Department heads in Oh my god.

Uh there are extra copies now up by the podium.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

It is seven oh three PM on Monday, June twenty second, twenty twenty six.

Counselor at large Ian April, Counselor of Ward Two, Scott Pemberton, Councillor of Ward One, Leo Shap, Councillor of Ward Five, Joseph Lopes, Counselor at Large, Brian Gomes, Counselor at Large, James Roy, Counselor at Large, Naomi Carney, Councillor of Ward Three, Sean Oliver, Counselor at Large, and First Vice President, Shane Burgo.

I would like to note that this meeting is being live streamed and recorded, and that City Council and Committee meetings can be viewed on the City of New Bedford's homepage under quick links, then meetings.

I'll ask the clerk if there are any letters to be read into the record.

Mr.

President, there are not.

Okay.

I'll ask the clerk to move on to item A.

Mr.

President, item A is communication from City Council President Pereira to City Clerk Dennis Farius, calling a special city council meeting on Monday, June 22nd, 2026 at 7 p.m.

in the City Council Chambers, the second floor of City Hall for the FY27 final budget and budget cut session.

Motion received in place on file.

A motion to receive in place on file was made by Councillor Burgo, seconded by Councilor Lopes.

Anyone on the question?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, the ayes have it.

I'll ask the clerk to read item begin the cuts.

Mr.

President.

If I may.

Chair mechanized Council of Burgo.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

As I reflect before we begin on our amendments to these proposals, I just want to take this moment as I reflect on how we arrived at this moment.

I can't help but think back to the day this budget was first introduced.

Many will remember that I had a bit of an outburst on this council floor.

My frustration was not about politics.

It was about people.

It was about the dedicated city employees who have spent decades serving New Bedford, many of whom were treated as no more than line items to be eliminated.

It was about the disrespect shown not only to this council, but to the men and women who have devoted their careers to keeping this city running.

I never imagined an administration could handle such a difficult financial situation in such a cold and dismissive manner.

Yet here we are.

After that moment, I did issue a formal apology.

I did so not because I did not want my sorry, I did so because I did not want my choice of words to become a distraction from the real issue at hand.

And so I say to the employees who have been laid off in this process, those who were effectively treated as sacrificial lambs in this budget crisis, I want to speak directly to you.

You are not line items.

You are not expendable.

You are individuals who have been dedicated servants.

You have spent years and in many cases decades of your lives to public service in this city.

Your work mattered, your contributions mattered, and the impact you made on this city and our community will be felt long after this budget is passed.

It's troubling to see careers end in such an abrupt and uncomfortable way.

No one who has given so much of themselves to this city deserves to be cast aside without dignity or recognition.

On behalf of this council and on behalf of the residents you served every day, I want to thank you for your years of service, and I want you to know that your work did not go unnoticed.

To the administration's credit, significant reductions were necessary, and we should acknowledge that.

But let's be honest about why those reductions occurred.

These reductions were not the result of a newfound commitment to fiscal restraint, but rather because there was no other choice.

What concerns me most is that throughout this process there was no effort to build a coalition of partners to solve the problem.

A city government is not one person or one office.

It consists of the mayor, the city council, school committee, and often the state delegation.

At a time when collaboration was desperately needed, this administration chose to pursue its own priorities rather than bring everyone to the table.

The result was a proposal that cut more than 4.5 million from our schools, threatening educational services and transportation for our children, a blacking out of a fire station, laid off firefighters, and a canceling of a fire academy that would have helped keep up with staffing.

Yet somehow, whenever difficult decisions are being made, there always seems to be money available for positions at the top.

There is always money available for additional administrative salaries.

There is always money available for the solicitor's office, ensuring the mayor has a team of lawyers prepared to defend whatever position he wishes to take, even when those positions stretch or outright misinterpret the law.

There happens to be money for a civilian chief of staff position within the police department while efforts to recruit and hire new police officers remain stalled in a department that has been understaffed for years.

And while taxpayers fund a growing number of six-figure administrative positions, the police union remains without a settled contract for nearly two years.