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 - Total recommended appropriations: $618,000,000.764670, an increase of $38,489,683 over last year, according to the mayor's submission. - The mayor and Chief Financial Officer Troy Clarkson said they directed conservative revenue assumptions; the budget does not program revenue from proposed local solar projects because those projects have not progressed as fast as expected. - The CFO said a transfer from a special-revenue fund is included; the presentation explained that proceeds from the sale of city property (planned sale of the current police station) route through a special fund and then are transferred into the operating budget. - The CFO said the budget will use approximately $8,100,000 from the Chapter 324 reserve this year and that free cash will be used to replenish some reserves after certification.

Pensions and longer-term finance moves - Clarkson noted the Brockton Retirement funding line in the FY26 budget reflects a deliberate presentation of roughly 50% of this year—s assessment, with the retirement board's concurrence. The administration said it is evaluating issuing additional pension-obligation debt if interest rates are favorable; officials said they may pursue that in October and otherwise could use the $25,000,000 pension stabilization fund to cover obligations.

Major operating changes called out by the CFO and mayor - A new public-safety-building budget was created to capture utilities, maintenance and contracted services for a building that will house multiple departments; the CFO said it will be administered within the police department while inputs came from four departments. - Animal control has been folded into the police budget as a division, the CFO said, noting the department reports administratively to the police chief. - Department staffing and training: the mayor said the FY26 plan restores training dollars paused during earlier deficits and continues professional development for city employees.

Selected program items mentioned by the mayor/councilors - Youth Task Force: $100,000 (split roughly 50/50 between contract services and supplies/advertising for after-school, summer and related programs). - Tourist promotion: $45,000 to market new events and sports teams (Brockton Rocks, Boston Legacy FC) and cultural attractions. - Consulting lines: the mayor said the $85,000 consulting figure in his office is a restoration of a historical line used for targeted outside expertise; some consulting dollars had been centralized in the CFO—s budget in FY25 and are being restored to departments.

Committee direction and next steps - The mayor asked the council to adopt the FY26 budget in accordance with "National Law Chapter 44 Section 32" and to complete their review over the next days. He and the CFO said they will provide details and answer technical questions during the Finance Committee hearings.

Ending - The mayor closed by thanking staff, department heads, the city clerk and the school leadership for months of work. CFO Troy Clarkson and department staff remained available for detailed line-item questions during the remaining budget hearings.