Somerville Finance Committee Community Budget Hearing - February 11, 2026

The Finance Committee of the Somerville City Council held its second annual community budget hearing on February 11, 2026, to hear public input on fiscal year 2027 budget priorities. Chair Ben Wheelard noted the city faces a nearly $5 million budget reduction this year, limiting new spending and focusing efforts on maintaining current service levels. The hearing was conducted remotely via Zoom. All five committee members were present, establishing a quorum.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Crystal Huff (Ward 5): Presented priorities including accessible streets, affordable housing, food access (community fridges and food pantries), immigrant protections, more mobility options and public transit funding, less policing, more social investment, and help for the most vulnerable without more means testing. Delivered comments in a song.
• Ellie Botchen (28 J Street, West Somerville): Requested funding for a dog park in West Somerville, noting the current dog park is in East Somerville.
• Jen Harrington (66 Highland Ave, Ward 3): Recommended five priorities: (1) support an independent artist collective or guild funded by the city but operating autonomously; (2) respond to ongoing art space emergencies (Joy Street Studios, the Byrne, Washington Street Studios, Art Farm, Brick Bottom); (3) create short-term project-based opportunities leveraging local talent; (4) make better use of city-owned assets, especially Somerville High School for cultural/community programming; (5) invest in city council capacity via a structured paid internship/fellowship program.
• Annette McKee (12 Adams Street): Urged the city to reinvest in Founders Rink for ice recreation (figure skating, learn-to-skate, hockey).
• Derek DuPont (12 Craigy Street, Ward 3): Asked the city to prioritize funding for immigrant services and an alternative emergency response program (unarmed, non-police team). Noted ICE activity in East Somerville and that the previous mayoral administration never funded the alternative response program or acted on the 2023 staffing study's recommendations.
• Susan Hagel (Cambridge and Somerville Legal Services, 60 Gore Street, East Cambridge): Urged continued support for two Office of Housing Stability programs: (1) the municipal voucher program for immigrants ineligible for federal housing due to immigration status; (2) large homeless prevention funds covering rental arrears, prospective rent, and moving costs. Cited examples of elder/disabled clients with hoarding issues and residents in inclusionary zoning units who lost jobs.
• Maddie W. (city employee, HHS): Proposed high-impact, low-cost options: street safety (widening curbs, bike lanes); a dog park in West Somerville; arts investment (events, armory residencies); and approval of the Cobble Hill project in Davis Square for affordable housing.
• Emily Balliol (Ward 2, Tower Court): Advocated for continued funding (a small grant) for community fridges, noting they distributed 56,000 pounds of food for a $7,000 investment.
• Chris Duan (26 Ivalu Street, Ward 2): Criticized the budget process as incremental and largely unchanged from the mayor's proposal. Opposed police overtime for cyclist education (calling it a 50% premium) and argued for civilian flaggers instead of armed traffic details. Supported composting but suggested putting bins in parks and offering backyard composters on request rather than subsidizing curbside service. Urged focus on direct impact, frontline staff, and union jobs.
• Courtney Pollock (14 Linden Street): Asked to prioritize funds protecting immigrant communities from unlawful federal actions; resilience to loss of federal funds; rejection of grants requiring DHS cooperation (e.g., Urban Area Security Initiative); accountability measures (commissions, evidence repository, FOIA requests, public dashboard); and strong support for the Office of Immigrant Affairs, Fourth Amendment training, know-your-rights training, rapid response, immigrant legal services, and housing stability funds.
• Richard Maidman (18 Sterling Street, Ward 7): Asked the council to fund and implement the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Anti-Semitism's recommendations; expand public access to existing recreation facilities (skating rink hours, basketball court lighting, school gyms in winter); and commit resources to basic infrastructure, roads, and pedestrian safety (citing a third-mile stretch of North Street without a crosswalk near a school). Supported a West Somerville dog park. Stressed not endangering the tax base or bond rating.
• Bruce Kaplan (154 Summer Street, Ward 3): A transportation planner focusing on roadway safety, highlighted dangerous unsignalized, unlit pedestrian crossings near Green Line stations and community path intersections—prime example at Gilman Square station on School Street. Recommended studying and prioritizing these, suggesting hawk beacons (button-activated traffic control devices).
• Joshua Gensler Steinberg (8 Conwell Street, Ward 5): Asked for more parking options easing traffic flow while maintaining bike/pedestrian safety; more crosswalks; better snow removal support for DPW; more before-school and after-school childcare and pre-K options; curbside compost; and implementation of the anti-Semitism commission's recommendations. Opposed the recent ballot measure boycotting businesses dealing with Israel.
• Daniel Engel (39 Crocker Street, Ward 3): Recommended five categories: (1) fund anti-Semitism commission recommendations; (2) infrastructure (paving roads, safer cycling, easier walking); (3) rodent reduction (smart boxes, city composting); (4) police and fire recruitment to reduce overtime; (5) childcare, teen, and after-school activities (libraries, school activities, park lighting, Kennedy School field maintenance).
• Emma Lebwell (39 Crocker Street, Ward 3): Supported bike lanes but said some have not made roads safer and implementation should be smarter. Supported the police force and activities fostering family connection. Asked for more indoor spaces for children in winter; increased pool hours; increased school funding (noting poor MCAS scores); implementing the anti-Semitism commission's recommendations; better planning for water/sewer rate increases; expanding after-school care and pre-K; and partnering with neighboring cities for immigrant and unhoused support, not shouldering the burden alone. Opposed spending on lawsuits against the federal government.
• Bonti Gennetti (20 Calvin Street): Spoke in support of keeping rental assistance on the budget, calling it paramount. Mentioned the railroad crossing near Park Street needs work (nearly died there). Reminded the council of the majority vote in favor of the ballot initiative limiting funding to companies complicit in genocide in Palestine.
• Janice Hagerman (346 Union Apartments, new resident): Noted difficulty signing up for comments online. Echoed support for respecting the democratic will on the divestment ballot initiative and support for the lawsuit against federal mass deportation mandates.
• Daniel McLaughlin (27 Silk Street, Arlington, formerly of Somerville): Expressed full support for Susan Hagel's comments on flexible rental assistance. Emphasized long-term affordable housing solutions, early action acquisition funds, and the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Prioritized youth summer jobs programs (BAM, Teen and Palmer) and a future youth center.
• David Lichter (9 Belmont Place, Ward 3): Asked the budget to focus on core municipal services, schools, and infrastructure (roads damaged by snowstorms, filling tires often). Reported his 2026 water/sewer bill was quadruple the norm, and was told only one person is authorized to replace old water meters. Urged implementation of the anti-Semitism commission's recommendations, calling the Question 3 ballot resolution illegal and discriminatory, citing swastikas, protested Hanukkah celebrations, and hateful messages at his daughter's school.
• Lori Goldman (35 Oak Street, Ward 2, Tufts faculty): Urged prioritizing stable and affordable housing for three reasons: (1) housing is critical to household budgets and well-being; (2) continue funding legal services, the municipal voucher program, and the guaranteed basic income experiment; expand warming/cooling centers; early intervention to prevent evictions; (3) need for the city to make up for federal and state shortfalls, leveraging philanthropic and private funding.
• Alexandra Barba (33 Josephine Ave, co-chair of Somerville Commission for Women, speaking personally): Echoed the need for affordable housing funding, especially for women's ability to live, work, and raise families in Somerville. Supported the municipal voucher program.
• Susan Gazal Keiro's Miller (31 Walnut Street, Ward 3): Thanked the city for strong public schools and after-school programs (her son is a Somerville Public School graduate). Asked not to increase police overtime or new cruisers, saying more policing makes people less safe under the Trump administration. Encouraged increasing the budget for the Office of Immigrant Affairs and making the $2 million flexible rental assistance (from federal funding, split between CAS and Somerville Homeless Coalition) a priority, noting it saved 170 families from eviction last year.
• Jonathan Dovev (12 Harvest Street): Supported activities that bring people together (Music Fest). Asked not to spend money on groups hostile to Jews/Israelis. Supported the Massachusetts Commission on Combating Anti-Semitism's recommendations. Requested more pedestrian safety (crosswalk lights for seniors). Emphasized protecting the city's triple-A bond rating.

Key Outcomes

• The committee heard testimony from 19 speakers covering a wide range of priorities including affordable housing, immigrant services, infrastructure, street safety, arts, recreation, youth programs, and budget process concerns.
• Chair Wheeler recused himself from discussions on the Department of Racial and Social Justice or the Youth League, asking speakers on those topics to wait until the end; no such speakers came forward.
• The hearing was adjourned with a motion to mark the agenda item as work completed, carried without objection.
• Written comments remain open at publiccomments@somervillema.gov.