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Lowell council tables budget after heated hearing; residents win pledge to keep recycling center
Summary
After more than three hours of public comment about the proposed FY26–27 budget, Lowell City Council delayed a final vote and instructed staff to restore funding for the city recycling center. Council members split over a proposed 5% cost-of-living increase versus a smaller raise and a merit-based approach.
Lowell — The City Council on June 9 delayed final approval of the proposed FY26–27 budget after a packed public hearing in which dozens of residents urged the council to keep the city recycling center and to prioritize police staffing and other services.
The council voted to table the budget and reconvene for further debate after competing motions over payroll increases. Staff had proposed a 5% across-the-board cost-of-living adjustment; some council members favored a lower COLA and a subsequent merit-pay process. Councilmembers also directed staff to put the recycling center back into the draft budget so options such as reduced hours or resident-only access can be evaluated.
Resident Richard Lynch urged the council not to close the recycling center and to commission a job study before approving pay increases. “If we're going to do anything with the recycling center, we would want to look at finding other bids or maybe do it ourselves,” Lynch said during public comment. He also urged the council to evaluate job descriptions and qualifications before granting raises.
Other residents framed the recycling center as an accessibility and equity issue. “There are many seniors who rely on the Lowell Recycle Center,” Michelle Sebastian said. “We have a budget in the $7 million range and you cannot find $28,000 for the waste-management contract?” Sebastian urged the council to consider modest tax adjustments or scheduling changes rather than full closure.
Council members debated competing approaches: some argued the city must protect the fund balance and use conservative spending; others said targeted investments in police staffing and public works are needed to maintain services and safety. “We want to be conservative,” Interim City Manager Ben told the council, “but we also must consider service impacts on residents.”
Mayor (as presiding officer) summarized the immediate outcome: staff will reinstate a line for the recycling center in the draft budget and the council will reconvene for a follow-up meeting the next Thursday at 6:00 p.m. to continue deliberations. The council did not adopt final salary changes; members agreed any merit-based adjustments should be examined by the incoming permanent city manager.
Why it matters: The decision to pause a final vote gives the council time to respond to residents’ concerns about services that affect daily life — recycling access, trash collection and police patrols — while also allowing further work on personnel pay policy. Citizens asked for practical alternatives to closure (one-day service, resident sticker system, volunteer staffing) and for clearer public discussion of contracting options.
What’s next: Councilmembers asked staff to bring back revised budget scenarios that restore the recycling center (with possible restrictions for nonresidents), clarify costs and estimate the fiscal impact of shifting from a 5% COLA to a merit-focused plan. The council set a targeted reconvening date to finish budget action.
