Mayor Joshua Garcia told the council on Oct. 7 that the Commonwealth’s Division of Local Services (DLS) has urged the city to complete outstanding financial reconciliations, warning the state may contract for services or assess costs to the city if the work is not completed. The mayor asked the council to approve a contract vehicle to bring on an experienced municipal finance consultant to guide reconciliation and broader finance modernization work.

Why it matters: Multiple public speakers — and the mayor — said DLS letters contained near-term deadlines and the possibility the state could step in and assess costs to the city if required reconciliations were not completed. Councilors described DLS communications as urgent and tied the matter to larger proposals for professionalizing the treasurer’s office, grant-writing capacity and municipal finance modernization.

What unfolded at the meeting: The council discussed several related orders and committee reports; councilors repeatedly urged that the council treat municipal finance as a priority and not delay structural reforms. The finance committee and the mayor both asked for authority to contract for consultant support to begin reconciliation work while committee-level policy work continues.

Committee and full-council actions: Earlier in the meeting finance committee members discussed the matter and a motion was made in full council to send an item back to committee for further discussion; the council did return an item to committee on Oct. 7 during the meeting. Later in the evening the council reconsidered and then approved — after a recorded roll-call — a motion to proceed with contracting for consultant support to begin the reconciliation and modernization process. (The meeting transcript records the council later reconsidered its prior action and recorded a vote in favor of moving forward.)

Details and unknowns: The October DLS letter is cited in the mayor’s remarks; the meeting transcript shows debate about whether the state could itself hire contractors to do the reconciliation and charge the city. The contract amount discussed in the meeting was referenced imprecisely in the transcript; councilors asked for clear cost estimates and for a review at the finance committee’s Oct. 15 meeting. The transcript records the council later taking final action but does not include a fully documented contract amount in the council motion text; the finance committee will provide detail at follow-up.

What’s next: Councilors asked the finance committee to meet Oct. 15 for a detailed review of the DLS letters, the consultant scope, costs, and the proposed finance reorganization. The mayor said he would work with the committee and staff to provide a clear plan and timeline for reconciliation work and for any required staffing or contract actions.