Framingham Finance Subcommittee Meeting – January 22, 2026

The Framingham City Council Finance Subcommittee met on January 22, 2026, at 5:00 PM (revised agenda version four) to review the FY2027 budgets of the Building Department and Human Resources Department, and to discuss the overall budget schedule. Councilor King and the Mayor were absent; Councilor Cannon participated remotely. Mike Decino, Acting COO/CFO, also attended remotely. The meeting ran approximately two hours.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mr. Bloomfield (3 minutes): Urged the subcommittee to require each department to present standardized budget information including functional purpose, justification for increases, and planned cost reductions. Stressed that residents need to hear about essential costs only, and that city spending must be reduced to match actual revenue and taxpayer capacity.

Discussion Items

• Building Department FY2027 Budget (Fred Bray, Director) :

  • Revenue: Inspectional services collected $3.9 million in FY25 and $4.3 million in calendar year 2025.
  • Personnel budget requested: $1.4 million; operating budget: $68,000; projected salary increases: $29,000.
  • Proposed operating budget cuts of $6,730 to help level-fund, leaving a $22,881 shortfall requiring a personnel cut to achieve level funding.
  • Bray reported that online permitting has improved efficiency, reduced foot traffic, and sped up processing. Councilors asked for two-year historical data on personnel, administrative costs, and revenues for benchmarking.
  • Discussion on vehicle fleet (12 vehicles): The fleet is aging; a new vehicle will arrive in February via a grant, and old vehicles are kept as spares shared between departments.
  • Fees have not been raised in at least 13 years; Bray offered to compare with other communities.
  • Councilors praised the department’s customer focus but encouraged continuing improvements to the online permitting system.

• Human Resources FY2027 Budget (Kathy O’Leary, Director) :

  • HR operating budget: $615,000, a 2.5% increase ($15,000) over FY26, driven by step increases, a 2% COLA, and a merit increase for the director.
  • Modest $150 increase requested for special events (ice cream social, holiday party) due to higher participation and food costs.
  • Decreases in postage (25%) and paper. Other lines level-funded.
  • Major expense areas: substance testing for CDL drivers (DPW, Parks) and professional/technical services (Cook & Company, Guardian Claims, Work Care, Unemployment Services).
  • Discussed health insurance: GIC projects double-digit increases (12–15%); total GIC budget approximately $45 million, so a 10% increase would add $4.5 million. O’Leary noted employee stress over rising copays, loss of weight-loss drug coverage, and increased utilization (cancers, prematurity, mental health).
  • Veteran Services Officer (VSO) search: 18 applicants received; one withdrew. Interview team formed; hiring process timeline: Feb 4 select candidates, Feb 9 interviews, Feb 16 present finalist to mayor. O’Leary took responsibility for the delay since the previous VSO left last summer.
  • Councilor Cannon expressed concern that VSO vacancy was not prioritized, and questioned the optics of requesting an increase for staff events while VSO hiring languished. O’Leary acknowledged the feedback.
  • Councilor Stefanini asked about employee wellness concerns; O’Leary noted that the GIC does not offer high-deductible health savings account plans, and the city’s ERISA self-funding option was shopped two years ago but no private insurer would take the city’s risk pool.

Key Outcomes

• Building Department: Director Bray will provide a spreadsheet with two years of historical personnel, administrative costs, and revenue data.
• Human Resources: Director O’Leary will provide a spreadsheet covering the last two fiscal years for all departments under her control, including Veterans Services.
• Capital Budget Timeline: The subcommittee decided to triage the capital improvement program (CIP) by considering only “timely and needy” items in February, with a full review deferred to May. The public hearing and vote on the CIP will occur at the City Council meeting on February 17, 2026, with the Finance Subcommittee preparing its recommendation on February 10 and February 12.
• FY2027 Operating Budget Schedule:
  • The subcommittee adopted a detailed schedule of meetings (many at 5 PM or Saturdays). Key dates:
    • February 5: Library, Kylie Mello, CLA audit discussion.
    • February 10 & 12: CIP discussion.
    • March 3: Mayor presents operating budget to council.
    • March 17: Council refers budget to Finance Subcommittee (delayed referral to allow public review).
    • March 19, 21 (Saturday), 24, 26, 31: Multiple finance meetings.
    • April 7: Finance before council meeting.
    • April 14, 21: Council budget meetings.
    • May 12: Finance subcommittee for capital budget continuation.
  • Councilor Stefanini requested standardized budget presentations from all departments including a list of vacancies, a spreadsheet of all FY25 expenditures (excluding veterans’ benefits), and a departmental vehicle list and fleet policy. Chair Ottaviani will coordinate with Mike Decino to ensure uniform format.
• Motion to Adjourn: Approved unanimously (4-0).