CHICOPEE, Mass.
The Chicopee City Council voted 10-0 on June 26 to approve the cityFY2026 municipal budget, a package with a grand total of $276,259,599.78, after a series of departmental budget hearings earlier in the evening and a special council session to finalize the measures.

The budget as read into the record by the city clerk allocates $131,601,452 to Chicopee Public Schools, $33,301,265.25 to public safety, $12,216,873.54 to public works, and $25,785,586.91 to public-works enterprise funds. The council also approved line-item reductions and transfers; the amount to be raised by the tax levy was listed as $242,805,670.87.

Nut graf: The vote completes the city'FY2026 budget process and makes funds available for schools, public safety and capital, but several departments were only tentatively approved during the earlier hearings pending final reconciliation and paperwork. The council also heard public commenters urge greater transparency and stronger risk-management steps to control insurance and liability costs.

Most important facts and actions

- Final FY2026 grand total approved: $276,259,599.78. Amount to be raised by tax levy: $242,805,670.87.
- Schools appropriation (read by clerk): $131,601,452.
- Several departmental budgets were taken up earlier in the evening and were "tentatively approved" by roll call before the final vote on the overall budget during a special meeting.

Votes at a glance (selected, tentative approvals made earlier that evening)

- Council on Aging: Tentatively approved (roll call recorded as unanimous). Note: discussion included staffing changes to move two part-time nurses into one full-time nurse and catering/lunch-program funding. (See provenance.)
- Mayor'budget: Tentatively approved after questions on consulting services and travel. The mayor said consulting funds would be used for HR and IT assessments.
- City Clerk: Tentatively approved (unanimous roll call).
- City Council budget: Tentatively approved (unanimous roll call).
- Auditor and retirement system: Tentatively approved; Auditor Sharon Riley noted insurance and liability costs and said the city is scheduled to be fully funded on the pension schedule in 2028 (subject to actuarial updates).
- School Department: Tentatively approved by roll call after an extended presentation and Q&A.

Final approval

At a special council session the council approved the mayor's consolidated FY2026 municipal budget by voice and roll call. Councilor Hunter Krampitz moved the motion formally placing the FY2026 budget before the council for approval; the motion passed with a recorded vote of 10 yes, 0 no. The clerk read the enacted totals into the public record before the roll call.

Public input and concerns

Residents who spoke during the public-input portion urged clearer public disclosure of where budgeted funds are spent and called attention to rising insurance and liability costs.

"This shouldn't have been meetings stacked on top of each other that closely," said Lisa Bienvenue, a resident of Everett Street, criticizing the scheduling and urging more public insight into spending and vacancies. Resident Sue Nimchick said the public lacked clarity about what is on the budget and praised public commentators for drawing out details.

What happened next / next steps

Several departmental allocations were recorded as "tentatively approved" during the hearing; the clerk and auditor circulated final reconciliation paperwork during the special meeting before the council moved to adopt the entire FY2026 package.

The council did not adopt additional tax-levy changes at the meeting; any midyear transfers or supplemental appropriations will return to the council for separate action.

Ending: The FY2026 budget package is enacted as approved; departments will proceed with hiring and procurement within the approved appropriations and the council said it will continue quarterly monitoring of large, variable lines such as insurance and out-of-district school placements.