. The library lost one full-time employee (FTE) and 0.8 FTE in part-time staff, saving about $80,000.
• Director cited a 301% return on investment (ROI) using a Maine State Library calculator, valuing services at $7,014,262. For every $1 invested, residents get $3.01 in services.
• Farms branch usage: 6% of circulation vs. 82% main library. Annual cost: ~$150,000 for FY27 (one FTE). Council discussed whether cuts to the library are appropriate given its high use.

Solicitor's Office (Beth Oldmixon, City Solicitor)

• Budget request: $540,000 (0.3% of city budget), a reduction of $16,000 (3%). Staff reduced from 3 full-time attorneys to 2.5 (one part-time). The office handles legal counsel for all city departments, boards, litigation, public records, open meeting law, and union contract negotiations.
• Increased outside counsel line from $55,000 to $70,000 to cover collective bargaining and possible special projects (election recount, airport leases).
• Council noted the office's responsiveness but questioned whether further cuts would delay responses. The solicitor prioritized resources, noting that response times may lengthen.

Police Department (Chief Philip Lasher)

• Budget: $11,228,370 (6.2% of city budget), up 1.2%. Staff of 74 officers (below FBI recommendation of 85-90). The budget includes a reduction of one sergeant and one patrol officer through attrition.
• Overtime budgeted at $930,000; actual FY26 overtime reached $1.1 million. The chief indicated they will manage within the budget by shifting funds from other line items if needed.
• Discussion: Cruiser fleet aging—cost per cruiser ~$48,000 plus $25,000 for outfitting. No new cruisers in FY27 budget. Chief noted the department absorbed major incidents (homicide, home invasion) and continues to operate with minimal resources.
• Council expressed support for public safety and concerns about overtime and fleet.

Parks and Recreation (Mr. Doyle)

• General budget: $445,000 (0.25% of city budget), 4 full-time employees (down from 5). They staff 12 free summer parks, day camps at Lynch Park, and over 20 concerts annually. They employ 80 seasonal staff.
• Finances: Lynch Park generates ~$115,000 in revenue (parking and rentals). The department leverages grants (CPC, Lynch trustees) for playgrounds and facilities. Recent AED program placed over 30 defibrillators in parks.
• Council questioned the impact of cutting the entire department; Doyle responded that Lynch Park, 28 playgrounds, and programming would be severely affected.

Public Services & Enterprise Funds (Commissioner Mike Collins)

• Total staff: 99 full-time equivalents across all divisions (highway, engineering, parks, etc.). Budget reduced by 2.1% year-over-year (excluding accounting changes and trash fee increases). Lost 3 FTEs.
• Capital outlay line: $150,000 budgeted, but actual FY26 spending was $929,000 due to long delivery times for equipment (dump trucks, loaders). Fleet aging: a new dump truck can cost up to $400,000.
• Enterprise funds: Water and sewer rates increased 5.54% (combined rate $12.18 per cubic foot). Sanitation fund: significant increases due to new contract (labor, fuel, and recycling processing costs rising from $62 to $125/ton).
• Airport (Chris Hamm): Jet fuel tax generated ~$95,000; airport supports 67,000 operations/year. No major issues—council praised management.
• Council discussed the structural deficit and the need to address unfunded mandates (MS4, DEP) but noted that enterprise funds are self-supporting.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken on the budgets; this was a hearing for information and discussion.
• A supplemental meeting was scheduled for June 16 at 6 p.m. to cover Community Services and Veterans.
• The council will continue budget deliberations at the next meeting (Committee of the Whole on June 15).
• Several councilors expressed support for public safety and library services while noting the need to balance the budget.