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Chicopee council tentatively approves department budgets as FY26 hearings continue
Summary
On June 23 the Chicopee City Council held FY26 budget hearings, heard public input and tentatively approved multiple departmental budgets while councilors flagged timing and staffing concerns.
The Chicopee City Council held FY26 budget hearings June 23 and moved to tentatively approve a series of departmental budgets after a night of presentations and public input.
Why it matters: The tentative approvals set spending plans that will shape service levels for the coming year but leave open questions about staffing, deferred maintenance and utility rate pressures that several departments said they will continue to face.
Public comment opened the hearing. Lucy Bienvenue of 34 Everett Street told the council, “I'm glad you're allowing public input at the budget hearings this year because in the past, you have not.” She also criticized the timing of budget documents, saying the council did not get school-related numbers early enough to review them in depth.
Michael Pease, chief of staff to the mayor, answered during public input: “The school committee sets the school budget, not the city council. … That dollar amount was determined back in June” and the mayor's office posted the budget on the auditor’s website in June, he said.
After public input was closed by motion and roll-call vote, councilors heard departmental presentations and asked questions about hiring, equipment and contracts. Departments whose budgets were tentatively approved during the session included the registrar of voters, building department, police, law, fire, parks and recreation, DPW administration and multiple water and sewer accounts. Each department’s tentative approval was taken by roll-call and recorded as part of the hearing record.
Councilors repeatedly pressed department heads about unfilled positions, overtime drivers for major services and line items tied to outside contracts, and several departments said they had opened hiring searches but were struggling to attract qualified applicants.
The council took no final appropriations on June 23; the votes recorded were motions to tentatively approve individual department budgets to be finalized in subsequent budget sessions.
