City Council

FITCHBURG CITY CLERK Jul 17 2025 10:38 am City of Fitchburg Massachusetts 01420 CITY COUNCIL Councillors at Large President Ward Councillors Anthony M. Zarrella Sally H. Cragin Ward 1 – Bernard J. Schultz III Marcus L. DiNatale Ward 2 – Paul R. Beauchemin Amy Green Vice President Andrew J. Van Hazinga Ward 3 – Andrew J. Couture Elizabeth R. Walsh Ward 4 – Andrew J. Van Hazinga Anthony M. Zarrella Ward 5 – Marisa R. Fleming Ward 6 – Derrick J. Cruz COUNCIL AS A WHOLE COMMITTEE MEETING Legislative Building, 700 Main Street, Fitchburg, MA Wednesday, June 11, 2025 Immediately Following the Finance Committee meeting that starts at 6:00 PM This meeting will be open to the public. Persons who wish to participate remotely in the Public Forum portion of the meeting may request a remote attendance link by contacting the City Clerk at cityclerk@fitchburgma.gov. The Council as a Whole Committee Meeting was called to order by President Zarrella at 6:11 PM. The meeting opened with a salute to the Flag led by Councilor Fleming. The City Clerk called the roll 11 Councilors were present. Board consists of 11 members. Also present were members of the Finance Team: Jacquelyn M. Cronin, Auditor, Michaela Horn, Treasurer, Chris Paquette, Chief Assessor and Hon. Mayor Samantha Squailia. Department Heads present at the meeting included: Trevor Bonilla, Manager of Information Technology, Liz Murphy, Executive Director of Community Development & Planning; Mary Jo Bohart, Director of Economic Development; Brittney Fish, Interim Human Resources Director; Nicholas Erickson, DPW Commissioner, Jacquelyn M. Cronin, Auditor; Chris Paquette, Chief Assessor; Felix I. Zemel, Building Commissioner; Steven Giannini, Chief of Police; Michaela Horn, Treasurer; and Dante W. Suarez, Chief of Department. Juan Santiago, Fitchburg resident, spoke in opposition of Public Works Parks & Recreation Budget Cuts. Harold Mateo, Developer in Fitchburg, spoke on cost strategies and how to gain revenues. Steffani Santiago, Fitchburg resident, spoke on the impact that our summer programs and summer care would create if the Public Works Parks & Recreation budget gets cut. Mayor Squailia addressed the Council with the following remarks: Understanding the Real Impacts of Proposed FY26 Budget Reductions Prepared by the Office of the Mayor with contributions from all city departments Members of every City Department worked carefully on this FY26 City Budget which SIGNIFIES a turning point for Fitchburg. Our city leaders shared a goal: creating a balanced budget that also reflects shared leadership, clear priorities, and unified commitment to our city. However, the current cuts proposed by members of the City Council would drastically undermine essential city services, and stall the economic progress we have all worked hard to achieve. These proposed cuts would be felt by every member of every household and business in Fitchburg. Every time a resident called Dispatch, or uploaded a photo onto See Click Fix, the wait-time for pothole repairs or grass cutting in the parks would be longer. Every time a business person came to City Hall, eager to be part of our revitalization, the permitting process would be longer, and the key staff positions that support the core services at City Hall, and our economic development goals would stagnate; the real cost of these cuts would fall squarely on our residents and businesses. We are not a city that can afford to cut its way to success. We are already operating at reduced staffing levels and a reduced budget- doing more with less. Our finance team has already worked with our departments to cut 5-10% of their budget to the best of their ability for FY25 and this FY26 budget represents those sacrifices and is as lean as we can make it without sacrificing cuts to services. In just one year, we closed a $7.6 million budget gap to $4.1 million without eliminating services or laying off staff. We stabilized our finances, increased Fitchburg’s property valuation by over 15% to $5.08B, and we also preserved $1.7 million for FY26 in capital funding needs to invest in equipment and infrastructure. This is progress worth supporting and protecting. Now is the time to support, not slash, our city services. To invest in the departments that keep our streets and neighborhoods clean & safe, legal work to keep our city out of costly legal challenges, and keep our business investment growing. We must continue to build a city that attracts investment, creates opportunity, and provides residents with the quality of life they deserve. I invite the Council to work together with our office and all our city department leaders to find sustainable solutions that strengthen, rather than diminish, the services our residents count on, & I commit to do the same. Let’s not bring our success to a halt. Fitchburg’s excitement in our future is high and our building momentum is real. Understanding the Real Impacts of Proposed FY Budget Reductions The agenda will consist of the following: City Council debate and vote on recommendations for budget. Finance Team and Heads of Departments facing cuts to be present. The budget and related Orders are as follows:  I. BUDGET ORDERS-FY 2026 The following Budget Orders were referred to the Council as a Whole Committee: 100-25. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated the Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget: General Fund $ 181,515,682 Water Enterprise $ 9,018,485 Wastewater Enterprise $ 20,126,481 Airport Fund $ 1,100,437 101-25. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated the sum of SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($700,000), same to be credited to the Fiscal Year 2026 TAX LEVY and charged against OVERLAY SURPLUS. 102-25. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated the sum of THREE MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED FORTY-SEVEN THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-THREE DOLLARS ($3,847,163), same to be charged against AVAILABLE FUNDS and credited to the Fiscal Year 2026 TAX LEVY in order to reduce the tax rate. 114-25. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated the sum of FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($450,000), same to be charged against the STABILIZATION FUND and credited to the Fiscal Year 2026 TAX LEVY in order to reduce the tax rate. 103-25. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated the sum of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($120,000), same to be charged against PARKING METER/GARAGE RECEIPTS and credited to Fiscal Year 2026 accounts as follows: Treasurer Personal Services $ 40,000 Treasurer Expenses $ 80,000 104-25. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated the sum of FIFTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($55,000), same to be charged against PEG ACCESS AND CABLE RELATED FUND RECEIPTS and credited to Fiscal Year 2026 accounts as follows: Information Technology - PEG Expenses $25,000 Information Technology - PEG Capital $30,000 105-25. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated the sum of FORTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($45,000), same to be charged against CEMETERY SALE OF LOTS AND GRAVES and credited to Fiscal Year 2026 CEMETERY PERSONAL SERVICES. 106-25. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated the sum of NINE MILLION EIGHTEEN THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIVE DOLLARS ($9,018,485) same to be charged against WATER ENTERPRISE FUND  RECEIPTS and credited to Fiscal Year 2026 Water Enterprise Fund accounts as follows: Personal Services $2,417,125 Expenses $2,421,000 Indirect Costs $1,452,300 Debt Service $2,178,060 Capital Expenses $ 550,000 107-25. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated the sum of TWENTY MILLION ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SIX THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED EIGHTY-ONE DOLLARS ($20,126,481), charging $18,344,495 against WASTEWATER ENTERPRISE FUND RECEIPTS and $1,781,986 against WASTEWATER ENTERPRISE FUND RETAINED EARNINGS, and credited to Fiscal Year 2026 Wastewater Enterprise Fund accounts as follows: Personal Services $3,183,418 Expenses $6,313,005 Indirect Costs $1,555,300 Debt Service $6,673,958 Capital Expenses $2,400,800 108-25. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated the sum of ONE MILLION ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED THIRTY-SEVEN DOLLARS ($1,100,437) same to be charged against AIRPORT RECEIPTS RESERVED and credited to Fiscal Year 2026 Airport Fund accounts as follows: Personal Services $ 354,799 Expenses $ 745,638 109-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby approves the expenditure of funds from the following Revolving Funds, authorized by City Ordinance, up to the amount available in the fund or $100,000 (except Public Health Sustainability which shall have a FY2026 limit of $750,000), whichever is less: Revolving Fund Authorized Official Animal Control Police Chief Civic Days Mayor or Mayor’s Designee,  Recreation Director Communication Tower & Equipment Fire Chief Community Development Community Development Director or Designee Demolition Community Development Director or Designee Public Cemetery Cemetery Superintendent, Public Works Commissioner Public Health Sustainability Public Health Director Public Library Library Trustees, Chief Librarian Traffic Enforcement Police Chief Traffic Safety Equipment Police Chief Senior Center Activities Executive Director of the Council on Aging Sidewalk Public Works Commissioner Stormwater Maintenance Public Works Commissioner FY26 Final Budget FY-26 City Council recommended proposed cuts and votes FY-26 City Council recommended proposed cuts and votes (Second Round) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The meeting adjourned at 10:46 PM. Respectfully Submitted, Joanna Bilotta, City Clerk