Fall River council approves $452.6 million FY2026 budget after extended debate over health-insurance trust, capital and water/sewer charges

The Fall River City Council on June 2025 adopted the fiscal year 2026 appropriation order totaling $452,631,757 after extended discussion about how the city will shore up its employer health-insurance trust fund, cover capital needs and handle an operating-year shift of water and sewer charges.

Councilors pressed Rebecca, the interim chief financial officer, for specifics on a plan to rebuild the employer health-insurance trust to a target of roughly $12,000,000 and on how capital projects would be financed going forward. Rebecca told the council, “the goal is over the next 3 fiscal years, potentially 4 fiscal years, just to get the fund balance up to the 12,000,000 and to then be fully funding each year's appropriation amount with, you know, full budget money, not any one-time money.”

Why it matters: The employer health-insurance trust covers health and life insurance costs for the city and other municipal entities. Councilors said a stable funding plan is essential to avoid recurring shortfalls that could force midyear cuts or one-time fixes that reduce capital spending.

Most important facts first: Rebecca said the administration intends to use a mix of strategies — targeted transfers, portions of certified free cash and higher operating…