Finance committee recommends multiple grants, transfers and budget items to full City Council

The Brockton Finance Committee on Feb. 18 recommended favorably a series of grants and budget transfers to the full City Council, including a $49,986 nonmatching public-safety grant for the Fire Department, a $775,475.14 youth-violence prevention grant to the Police Department, a $1,098,593 transfer of opioid-settlement proceeds back into the city’s opioid revolving fund, and an $8,106,226 transfer into the Chapter 3.24 supplemental reserve.

Committee members voted to move each item to the full City Council for final approval; committee minutes show motions were made and seconded and each matter was “recommended favorably.”

Among the other transfers approved to be forwarded to the council were $50,000 moved within the auditor’s budget from full-time salaries to postage, a composite transfer to cover increased property-insurance costs and court judgments (including $650,000 for property insurance and $100,000 for judgments), and a $268,000 transfer from Parks & Recreation retained earnings into operating and park-improvement accounts.

The committee also recommended favorably supplemental transfers to the Parks and Recreation enterprise and approved a transfer to cover postage and elections-related mailing costs in the auditor’s office. A request to invite the CFO, mayor and city auditor for a FY25 budget update was adopted as a resolve and scheduled; a scheduled appearance by the police chief on enforcement of camping/loitering ordinances was postponed to March 4.

Votes at a glance (committee recommendation to full City Council): - Item 4: Acceptance and expenditure of $49,986 from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security for the Brockton Fire Department (recommended favorably). - Item 5: Acceptance and expenditure of $775,475.14 from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security for the Brockton Police Department (recommended favorably). - Item 6: Transfer $1,098,593 from certified free cash to the opioid settlement fund (recommended favorably). - Item 7: Transfer $8,106,226 from certified free cash to Chapter 3.24 supplemental reserve (recommended favorably). - Item 8: Transfer $50,000 from auditor full-time salaries to auditor postage (recommended favorably). - Item 9: Composite transfers including $650,000 to law department property insurance and $100,000 to law department court judgments, funded from multiple departmental lines (recommended favorably). - Item 10: Transfer $268,000 from Parks & Recreation retained earnings to multiple Parks & Rec operating and capital lines (recommended favorably). - Item 11: Resolve to invite the mayor, CFO and city auditor for an FY25 budget update (adopted). - Item 12: Postponement of the police-chief appearance on camping/loitering enforcement to the March 4 Finance Committee meeting (postponed).

Background and process notes: Most motions were moved and seconded on the record with no roll-call tallies recorded in the transcript; committee chair called for “All in favor? Anyone opposed?” and announced each matter “recommended favorably.” Several items were discussed briefly on specifics — for example the fire grant was described as a final-year nonmatching grant to buy an SCBA washing machine and extra turnout gear, and the police grant was described as supporting youth outreach, case management, summer camperships and an internal junior cadet program with a 25% match requirement.

The committee’s recommendations carry to the full City Council for final votes and any spending will not occur until the council acts.