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Fitchburg council advances $191.4 million FY2027 budget package to Council‑as‑a‑Whole review
Summary
The City Council on May 19 moved the mayor’s $191.37 million FY2027 operating budget and related fund appropriations to a Council‑as‑a‑Whole review by unanimous consent. The package includes water and wastewater enterprise budgets, tax‑rate reducing transfers, and establishment/specifications for revolving funds under state law.
President Anthony M. Zarrella called the City Council to order May 19 and the body considered the mayor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget and related orders.
The council voted by unanimous consent to send Budget Orders 064‑26 through 076‑26 to a Council‑as‑a‑Whole review. The mayor’s proposed FY2027 operating budget lists a General Fund of $191,371,167, a Water Enterprise budget of $9,997,019, a Wastewater Enterprise budget of $18,316,809 and an Airport Fund budget of $1,137,919.
Council documents show multiple targeted appropriations and transfers intended to reduce the tax rate, including $700,000 charged to overlay surplus and $250,000 charged to the stabilization fund. Specific enterprise fund breakdowns were included in the orders: the Water Enterprise budget lists $2,484,996 for personal services, $2,695,000 for expenses, $1,597,530 for indirect costs, $1,739,493 for debt service and $1,480,000 for capital; the Wastewater Enterprise budget similarly itemizes personal services, expenses, indirect costs, debt service and capital for a total of $18,316,809.
The package also authorizes the establishment and use of multiple revolving funds pursuant to MGL Chapter 44, Section 53E½, with a stated maximum annual expenditure limit of $100,000 (and a higher limit for Public Health Sustainability noted in the order). Revolving fund purposes listed include Planning Board applicant advertising, animal control, Civic Days, and other departmental receipts with specified authorized officials.
Councilor Derrick J. Cruz, Finance Committee chair, had earlier noted schedule and presentations related to the budget hearings; the council listed multiple upcoming Council as a Whole budget hearing dates. The vote to send the budget orders to Council as a Whole was recorded as unanimous consent, 10‑0, with one member absent. No amendments or roll‑call vote on final adoption occurred at the May 19 meeting; the orders were transmitted for further review.
What happens next: the budget orders will be considered at the Council as a Whole budget hearings scheduled May 20, May 21 and May 28, where department presentations and further deliberations are expected.
