Mayor Sullivan urges council to adopt $618 million FY26 budget, stresses no layoffs

Mayor Bob Sullivan urged the City Council Finance Committee on June 16 to adopt the city—s fiscal year 2026 budget, recommending total appropriations of $618,000,000.764670 and saying the plan balances city finances without staff layoffs.

The mayor told the committee the budget is the product of months of work with department heads, the school side and state and federal partners, and he called the package "my final budget" as he prepares to leave office. He emphasized that the proposal funds city operations and schools while avoiding layoffs, saying, "I do not want to lay off a city employee." He asked councilors to "ask the tough questions" of department heads as they consider the plan.

Why it matters: The proposal carries the city into the next fiscal year without any planned layoffs and includes what the mayor called a historic net increase in school funding. The package relies in part on one-time and special-revenue sources, and city leaders described a conservative revenue forecast.

Key points and revenue assumptions -…