New Bedford City Council FY27 Budget Hearing – June 8, 2026
New Bedford City Council FY27 Budget Hearing – June 8, 2026
The New Bedford City Council held a budget hearing on Monday, June 8, 2026, to review the proposed FY27 budgets for several departments, including MIS, Police, Fire, Department of Public Infrastructure (DPI), Sullivan's Ledge, Wastewater, Water, Facilities and Fleet Management (DFFM), Waste Collection, and the Zeiterion Theatre. The hearing featured presentations from department heads, extensive discussion on proposed cuts, and expressions of support and opposition from councilors. Key themes included staffing reductions, technology investments, public safety, and the impact of state aid.
Consent Calendar
- None explicitly designated, but several routine items were addressed without objection.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments from non-officials were recorded.
Discussion Items
- MIS Department (Jonathan News, Acting IT Director): News highlighted FY26 achievements including expanded use of OpenGov, creation of online budget book, and new GIS portal. The FY27 budget increases by ~$421,000, driven largely by software cost increases of over 10% annually. Travel budget was cut to zero in FY26 but restored to $10,600 for conferences. A position swap was corrected: the budget book shows 3 senior IT analysts and 7 IT analysts, but the actual staffing is 4 senior and 6 IT analysts. Councilor Abreu questioned the increase. Councilor Burgo noted a $160,000 transfer from police for cybersecurity (Palo Alto firewall) accounts for part of the increase. Chair Pereira inquired about a $25,000 core infrastructure repair line for the municipal fiber ring.
- Police Department (Chief Paul Thody): Chief Thody presented a proposed budget of $29,677,507 (3.3% increase). Staffing reduction of 24 sworn officers and 1 civilian intern coordinator (from 312 to 287 full-time). Highlights include rebuilding staffing from 79% to 88% in one year, new deputy chief, enhanced training, expanded camera program, and crime reduction team. Proposed cuts total $3,542,748: elimination of $150,000 sign-on bonus, elimination of ShotSpotter contract (cost per confirmed incident ~$4,700), reduction of 25 positions, and use of 911 grant reimbursement. Chief Thody provided data on ShotSpotter: from Jan 2021 to May 2026, 73 shootings and 228 shots-fired incidents confirmed; 791 alerts, only 171 (24%) confirmed; 65% of shots-fired and 32% of shootings had ShotSpotter activation. 90% of shootings and 76% of shots-fired had at least one 911 call. Councilor Gomes strongly opposed the cuts, supporting ShotSpotter and the 24 new officers. Councilor Abreu asked about risks: losing recruitment gains and prisoner refusal by sheriff's department. Councilor Burgo clarified the non-classified position is intern coordinator; questioned the need to fill an assistant deputy chief position during budget constraints. Councilor Baptiste asked about alternative technology. Councilor Roy asked about school resource officers. Councilor Oliver asked about management analyst positions and ShotSpotter accuracy. Chair Pereira requested job description and justification for the new chief of staff position (M20).
- Fire Department (Chief Brian Madeiras): Chief Madeiras noted the department responded to over 12,000 calls in FY26. Proposed budget includes elimination of 26 positions (5 vacancies, 6th upcoming, and 20 for a frontline company) and decommissioning of Station 9. A $500,000 state earmark from Senator Montigny will delay closure by 3.5–4 months. Councilors expressed strong support for the department and opposition to the cuts. Councilor Oliver asked about alternatives; chief noted going to 3-man crews would still result in layoffs. Councilor Abreu discussed state aid inadequacy and suggested a consortium of chiefs to lobby Beacon Hill. Councilor Gomes criticized state spending priorities and lack of action on local aid. CFO Ekstrom noted that $500k in UGA increase is general fund and not specific to fire.
- Department of Public Infrastructure (Commissioner Jamie Ponte): Commissioner Ponte stated the DPI (highway) budget reduces several vacant positions, including 4 special motor equipment operators (SMEO) and requests reinstatement of an electrician position cut last year. Councilor Burgo questioned the creation of a community relations specialist (unit C M8) and administrative assistant (M2) under DPI, arguing these are not transfers from Parks and Rec as claimed. CFO Ekstrom explained positions were moved from Parks and Rec to DPI as part of reorganization of Health and Human Services. Councilor Pemberton suggested parks should have gone to DPI.
- Sullivan's Ledge: Commissioner Ponte explained the site is a city-owned Superfund site requiring monitoring and treatment. The plant was offline for 3-4 years but reopened due to contaminant rebound. No federal aid; costs are city's responsibility. Councilor Oliver asked about future prospects.
- Wastewater and Water Enterprise Funds: Presented by Commissioner Ponte. Wastewater includes a new compliance officer for public outreach. Water budget supports treatment plant upgrades and debt service. Councilor Burgo noted a typo in position title.
- Department of Facilities and Fleet Management (Director Jennifer Vieira): Director Vieira presented a budget with $947,000 in pre-council reductions, losing 8 positions (from 78 to 70). Cuts include vacant welder, maintenance person, carpenter, diesel engineer repairman, and plumber positions. Enhancements requested but not funded: pedestrian bridge maintenance ($41,600) and mobile lifts for fire apparatus repairs ($64,254). The department saves the city an estimated $2.4 million annually through in-house trades. Recycling center may reduce hours due to cuts. Councilor Pemberton asked about transfer station status. Councilor Burgo clarified that the position reductions were all vacant. Councilor Roy asked about enhancements. Councilor Oliver questioned pedestrian bridge ownership and maintenance costs.
- Waste Collection and Disposal (Director Vieira): New trash contract with Capital Waste results in a $4 million increase. Yard waste pickup reduced from 37 weeks to 20-21 weeks (saving ~$316,000). Councilor Burgo questioned the contract term (3 years with two 1-year options), suggesting longer term could have locked in lower rates. CFO Ekstrom noted the budget is based on the apparent low bid; if council cuts below base, the city may face contract issues. Chair Pereira requested bid documents and contract. Councilor Burgo expressed frustration at lack of council involvement in negotiations.
- Zeiterion Theatre: Director Vieira presented $395,000 support agreement per previous council authorization. Councilor Burgo clarified this is a reduction from last year's $495,000.
Key Outcomes
- No votes were taken during this hearing; it was informational for councilors to prepare for the final budget deliberation ("cut night").
- Councilors expressed intent to fight to restore positions in police and fire departments, particularly the 24 police officers and Station 9.
- Chair Pereira requested additional information: job description for police chief of staff, breakdown of position reclassifications, and the trash contract documents.
- CFO Ekstrom emphasized that the waste contract requires full appropriation to be executed; cuts could lead to emergency services at higher cost.
- The meeting concluded with thanks to finance staff and a note that the next step is the final budget council meeting.
Meeting Transcript
We will begin our budget hearings. Today is Monday, June 8th, and I welcome everyone to the City Council chambers. I would like to just say I have a few letters to quickly read. The first is from Council Lopes, Dear Council President Pereira, Honorable Members of the City Council. I'm writing to inform you that I'll be unable to attend the budget hearing on Monday, June 8th, 2026, due to work-related commitment. Please read this letter into the record to make my colleagues in the public aware for the reason for my absence. Sincerely, Joseph P. Lopes. Thank you sincerely. Leo Shoket, Ward 1 Counselor. Alright. So first up tonight, we have MIS, which is on pages 93 through 97 in our budget books. Good evening, Councillors. For anyone that does not know me, my name is Jonathan News and I am the current assistant IT director. During the creation of this budget, I was the acting director, and that's why I'm speaking today. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to explain the FY27 budget for the MIS department. I first would like to talk about some highlights from FY26. The city has expanded the use of its permitting and licensing software OpenGov to additional departments. This expansion has continued to enhance the use of OpenGov by adding more departments permits and workflows into the system, allowing the residents of the city to use one system. We also, in collaboration with the CFO's office, created the first online budget book last fiscal year, which allowed for greater transparency for everyone. This includes the design and implementation of a new ArcGIS enterprise portal environment, which serves as the authoritative source for all city GIS data services and applications. City staff across multiple departments were trained in various aspects of new GIS projects, and additionally, a solution was developed in collaboration with the planning department, I'm sorry, the purchasing department, to manage and share city capital projects, which I know Molly spoke about um in earlier budget hearings. Another important function within the MIS department is the communication division, which supports all city departments and the public by processing internal mail and overseeing the city's main switchboard. In addition, the communication division oversees all city communications, including the administration and support of the internal VoIP systems and all city-issued cell phones. The MIS department has successfully secured several key grants to support and enhance our budget. Among them is a collaborative award with the community services department, the COA department, to offer weekly classes for the adult community during the last fiscal year. These classes have become a valuable addition, providing meaningful learning opportunities and rewarding experience for all departments. The city has been recognized at the state level for achieving one of the highest participation rates in the training during the last fiscal year. Now looking forward to FY27, the MIS budget is primarily influenced by the need of hardware and software acquisitions, maintenance contracts, licensed compliance, security measures, and human resource development. MIS has helped city departments enhance their efficiencies and enhance costs by offering a range of technology services tailored to support their current needs and future goals. The primary driver of the current budget increases continues to be the rising cost of software. Despite ongoing efforts to manage expenses through vendor negotiations and software evaluations, many software providers have implemented annual increases, sometimes exceeding 10%. At the same time, maintaining and continue to invest in technology is essential to ensure operational efficiency and security. Over the past year, the IT department has actively evaluated both existing systems and new solutions to confirm that our current software remains cost efficient, aligned with the organization needs, and positioned to support long-term growth in the city. Regarding the MIS's hardware expenditures, under the city's current budget budget constraints, the capital outlay budget has been reduced by 50% for the upcoming fiscal year. Historically, historically, we have tried to take a proactive approach in maintaining our network infrastructure and computer replacement program to make sure all systems are replaced before they reach end of life. This reduction will likely extend the life cycle of that equipment and increase the time in between upgrades, thus requiring the MIS department to continue to support this aging equipment for longer periods of time. In conclusion, software development, network enhancements, and security updates will extend into FY27. By upgrading outdated software, replacing and refreshing end user computers and investing in employee development, we ensure the continued provision of essential tools to enhance the city's operations. The MIS staff continues to undertake immense amounts of work, often exceeding expectation, and sometimes goes unnoticed, being a supporting office for the rest of the city. I again would like to extend my appreciation for all of their outstanding work this fiscal year. Again, thank you, Counselors, for your consideration for the FY27 budget, and I'm happy to take any questions you may have. Chair Eckness, Councillor Abreu. Thank you, uh Jonathan. I appreciate it. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Good evening, Jonathan. Good to see you again. Um that was my first question I was going to ask about how every other department for the most part has been tightening the belt and really watching the purse strings, but your department ballooned a little bit in the proposal anyway, about 421 extra thousand dollars from where you were at last year that we had adopted.
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