Beverly City Council Special Meeting: Public Hearing on FY27 Budget - June 22, 2026

On Monday, June 22, 2026, the Beverly City Council held a special meeting at 6:00 p.m. to conduct a public hearing on Mayor Kay Hill's proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget. The meeting also included a referral of the budget from the Finance and Property subcommittee to the full council and concluded with a motion to enter executive session to discuss collective bargaining and litigation. The final vote on the budget is scheduled for the following evening, June 23, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Rick Marciano (141 McKay Street) criticized the state's Chapter 70 school funding formula, claiming it shortchanges Beverly by over $20 million annually compared to Salem. He argued that Essex Tech students cost only $734 more per student than Beverly district students and blamed former state representative Michael P. Cahill for closing the vocational wing at Beverly High School in 1995.
• Nancy Gillis (Beverly resident) expressed opposition to the mayor's proposed $30 million renovation of city hall, arguing that money should be spent on education and public safety. She suggested cutting non-essential positions, negotiating health insurance, and eliminating the mayor's raise. She also stated that roads are in poor condition and traffic is a problem.
• David Hannibal (22 Cox Court) proposed closing the Beverly Farms Library, calling it underutilized. He criticized the trash fee process as poorly managed and noted that a proposal to save $500,000 by switching to every-other-week recycling was not pursued. He suggested asking Endicott College to provide 10 free teaching fellows rather than paying $19,100 each.
• Brad Willenbrock (5 Clifford F.) expressed full support for the $400 trash fee, describing it as an investment in the community. He highlighted his family's positive experiences with Beverly Public Schools and urged the city to care for vulnerable populations through equitable funding.
• Andrea Sherman (78 Water Street), president of the educators' union, argued that the city's budget process concentrates too much power in the mayor's office, limiting the council's authority to increase school funding. She noted that $34 million (18% of the operating budget) sits in reserves while schools struggle. She called for charter or special act changes to give the council meaningful control over school appropriations.
• Laura Newton (23 Jewett Road) urged the council to stop the mayor from "defunding" schools, stating that the school committee's critical needs budget was ignored. She claimed that the city has repeatedly failed to meet school needs and that the narrative that Beverly cannot afford adequate school funding is false.
• John Taylor (41 Cole Street) thanked the council for handling the $3.9 million deficit and shared results of a survey on effective legislators, noting that the most popular view was that a legislator should vote as the speaker wants.
• Paul Hansomatev (25 Line Street) praised the city's dental clinic, veteran services, and senior shuttle. He urged the council to preserve those services and to show sympathy for residents facing challenges, including potential homelessness from budget cuts.
• Councilor Spien read a statement on behalf of Stephanie Andrews, a German teacher at Beverly High School, who urged passage of the school committee's budget. She detailed cuts to German language programs, unsafe class sizes in lab classes, and inadequate special education staffing, noting that next year will be the last year German is offered in Beverly Public Schools.
• Lorenda Visnake (39 Middlebury Lane), school committee chair, spoke as a resident. She thanked the council for their work and encouraged public engagement via BEVCAM, the city website, and newsletters. She noted the difficulty of pushing information out without dedicated marketing staff.

Discussion Items

• Process Explanation: Council President Flowers and Finance and Property Chair Feldman explained the budget process to the public. The budget was proposed by the mayor on June 1, then reviewed in subcommittee meetings with department heads over several weeks. The full budget book is available online. The council cannot increase line items but can propose cuts. The final vote will occur on June 23, 2026. Feldman also noted that a financial forecasting subcommittee meets in November/December to produce a five-year forecast, which is publicly available.

Key Outcomes

• Referral of Budget: The Finance and Property subcommittee voted 3-0 to refer the proposed FY27 budget back to the full council for the public hearing. The full council then opened the public hearing.
• Public Hearing Closed: After hearing from all speakers, the public hearing was closed. No votes on the budget were taken during this meeting.
• Next Steps: The council will reconvene on June 23, 2026, for a public meeting to discuss and vote on the budget. Councilors may propose amendments (cuts) to the budget. The final vote will be on the budget as a whole.
• Executive Session: The council voted 9-0 to enter executive session pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 30A, Section 21A3 to discuss collective bargaining strategy with the Beverly Police Superior Officers Association, Beverly Police Benevolent Association, and Beverly Firefighters Dispatch Division, and litigation strategy in City of Beverly v. Beverly Police Superior Officers Association (Essex Superior Court Docket 2677CV00452). The open meeting was adjourned, and the council did not return to open session.