[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6220657,"mediaKeyId","3616663-e270dd0c5e60a014b98638d52834e2e7","parentId",3616663,"title","Council requests administration revisit assessor board chair stipend in FY26 budget","audioSeconds",1730,"startMs",976000,"endMs",2706000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3616663-e270dd0c5e60a014b98638d52834e2e7&start=976&end=2706","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3616663-e270dd0c5e60a014b98638d52834e2e7/thumbnail_976000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6220657/Massachusetts/Council-requests-administration-revisit-assessor-board-chair-stipend-in-FY26-budget","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6220657-f30e0e881748c0ee0676bf29b269be55/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174080&Signature=PspYYqExYjioO7Yn7DFypnAKCmjqXBKGDnr01qlewiV5b3Q25WyqJyiHCnX4WO2v~XQzOGpsAdthkkq3kpWc7LECB~UPU82HWT6QzT07Sj0BIPG4gqqsxmdUIhoAdFzaiXR4uhtlKSsRi~rxFNzylce2T66JICAD1fXYM1SYtVrPKIgrNMiLx-6J4zuvANLkcknei0gsJj42hlBd~k8LbM9pwvnCdpFsy8VRO8eA855YOlCOfT-xAl2uF5czoQ5Zjz6lD-QF1EqekxffolVkyhJOGyBcJokb-HmobYw9wtx6t0ivzdle0WM0LOjDjxPa65zz0HjdqLM6rJBNjNXQAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Everett City, MA","date","2025-05-28T00:00:00Z","article","Councilors on May 28 questioned an increased compensation allocation for the chair of the board of assessors and asked the administration to provide an amended FY26 budget to clarify whether transitional mentoring should be paid through a stipend or via a temporary special‑municipal‑employee arrangement.

The council heard from the assessors’ office and board chair in a departmental review. The mayor had ended a special‑municipal‑employee designation that previously compensated the chair for mentoring and then reflected additional time in the chair stipend in the FY26 draft. Several councilors said they preferred retaining a short-term special appointment and paying for mentoring through that route rather than raising the ongoing stipend for the chair.

Councilor VanCamp said she would “much prefer to have the individual who’s providing the mentoring do so under the paradigm of a special municipal employee” rather than enlarge the chair’s stipend. The mayor’s office agreed to discuss options and to return to the council with a revised budget sheet or a supplemental appropriation proposal that would reflect the mayor’s preferred mechanism for compensating transitional mentoring.

The council voted to ask administration to provide updated budget language for the assessor’s office and to hold further action on that line until the administration responds. The request does not immediately change appropriations; it requests a follow-up document to be considered before finalizing FY26 decisions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Everett City Budget Committee 05-28-25","oneSentenceSummary","Councilors asked the mayor to reconsider a proposed increase to the board of assessors chair stipend and to explore reinstating a temporary special‑municipal‑employee arrangement for mentoring the new director; the council requested an amended budget from administration before final action.","taxTitle","Everett City, Middlesex County, Massachusetts","taxId",78383,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6220661,"Council asks mayor to break out legal‑ad costs after debate over who pays for planning and zoning notices",1319,2429000,3748000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3616663-e270dd0c5e60a014b98638d52834e2e7&start=2429&end=3748","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3616663-e270dd0c5e60a014b98638d52834e2e7/thumbnail_2429000.jpg","/articles/6220661/Massachusetts/Council-asks-mayor-to-break-out-legalad-costs-after-debate-over-who-pays-for-planning-and-zoning-notices","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6220661-cfc321c00c6d6edb1ecc9d4196b924de/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174080&Signature=RgjSwaX-VTLgDoY87uTelOZ-QTKHLjtyF~AATgcviPerx0I7j6I7mNVoo3MkBG7WUmaH9hG5Wdxtb131M8VmiBdN4a1Nb5lBGSRoSnO8ygjzkfGZDnXEP~JUw1kzp6kuGZiWlSP4USADYB2aYUWnZ5tEISYZ9jLQs4B0nQ-EGeHdIa8SC1xySJ6O8taPou6yJWocqmuqt935x1BxYZ35HwMulhgZoy6nLhqsheSg4oNrmwhWiQB0ckccTLRZYiO89n41fM7B0ceu8ap1~~HX9LZ0pCiEbqgGH~5WCDksEU1754I5nGBnWCqx2nx2xOpwut~uGUQYalEZvH00ZjAESw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Councilors asked the mayor’s office on May 28 for a clearer accounting of how much the city spends on legally required advertisements for planning, zoning and licensing matters and whether those costs should be charged directly to applicants or to the boards that request them.

Councilor VanCamp argued for greater transparency: “I’d much rather see that money in line items connected to those functions, to those boards, rather than one catchall in the mayor’s office,” she told the hearing.

Planning staff explained that the city pays for required notices upfront and that developer and applicant fees are captured as general‑fund revenue or in escrow (53G) accounts that reimburse the city when applicable. Planning director Matt Lutanzi said some professional services and legal costs are billed back to developers through 53G/escrow mechanisms for discrete cases; he also said the planning board sees multiple applications monthly and that legally required notices are an ongoing expense.

Councilors pressed for a report to show how much the mayor’s advertising budget paid for board and commission legal notices versus community events or mayoral publicity. Administration agreed to provide a line‑by‑line breakdown and to consider moving legally required notices into the budgets of the boards that require them or identifying a process for appropriate chargebacks. Councilors indicated they would support a supplemental appropriation if the planning or zoning boards show they need dedicated advertising funds.","Councilors asked the administration to produce a department-level breakdown of advertising and legal‑notice costs and suggested moving legally required posting costs into the budget lines of planning, ZBA and licensing boards rather than charging a central mayoral account.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6220667,"Council questions 3‑1‑1 staffing after mayor’s aide handles constituent work from mayor’s office",476,2633000,3109000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3616663-e270dd0c5e60a014b98638d52834e2e7&start=2633&end=3109","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3616663-e270dd0c5e60a014b98638d52834e2e7/thumbnail_2633000.jpg","/articles/6220667/Massachusetts/Council-questions-311-staffing-after-mayors-aide-handles-constituent-work-from-mayors-office","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6220667-b60bad49e96537c49dd8b916956b895c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174080&Signature=Y3y-mggjcm5M2aXRpLH6m~4lpFh4gg4HVxyWfiidak4Y-gZ86S15N71UZSyx~Tnd~BpKIAbJcIE8XaobWmkBJEnVTwmcsViSe-JJLah1fp2VTFaAhO9qAWgbpBKK8DkK9MCiPjAN3dQBMvqmLUcJWrq5TgcfDrQUGX5uYCvhwcMJOdCSg8GH0FYHBJHDydPzUfsjptIEhdUD9ZkzoCpmPgMHhwfsTR0GsXed37aypLllJjq6Clyqdr233uXXUGjqBcG0ML2BXkn0LzU-pkYRUvj0YQvtVEqAsSGLpdvxTYEE97wenZr6oBPCKaJAu1HzAL5RJztG11HEl~PGLDJ0sw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Everett councilors on May 28 sought clarity about where residents should go for help after staff described an assistant who performs 3‑1‑1 duties while also working in the mayor’s office.

Gaspar DeFilippis, who leads the 3‑1‑1/constituent services function, briefed the council on the department’s work to process service requests, reduce wait times for residential parking stickers and streamline trash-barrel delivery. “Our department serves as a critical front line between residents and city hall,” DeFilippis told the council.

Multiple councilors questioned why an assistant billed as the 3‑1‑1 director also works in the mayor’s office and appears at mayoral events. Councilor Martins said she had seen the assistant representing the mayor at community events and asked whether the assistant should be based in the 3‑1‑1 office to serve walk‑in constituents. The mayor’s office and 3‑1‑1 staff said the assistant does a mix of executive work, field outreach and constituent follow‑up and that the mayor’s office intends to centralize escalated calls through that position to improve tracking and follow‑through.

Administration said the office has redistributed some responsibilities to centralize requests and improve response times; councilors asked for continued evidence of responsiveness and suggested the city track call volumes and time-to-closure. The council approved the department’s FY26 budget as recommended during the session.","Councilors pressed the administration on where constituent services are handled after an assistant who performs 3‑1‑1 work was described as working out of the mayor’s office and representing the mayor at events. Administration said the office and mayor’s staff coordinate to route and resolve calls; councilors asked for clarity on roles and hours.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6220671,"Council splits on reducing communications director salary while position remains vacant",2767,161000,2928000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3616663-e270dd0c5e60a014b98638d52834e2e7&start=161&end=2928","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3616663-e270dd0c5e60a014b98638d52834e2e7/thumbnail_161000.jpg","/articles/6220671/Massachusetts/Council-splits-on-reducing-communications-director-salary-while-position-remains-vacant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6220671-0dff569db32d8505a24b648e7fac404c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174080&Signature=O8MR6JQlI1JBHOf8t5HkqwM31PQpsDGuvGAASBFfQHvrZzj1Us4ZParuSFOjcS6shQXfAwPlqO-yfRZj24cKuLfle9FrpI7Dgt7yIUvZaX93227jN59OHC0-gJvqw7JwRQhK~qUnB7xK5n1v-Cb2XiHYm0rJCtmiNAJlEXpoU2A~tRmK4X33z1BpB8WQC~0y3~dxlzhz0bBKcEdP3OIzMq1q3TVM2xorV3xq83UdTA8epbroXbo-Ncu2Z7dbogalYhwYYqXcJcfavGh0R61S2-knAb-Nnq4qaUtfV3N4SCyS4ePNjltkBiIC3bi4EjT0oyoVepniiNwO8X66JUnXTw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Everett City Councilors questioned a full-year salary appropriation for a communications director on May 28 while the post remained vacant and only “one last interview” was scheduled, administration staff said.

Councilor Martins proposed removing $118,449 from the communications-director salary line and later amended that proposal to a $30,000 reduction to cover an estimated three months before a hire. The amended motion was seconded for discussion; on roll call the motion failed and the council did not change the staffing appropriation.

Mayor’s office staff told the council the position is still open and that interviews are ongoing. “Currently it’s vacant, but we do, have 1 last interview,” Mr. Dimas said during the department review. Councilor Smith opposed a deep cut, saying reducing pay before a candidate is identified could limit the city’s ability to hire a strong applicant.

Councilors who supported a temporary reduction framed the move as a timing adjustment aligned to hiring schedules; those who opposed said the cut would make recruitment harder and could handcuff the mayor’s office during a transition. The council’s decision was taken on a roll-call vote during the line-by-line budget hearing and the salaries line remained at the amount originally recommended in the FY26 budget book.","Councilors debated removing most of the communications director salary from the mayor’s FY26 budget while the position remains unfilled; a proposal to cut $30,000 from the salary line failed on a roll-call vote.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6220675,"Council trims mayor’s advertising and ‘other charges’ budgets after debate over large increases",2139,184000,2323000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3616663-e270dd0c5e60a014b98638d52834e2e7&start=184&end=2323","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3616663-e270dd0c5e60a014b98638d52834e2e7/thumbnail_184000.jpg","/articles/6220675/Massachusetts/Council-trims-mayors-advertising-and-other-charges-budgets-after-debate-over-large-increases","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6220675-4a6457256162f7298a1191e57d426838/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174080&Signature=dGrcF4121cBHPBuKpMQa3sShshwTStHEbY9VcTCxlFF6zY23~Kckc2Uux2~YkR8wGxrrp0TNIlAPkgoMjC1ZZkL5gccRlSJu~pgZTeP3kZWzU~tOW~JjuIdJavGjUaS159Dmsc~N80-X~7mTt1U6ThiPzGpLLhgGVQkbXNBVOpKWZOUcMeFpXt7Se-5rOeycS86~UXvbmM16~woPBrqls7DFqQ6~Y-n0AMhUNffVOXPnUGbzksYZBbX-F~ComnvqBQGF97lAc7xZdcU78Q3KMWyx5LFTfYTQJbYokWU4OgtATs4mmH2hR2AlET0XwqYaDybYzq5BbypS9WeF0IuPXQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Everett City Council on May 28 reduced two flexible spending pools in the mayor’s office budget after members questioned rising costs and a lack of department-level detail. Councilors approved a $50,000 cut to an “other charges” account and a separate $120,000 reduction to the mayor’s $180,000 advertising request, leaving $60,000 for advertising in the mayor’s budget.

Councilors said the mayor’s advertising line had grown well beyond prior-year spending—$125,000 in 2024—and that many legally required notices and board postings were being charged to a single mayoral account rather than to the boards or departments that generate them. “I’d much rather see that money in line items connected to those functions, to those boards, rather than one catchall in the mayor’s office,” Councilor VanCamp said during debate.

Administration staff said most required public notices are handled centrally in the mayor’s office and that creating a single account made reporting consistent. “At least 90% of all the city’s advertisements come out of this line item,” Mr. Dimas told councilors, explaining the accounting practice and that the city pays for legal advertisements the city is required to publish.

The council first voted to remove $50,000 from the mayor’s “other charges” pool (motion passed) and later approved two motions reducing the advertising allocation in steps that together removed $120,000 from the $180,000 request; the final motion to further reduce advertising left $60,000 in that account. Councilors sought a follow-up report breaking down what the advertising dollars paid for—legal notices, planning board postings, community events, vendor registrations—and whether developers’ legal‑ad costs are being rebilled to applicants or retained in the general fund.

Administration representatives agreed to run a department-by-department breakdown of legally required notices (planning boards, ZBA, licensing) and to return to the council with options for moving those costs into the budgets of the boards that request them or with a plan for supplemental appropriations if the boards need funds in-year. The council made the reductions as part of its line‑by‑line budget review; the cuts do not by themselves appropriate or reallocate funds beyond the FY26 budget book adjustments.","Everett City Council cut $50,000 from an “other charges” pool and $120,000 from a requested $180,000 advertising budget after members said the mayor’s office did not provide enough line‑item detail about how public notices and community advertising are paid.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council requests administration revisit assessor board chair stipend in FY26 budget

Council asks mayor to break out legal‑ad costs after debate over who pays for planning and zoning notices

Council questions 3‑1‑1 staffing after mayor’s aide handles constituent work from mayor’s office

Council splits on reducing communications director salary while position remains vacant

Council trims mayor’s advertising and ‘other charges’ budgets after debate over large increases