Springfield – Despite concern over federal subsidies and potential economic slowdown, Springfield City Council approved a budget that did not ask for layoffs or services cuts.
The Council adopted the budget of $ 985.7 million in a 10-1 vote with two absent members on Tuesday. The budget, two thirds of which will be used to finance schools, requires an increase of 6.1% compared to last year’s spending.
“I feel like it is a solid budget,” said Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, running to the Council. He added that the budget is balanced and does not reduce to the city’s stabilization account, which is about $ 71 million.
He said that the funds that agreed to the rise of union employees and that it provides the basic foundations. Basic concepts include continuing all public security initiatives; Maintain parks, camps and pools open for summer; Protection of programs to address quality of life problems in the neighborhoods; and the libraries of the funding offices of the whole city.
But Sarno said it was not easy to balance the budget. He asked all the heads of the department to come with a spending plan that was 3% less than last year and thanked the city’s financial team and other employees for following the edict, sometimes creatively.
“We don’t have much room,” he said. “We face a lot of uncertainty as we move on, so these reserves may have to play at stake as we enter (fiscal year) ’27.”
The only place where the city used reserves was to help accumulate its under -financial pension fund. Each year, the state requires the city to increase the amount that moves to this account. For several years, officials have used free cash to create a reserve account to help the city prepare for lean time payments. This year, he has withdrawn $ 2 million from $ 19 million fund to make payment.
“As we join this budget, we have to deal with the uncertainty of the federal government and the continuous cuts and movements we make,” said Sarno. “It does not change every day; it seems that it happens every five minutes and we must be aware that we have already affected a series of subsidies.”
Especially the United States Environmental Protection Agency ended with a $ 20 million grant To help combat climate change in a variety of ways, including helping public buildings and private homes more energy efficient.
The city also has 89 employees whose positions are funded by grants, and Sarno said that some of these positions could be reduced.
The City Council held multiple audiences while combing through the expense plan for the last two weeks. Sarno also scheduled his initial meetings with the heads of departments later on the day to facilitate the counselors.
“This is a hard process every year to try to find some place where you can do some reasonable cuts,” said city counselor Timothy Allen, chairman of the Finance Committee. “So many things increase without any choice.”
This year, the costs have increased by $ 51 million that the city had no control. For example, pension payments increased by $ 5.5 million, school transport increased by $ 2.5 million, employees’ benefits grew $ 3 million, and the state department’s overall budget, the state dictation, increased $ 40 million.
The City Council has tried to find places of the budget that can be cut. This year, it has reduced about 14 full -time equivalent positions that were not filled. With this decision, the city has the least number of employees since 2013, said Allen.
The Vice President of the City Council, Tracy Whitfield, said that he understands that there are several obligatory expenses that must be paid and thanked the heads of department, the administrative director and the head of finance, Cathy Buono, and the administration of the mayor for trying to create a budget as possible. She voted against the spending package, but because of the impact it will have on the tax rate.
“For the tenth consecutive year, our residents’ ownership taxes are planned to increase,” he said. “I committed to the residents of the city of Springfield that if there is an increase of $ 1 in the tax bill, I cannot vote this budget and I know that this is what comes in the future.”
The city councilor, Victor Davila, who has directed an effort to achieve more profit exempt from taxes such as local colleges and universities and hospitals, To make payments to the online cityis.
He said that the city has to focus more on the new growth and bring more revenue, as fixed costs like salaries continue to increase.
“It is quite clear to me that there are not many areas in this budget that we can reduce without affecting the direct services of the city,” said city counselor Kateri Walsh. “I am very happy with this budget. We are taking care of our veterans and our pools, our parks will be open and I think it is so important to the people.”