The Worcester City Council spent its meeting Tuesday reviewing a new evaluation form and delivering feedback on City Manager Josh O’Neill’s performance for fiscal 2025, praising financial stewardship and major projects while urging clearer communication, stronger enforcement of city programs and follow-up on public-safety matters.

Councilors said the manager and his cabinet have kept the city’s finances on steady footing even as they pressed for improvements in areas ranging from library safety to contractor accountability and workplace investigations.

“I gave the manager pretty top scores,” Councilor Bergman said during the review, noting strong marks for budget preparation, bond rating maintenance and departmental performance. Mayor Petty likewise highlighted the city’s fiscal reserves and bond standing, saying the city had increased reserves to about 10.7 percent of the budget and set aside roughly $67,000,000 for contingencies.

Councilors across the chamber praised the administration’s work on capital planning, park investments and recent hires in public works and inspectional services. “Financially, the city remains on stable footing,” Councilor Faso said, citing steady bond ratings and deliberate capital planning. Several councilors also commended recent steps on diversity, equity and inclusion training and new recruit classes for police and fire.

At the same time, councilors pressed the manager on operational gaps. Several members said communication between the administration and councilors — and between departments and neighborhoods — needed to improve, especially for construction progress, street repairs and major parks or lake issues. “We’ve got a problem with our streets,” Councilor Russell said, urging better inspector follow-up and more proactive project reporting to the public and council.

Councilor Toomey offered direct criticism about public perception: “People haven't questioned your integrity. They've questioned your honesty,” he said, calling for clearer public-facing communication and sustained follow-through on commitments.

Manager O’Neill responded that his office would pursue tighter performance evaluation processes for departmental staff and implement changes in FY 2026 budget planning to support oversight. “We got a lot of homework to do,” he said, adding that the administration would seek best practices, data-driven changes and more outreach to communities.

No formal vote or change in authority followed the oral evaluations at the meeting; councilors said they will submit written scores and the form itself will be a public document.

Councilors said they will watch implementation of the priorities raised in the review — improved communication and project reporting, stronger contractor enforcement, more robust workplace investigations and continued attention to public-safety trust-building — as the administration prepares the next fiscal-year workplan.