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Residents at Brockton budget hearing press for clearer budget language, participatory budgeting and stronger audits
Summary
At a public hearing on the proposed fiscal 2026 budget, residents urged the Brockton City Council to tighten budget language to prevent policy by omission, pilot participatory budgeting, and strengthen the city's internal audit function ahead of an auditor transition.
At a public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, Brockton residents urged the City Council to demand clearer budget language, consider participatory budgeting pilots and strengthen the city's internal audit function.
Mark Osborne, a Brockton resident and member of the Brockton Civic School, told councilors the mayor's proposed budget runs to 512 pages and projects $556,000,000 in revenues and spending. "In a budget, imprecision can be construed as permission," Osborne said, adding that vague or "squishy" language can allow policy to be made "in silence through omission." He asked councilors to "ask the hard questions, question the wording,…
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