Northampton mayor proposes $145.3 million FY26 budget; residents press for larger school funding increase

Mayor Sherra presented a proposed $145,301,999 fiscal year 2026 budget for the City of Northampton and defended the administration's use of the long-standing fiscal stability plan to balance recurring needs and reserves.

The mayor said the budget combines $129,543,130 in general fund dollars with four enterprise funds and represents a 4.8% increase over FY25, and that the proposal seeks to sustain multi-year investments in education, public safety, climate action and core services while maintaining reserves required under Proposition 2—/2 and state guidance.

Why it matters: the budget drove the evening's public comment and council questions because the Northampton Public Schools (NPS) requested a larger 'strong' budget. Residents said the mayor's proposal, while increasing school funding again, still falls short of the school committee's requested level and could mean reductions in classroom services and supports for students with higher needs.

Most important facts first: Sherra said the FY26 package raises the city's general fund contribution to the schools to $43,894,984, a $2,440,000 increase over FY25 and the fourth consecutive year of a 5%+ direct increase. The mayor told the council she is also recommending replenishing the Special Education Stabilization Fund up to the state-allowed cap under M.G.L. Chapter 40, —3E by appropriating $294,508 from free cash to that fund.

Public comments were dominated by calls for still higher school funding. Amelia Durbin, a 16-year-old student and co-chair of the Northampton Youth Commission, urged the council to 'fully fund our schools' and described an upcoming regional meeting with Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler about state funding formulas. Meg Robbins (Ward 4) and other residents said the mayor's stability plan has improved predictability but argued state funding formulas and charter tuition drains leave local districts struggling.

Residents and several councilors asked detailed questions about staffing and the likely impact of funding choices. Andrea Bertini (Ward 5) described pulling her children from NPS citing loss of supports and 'demoralizing' treatment, and paraeducator Jake Gallant urged more investment to prevent student disengagement. Multiple speakers and councilors pressed for clarity on class-size metrics and special-education staffing, noting the mayor's presentation used Northampton's broader "educator" counts that include paraeducators and special-education staff; Councilor LaBarge asked the administration to separate special-education staffing from general education so class-size impacts are clearer.

Budget details and drivers in the mayor's presentation included: total FY26 revenue available of $4,968,742 in new revenue plus a planned $1,403,757 withdrawal from the fiscal stability stabilization fund; state aid estimated at $16,183,950 (13.6% of the general fund); and the use of higher investment-income estimates after moving funds into a SOFR-linked vehicle. Sherra acknowledged those revenue assumptions are strategic risks given national grant uncertainty and flagged cancelled federal and state grants that have already reduced funding for local public health programs.

Sherra defended keeping to the fiscal stability plan that dates to 2013 and was put to voters via overrides in 2013 and 2020. "By using the Fund to space out overrides over several years, we increase the likelihood of continued voter support," she said. The mayor highlighted that from FY22 to FY26 the city's direct contribution to NPS will have increased by $10,433,088 (about 31%).

Council actions and next steps: Councilors divided the budget discussion to remove the central services parking maintenance contract from immediate action (a procedural recusal), asked the administration to collect additional questions and department responses for upcoming hearings, and referred multiple budget-related financial orders and enterprise fund orders to the Finance Committee for detailed review. The council scheduled follow-up budget hearings and directed the mayor's office and department heads to return with clarifying material on class sizes, the composition of "educator" counts, the status of grant-funded positions in the Division of Community Care (DCC), and the consequences of varying revenue assumptions.

Ending note: The budget process will continue with Finance Committee hearings and a June 5 public hearing; residents and several councilors said they will press for greater school funding while the administration emphasized balancing long-term fiscal stability with recurring costs.