New Bedford Finance Committee Meeting Summary – September 18, 2025
New Bedford Finance Committee Meeting Summary – September 18, 2025
The Finance Committee met on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at 7:01 PM in City Council Chambers. Present were Chair Linda Morad, Councillors Leo Choquette, Joseph Lopes, Ryan Pereira, Naomi Carney, Sean Oliver, and later Dirk Baptiste and Maria Giesta. Absent: Councillor President Burgo and Councillor Gomes (letters read). The meeting was live-streamed and recorded. The committee addressed several items including the Health Department Compliance Revolving Fund, Community Preservation Act (CPA) budget, Tax Increment Financing (TIF) policy update, an order to accept state law on abandoned funds, and a report on tax-exempt properties.
Consent Calendar
- The committee voted unanimously to waive readings and refer items 6 through 9A (various transfer orders from free cash to Tourism, Facilities, Resilience, and a related motion on school budget formula) to the full City Council for no further action, effectively dismissing them. (Motion by Councillor Pereira, second by Councillor Lopes, vote unanimous.)
Discussion Items
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Health Department Compliance Revolving Fund (Item 1): Health Director Stephanie Sloan requested an increase to $60,000 for FY2026, up $10,000 from the prior year, due to uncertainty in grant funding. The fund is supported by fines from tobacco compliance checks. CFO Ekstrom noted a fund balance of $105,000 from previous unspent appropriations. Councillor Pereira requested a three-year history of fund balances. The committee voted to refer the order to the full City Council for adoption. (Motion by Councillor Pereira, second by Councillor Oliver, vote unanimous.)
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Community Preservation Act FY26 Budget (Item 2): CPA Manager Jessica Bailey and Chair Janine da Silva presented the estimated FY26 budget of $1,823,511. The allocation includes 5% for administrative costs, 10% each for open space/recreation, historic resources, and community housing, with the remaining ~65% held in reserve. Councillor Lopes inquired about the state match amount. The committee voted to refer the budget to the full City Council for adoption. (Motion by Councillor Pereira, second by Councillor Lopes, vote unanimous.)
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Tax Increment Financing (TIF) / Special Tax Assessment (STA) Policy Update (Item 3): Councillors Lopes and Morad requested an update on the status of TIF/STA/TIE projects and a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) following state law changes. Senior Director Ramon Silva reported that the state has stopped regulating local TIFs, and the city has no current TIF program. The Economic Development Council and Solicitor's Office are developing a local policy, but it is not yet complete. Attorney Eric Jaikes stated the policy is "in the red zone" and may be ready in one to two months. Councillors expressed frustration with the delay, noting that other municipalities have already implemented new programs and that businesses are waiting. Chair Morad set a deadline of October 16, 2025, for the policy to be presented. The item was tabled for 30 days. (Motion by Councillor Lopes, second by Councillor Oliver, vote unanimous.)
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Acceptance of MGL Chapter 200A Section 9A – Abandoned Funds (Item 4): Treasurer John Taxiarchos explained the proposed local process for disposing of abandoned or unclaimed funds held by the city, primarily outstanding vendor checks. The process involves posting a notice on the city website for 60 days, then publishing a general advertisement for one year for amounts over $100, and then a county-level advertisement. Funds would then escheat to the city's general fund. CFO Ekstrom noted that outstanding checks are typically in the six-figure range. Councillors asked about payroll checks (excluded), the timeline (about two years), and the possibility of using interns for the labor-intensive reconciliation. The committee voted to refer the order to the full City Council for adoption. (Motion by Councillor Pereira, second by Councillor Giesta, vote unanimous.)
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Tax-Exempt Properties Report (Item 5): Councillor President Carney requested a detailed list of tax-exempt properties, including churches, with values, status, and years vacant. Sherry Pinzino of the Assessor's Office presented a list and noted that four vacant churches had been returned to the tax rolls for FY2026. She is conducting a review of 116 exempt properties that must supply state-required forms; non-compliant properties may be made taxable as of November 2025. CFO Ekstrom reported that total assessed value of exempt properties is over $2 billion across 1,555 parcels, but much is city-owned. He explained that adding taxable properties increases the tax base and can reduce the tax rate, but does not directly increase revenue because the city must set the levy to meet the budget. Councillor Carney requested a separate list of properties already in the PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) program and a total value with hypothetical tax amounts. The item was tabled for 90 days. (Motion by Councillor Carney, second by Councillor Giesta, vote unanimous.)
Key Outcomes
- Health Department Revolving Fund – Referred to full City Council for adoption. (Unanimous)
- CPA FY26 Budget – Referred to full City Council for adoption. (Unanimous)
- TIF/STA Policy – Tabled for 30 days; deadline for policy submission set for October 16, 2025. (Unanimous)
- Abandoned Funds Order – Referred to full City Council for adoption. (Unanimous)
- Tax-Exempt Properties Report – Tabled for 90 days; Assessor’s Office to provide additional data on PILOT participants and total taxable value. (Unanimous)
- Transfer Orders (Items 6-9A) – Dismissed to full City Council with recommendation of no further action. (Unanimous)
- The meeting adjourned at 8:14 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the committee on finance. It is Thursday, September 18th, it's 701 p.m. And we are here in the city council chamber. I am joined in the meeting tonight by my colleagues in government, Councilor Ward 1, Leo Choquette, Council Ward 5, Joseph Lopes, Council Ward 6, Ryan Pereira, Counselor at Large, Naomi Carney, and Council Ward 3, Sean Oliver. I'm Linda Morred, Counselor at Large. Thank you all for being here. I will ask the clerk if I have anything to read into the record. Madam Chair, we have two letters. The first is from Council President Burgo, Dear Chair Moored and honorable members of the committee. I am writing to inform you that I would not be attending tonight's committee meeting due to illness. Please read this letter into the record to make my colleagues and the public aware of the reason for my absence. Sincerely Shane Burgo, Councillor at Large, and also from Council Gomes. Dear Chair Moored and Honorable Members, I am writing to inform you that I will be unable to attend tonight's committee meeting due to a prior commitment. Please read this letter into the record to make my colleagues and the public aware of the reason for my absence. Sincerely, Brian K. Gomes, Councilor at Large. Second. Made by Councillor Lopes, second by Council Oliver. Any discussion on the issue? All those in favor say aye. Opposed, the ayes have it. Colleagues, I also received uh messages from Council Giusta and Council Baptiste indicating that they were going to be a little late. Um this meeting is being live streamed and recorded in the City Council Committee meetings can be reviewed on the City and New Bit's homepage under quick links, then meetings. I'll ask the clerk to please read item number one. Madam Chair, item one is communication from Mayor Mitchell to the council. Submitting an order that in accordance with Mass General Law, Chapter 44, Section 53E and a half, a revolving fund under the control of the Health Department, known as the Health Department Compliance Program's Revolving Fund, whose revenues collected and amount limited is to be spent estimated at sixty thousand dollars is hereby authorized for FY2026. Motion to receive and place on file made by Council Pereira, second by Council Oliver. Any discussion on receiving and placing on file? All those in favor say aye. Opposed, the ayes have it. Uh Stephanie. So colleagues, um, back in July we uh reviewed all the revolving funds for fiscal twenty-six. Stephanie wasn't able to join us at that meeting, and as you know, we haven't had uh many finance meetings since that time, so uh this item's been hanging around for a little bit, but she's able to join us tonight, and the podium is yours. And uh colleagues, we had um referred to finance any revolving fund that was being renewed with a change of more than ten thousand dollars, and that's why that's before you here. Great, thank you. Good evening, everyone. Um so tonight um we are asking for sixty thousand for our revolving account, um, which is ten thousand more than last year. Um in last year we were uh we had a number of grants that sort of supported some of the work that we normally would have used our revolving account for. Um, but due to the uncertainty in grant funding, um we increased this year. Um, for example, we just found out that um the for our tobacco compliance program, there is a parallel grant um that goes along with it, which is around community education. So we do the compliance and they do the community education. That did not get refunded this year. Um so we will likely need to also add um that community education piece to the work that we do. Um we're also looking this year, we've applied for um some grant funding to um also do out alcohol compliance with the police department. But we are uncertain if we'll get that funding. And we want to do the program regardless because we are seeing an increase in alcohol problems in the in the city. So looking to stand up that program regardless of if we get the grant funding. Very good. Thank you.
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