Somerville Finance Committee Finalizes FY27 Budget on June 23, 2026
Somerville City Council Finance Committee Meeting – FY27 Budget Finalization
The Somerville City Council Finance Committee, meeting as a Committee of the Whole on June 23, 2026, at 6:03 PM, concluded its review of the Fiscal Year 2027 budget. The meeting was chaired by Councilor Ben Wheeler and included extensive debate on several resolutions and the overall budget approval. The committee voted 8–0 to approve the $376,778,493 General Fund Operating Budget (Item 6.1), with Councilor J.T. Scott voting "no." Councilors Clingan and Davis recused themselves from discussion and the vote on Item 6.1 due to potential conflicts regarding the school committee budget. The meeting adjourned at 7:30 PM.
Consent Calendar
- 2.1 – Licensing Commissioner Salaries: Approved by unanimous consent. The resolution requests increasing collective salaries to $15,180 (Chair $5,180, Commissioners $5,000 each) – no increase since 2012. Budget Director Mastrobuoni suggested returning to the Municipal Compensation Advisory Board for a broader review of all boards/commissions.
- 2.2 – Teen Empowerment Funding: Originally proposed to add $400,000. After clarification that funding exists via three RFPs (two closed, one bidder each, awarding scheduled June 24 with start date July 1, 2026), Councilor Link withdrew the motion. Councilor Scott expressed concern that the funding was still uncertain for the remaining ~$100,000.
- 2.3 – Summer Baby Program Home Visitor: Approved by unanimous consent. The resolution reinstates the previously cut home visitor position within the Health and Human Services Summer Baby Program and includes postpartum care. Director Carroll stated existing staff could meet demand.
- 2.4 – Teen Programming on Early Release Wednesdays: Approved by unanimous consent. Allocates $20,000 for additional out-of-school-time programming on early-release Wednesdays.
- 2.5 – Crossing Guard Raise: Approved by unanimous consent. Requests a 10% raise for crossing guards in the FY27 budget. Councilor Strezo noted recruitment/retention difficulties and union contract considerations.
- 2.6 – Racial and Social Justice Department: Approved by unanimous consent. Resolution that the administration restore funding for cut positions in the Racial and Social Justice Department and restore funding toward its original mission.
- 2.7 – Small Business Stabilization Fund: Approved by unanimous consent. Resolution that the administration utilize the Small Business Stabilization Fund in FY27 to infuse spending to local small businesses and educate them on how to use the funds.
Discussion Items
- FY27 General Fund Operating Budget (Item 6.1): Councilor Scott moved to take up the item, arguing the council had only one meaningful action – approve or reject the budget. He expressed concern about layoffs of 4% of general government staff, increased police funding, the school committee’s request for $600,000 in additional positions (six positions), and the uncertain Teen Empowerment funding process. He stated he would vote "no" to act on these issues. Councilor Ewen-Campen supported passage, citing an inability to fund the additional school positions given the city’s financial constraints and the need to be honest with laid‑off employees. Councilor McLaughlin emphasized the $5 million deficit and that rejecting the budget would not help. Councilors Mbah, Link, Hardt, and Sait echoed similar concerns, noting a desire to fund schools but lacking a magic wand. The budget passed 8–0 (Scott nay, Clingan and Davis recused).
- Enterprise Funds and Other Appropriations (Items 3.1–5.4): All 13 items were discharged without recommendation, to be taken up at the June 25th council meeting. These include the Water, Sewer, Kennedy School Pool, and Dilboy Fields enterprise fund budgets, as well as transfers to capital stabilization funds, salary stabilization, OPEB, and compensated absence liability funds.
Key Outcomes
- FY27 General Fund Operating Budget approved: $376,778,493 (8–0, Scott nay; Clingan and Davis recused).
- Seven resolutions passed (all by unanimous consent) covering licensing commissioner salaries, Summer Baby Program, teen programming, crossing guard raise, Racial and Social Justice Department restoration, and small business support.
- One resolution withdrawn (Item 2.2 – Teen Empowerment funding) after clarifying existing funding via RFPs.
- All enterprise fund and miscellaneous appropriation items (Items 3.1–5.4) were discharged without recommendation for further consideration on June 25, 2026.
- Next meeting: The full City Council will meet on Thursday, June 25, 2026, to act on the discharged items and finalize the FY27 budget.
Meeting Transcript
Yeah, big line. Hello and good evening, everyone. I am Ben Wheeler. I use he, him pronouns. I'm a counselor at large and the finance committee chair. It is 6.03 p.m. And I'd like to call to order the Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026 meeting of the Finance Committee of the Whole of the Somerville City Council. This meeting of a city council committee may be conducted via remote participation following chapter two of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' acts of 2025. We will post an audio video recording and a comprehensive record of these proceedings as soon as possible after the meeting on the City of Somerville website and local cable access government channels. We are joined by Clerk Madeline Latelier. Clerk, could you please call the role to establish quorum? This is roll call. Counselor Ewan Campen. Counselor Link? Here. Counselor Scott? Present. Counselor Klingon? Present. Counselor Streso? Present. Counselor Saeed? Here. Counselor Hart. Here. Counselor McGaughlin? Here. Counselor Mbaugh. Counselor Davis. Here. Counselor Wheeler. Here. With nine counselors president, we have quorum. Thank you. Well, welcome to Cut Night for the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget. Before we begin, I'd like to take a moment to recognize the work of the entire council and city staff over these past few several weeks. First of all, counselors submitted over 100 questions for departments in response to the budget book, which the city's budget team and intergovernmental affairs team worked with department and division heads to answer. Those answers are included in the budget book for the public to view. And they sat for long hours with the finance committee and the clerks over three nights and one very early morning, answering questions big and small. The format we used was a continuing evolution of the improvements that the council and budget team have made in the past few years, intended to surface issues early and invite researched answers to communicate to the public about what each department and division does and hopefully to keep the meetings from being interminably long. How did we do? Well, it was a mixed bag. It's a work in progress, and I think it's fair to say that in the future uh there will be further refinements to try to rein in the longest of the meetings. I'm very grateful to the members of the finance committee and to the many city staff members who ran this marathon with us, as well as the clerks. And I hope the public agrees that our work was attentive and thorough. Tonight is what's become known as cut night, though it's also the night when resolutions requesting increased funding are in order. Motions to reduce from the budget must refer to the specific line item in the budget that they would reduce, whereas resolutions requesting additional funding, since they are non-binding, can use more general language. When we get to the section of the meeting about uh about motions, then I will call on counselors in the order that hands are raised. Since we're meeting as a committee of the whole tonight, I ask everyone to please be concise. Our clerks will be here late after the meeting, packaging whatever comes out of the meeting so it can be sent to the administration as they work to finalize the revised fiscal year 2027 budget over the next 48 hours.
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