It is budget season for communities across Massachusetts. And how things are looking widely varies from place to place.
In Springfield, the budget proposal for fiscal year 2027 released by Mayor Domenic Sarno sits at $1.04 billion, a 5.4% increase from the previous spending plan. For the 12th consecutive year, the budget is balanced and does not rely on financial reserves. It also avoids layoffs and cuts to programs.
"We balanced the budget through a combination of targeted spending reductions, vacancy management, strategic use of grant funding and realistic...revenue estimates,” the mayor said at a recent press conference.
All but about $330 million of the Springfield budget would go to the city’s schools.
Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra is poised to release her full budget proposal in the coming days. She has already announced she is calling for a 6.79% increase to the school department budget, which would “fully fund” education in the city.
“Our schools are at the heart of this community, and reaching a level services budget was a top priority,” Sciarra said in a statement. “At the same time, we have to be transparent about what can be sustained over time with the recurring revenue sources we have. This budget reflects strong support for our students and educators, along with a clear-eyed understanding of the financial pressures facing our community and others across the Commonwealth.”
School funding has been a source of contention in Northampton in recent years, with the school committee and community members pushing for more. At a school committee meeting in April, the panel voted to recommend a spending plan for more than $50 million, nearly $4 million than what Sciarra is proposing. The final call still lies with the mayor.
In the cases of cities like Springfield and Northampton, the respective city councils will review the proposals and vote on them. A city council can only reduce spending, not add to a budget.
The South Hadley town meeting will take up that town’s budget on Wednesday. Voters earlier this spring voted down a pair of tax overrides at $9 and $11 million dollars, leaving open the possibility of cuts or having to use financial reserves to fill in the gaps. There’s also the possibility a smaller override could go before voters later this year.
And in Easthampton, the budget picture is murky. On June 9, voters will be asked whether they support a $6.9 million tax override. That is only a few weeks before the new fiscal year begins. Mayor Salem Derby says if the override does not pass, the city could be facing drastic cuts as it tackles a budget deficit of more than $6 million.