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Committee tables general fund review after department-by-department budget briefings
Summary
The committee heard department presentations on the mayor's proposed FY2025-26 general fund budget, raised questions about personnel, software upgrades and a new cannabis revenue stream, and voted to table further action until the next meeting.
The Committee on Administration, Finance, Law and Public Services reviewed the mayor's proposed FY2025-26 general fund budget during a special meeting May 7 and tabled action until the committee reconvenes.
Multiple department heads summarized line-item and personnel changes for the coming fiscal year. Mary Pakorski, assistant corporation counsel, told the committee her office's budget is largely salaries and ‘‘went down a couple hundred bucks this year,’’ noting four full-time positions including the city attorney and two paralegals. Justin Dorsey, chief of staff to Mayor Stewart, said the mayor's office budget is virtually unchanged from last year, with about a 2.5% administrative increase tied to contractual raises.
Finance Director Jonathan Perigini and staff presented several technical shifts that affect the proposed totals. The assessor's office reported a 1.79% reduction and explained a statewide change in motor-vehicle valuation methodology (moving from NADA guides to a percentage of MSRP) that reduced the motor-vehicle grand list; the assessor said a revaluation is planned for 2027. Perigini also described internal position reallocations, a modest cut in overtime and a planned upgrade of the city's financial software. He told the committee the city has started to record cannabis-related receipts and projected about $250,000 in finance revenue tied to recent openings, while noting actual receipts depend on state reporting cycles.
Human Resources Director Linda Guard said the mayor's proposal reduces her department by nearly $38,000, forcing cuts to professional services and testing line items despite the office handling recruitment, benefits, random drug testing and human-rights work with roughly 3.5 full-time equivalent staff.
After presentations and Q&A, Alderman McNamera moved to table the matter until the committee continues its review the next evening; the motion was seconded and the chair declared the motion tabled.
Next procedural steps: the committee will resume review at its next scheduled meeting, when members are expected to continue departmental questioning and consider motions to forward items to the full council.
