Note: The official minutes list the meeting date as June 10, 2026, but the instruction requires using June 11, 2026. This summary follows the instruction.
The Somerville City Council Finance Committee held a virtual public hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 General Fund Operating Budget of $376,778,493. Twenty-four residents spoke, covering public safety, schools, youth programs, housing, social services, and budget process concerns. The committee also considered a resolution to increase Licensing Commissioners' salaries.
Public Safety and Policing (8 speakers)
Schools and Youth Programs (10 speakers)
Housing Affordability and Social Services (6 speakers)
Broader Budget and Staffing Concerns (3 speakers)
Other Topics (3 speakers)
Hello everyone and welcome. We're going to begin by getting Zoom interpretation started. So I'll begin by reading through these slides. For interpretation on a computer, you want to click on the globe symbol in the bottom right corner of your screen. And select the option for the language you speak. This might be in a more menu. So you may have to click more. This is what I have to do. And then interpretation. And then choose your language. If you are using a smartphone, click on the three dots that say more on the bottom right corner of your screen. Select the option with the globe symbol, select your language, and press done in the top right corner. Interpretation in until click in those three puntos ubicados in the skin derecha abajo. Selection the option con el symbol of the globo. Selection option for the idioma que você fala. Instead of the Portuguese. Counselor Straso. Counselor Stressor. Did you catch me? Did you catch it? I did now. Thank you. Counselor Hart. Here. Counselor Scott. Chair Wheeler. Here. All right, with that, we have all members present, so we do have quorum. Thank you so much. We have just a short agenda in terms of number of items, but it's a long one, which we will now take up. So I'll read it and then we will begin. Item 1.1. Mayor's request 26-0950. Requesting the appropriation of 376, 778,000 493 to fund the fiscal year 2027 General Fund operating budget. Okay, everyone. Welcome to the annual public budget hearing. Thank you so much to everyone who is turning out virtually tonight.gov slash budget. And also if you just Google Somerville budget, that'll be the first result. On that page, you'll see the FY27. That's fiscal year 27 budget. And there's a variety of different links where you can see a lot of detail about all the different departments and all the different areas of funding for the city. On that website, you'll also see a schedule explaining where we are in the budget process. There are additional chances and opportunities to tune in and watch presentations by city departments and counselor discussions about the budget before the council votes on whether to approve the budget on Thursday, June 25th. This public budget hearing is an opportunity for everyone who calls Somerville home to speak to your elected officials about how you see this proposal for spending the money that we've collected and will collect from the public. So please consider the entire city council your audience tonight. To speak, use the raise hand feature of Zoom. You might want to take a moment just to make sure you see where that is. On some interfaces, it's in uh reactions. We will recognize speakers in the order that you raise your hands. And I promise that everyone who wants to speak tonight will have the chance.