Chelsea administrator outlines proposed fiscal-year budget, highlights schools, public safety and capital investments

City Administrator Fidel Maltés presented an overview of the City of Chelsea’s proposed fiscal-year budget, laying out revenue sources, spending priorities and a timeline for council review and public comment.

Maltés said the city expects roughly 55 percent of revenue to come from state aid — citing Chapter 70 school aid — about 40 percent from local taxes, and roughly 5 percent from fees and charges. He said education accounts for the largest share of spending, at 58 percent of the budget, with public safety and other municipal costs receiving smaller shares.

“Preparing and approving the budget of Chelsea is the most important responsibility we share,” Maltés said. He described the budget as reflecting the city’s values and priorities and listed five objectives: financial stability, economic development, neighborhood improvements, community development and public safety.

Maltés identified several near-term fiscal pressures. He said the public schools require additional support “to avoid cuts to school services.” He also cited higher employee health insurance costs, rising retirement contributions, and growing debt-service payments tied to the completion of a new vocational school. Maltés said the city recently signed five-year contracts for residential trash collection; while those contracts are expected to generate long-term savings, they are increasing operating costs in the current year.

On staffing and operations, Maltés said the police department recently added a sergeant to accommodate a new schedule — four consecutive 10-hour workdays followed by four days off — and described that schedule as yielding more uniform coverage and improved officer wellbeing. He said the fire department hired four new firefighters as “the first step” toward a goal of reaching 106 firefighters, and that the city will add a fourth tanker (called “Truck 4”) to expand firefighting capacity.

Public works initiatives include bringing vehicle maintenance in-house after decades of outsourcing following the state takeover in 1990. Maltés said the proposed budget creates two new positions — a supervisor of mechanics and a mechanic — to support that shift.

Maltés described proposed capital investments in the budget: $1.2 million for public-safety equipment (replacement patrol vehicles, firefighting equipment and radios); $2 million for streets, sidewalks and streetscape improvements; $6.5 million for open-space improvements and climate-resilience design; $3.7 million for water and drainage infrastructure; and $5 million for renovations of public buildings including city hall, Chelsea High School and the early-learning center.

He outlined the public process: two community budget presentations (one in March and one on April 15), a budget book and interactive website to be released in April through OpenGov, a public hearing and a City Council vote planned for June, and an official start date for the fiscal year on July 1. Maltés invited residents to a citywide cleanup on April 26 at 9 a.m. and a noon vigil for peace at city hall the same day.

The presentation repeatedly framed the budget as a balance between finding efficiencies and funding key services, with Maltés emphasizing the constraints imposed by Proposition 2½ on property-tax increases and the uncertainty of broader economic conditions.

No formal votes or motions were recorded in this presentation; Maltés described the proposal and next steps for council consideration and public input.