Fitchburg City Council votes 8–1 to reject Mayor’s proposed FY2027 operating budget

The Fitchburg City Council voted 8–1 on May 28 to reject the Mayor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 operating budget (Order 064-26). The motion to reject passed by roll call; Councilor Joseph S. Bowen Jr. was the lone opposed vote. The special meeting was called to order by President Anthony M. Zarrella at 6:41 p.m. and was held at the Legislative Building and via Zoom with an FATV livestream.

The budget package listed in the record included a General Fund operating appropriation 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. The roll-call result on the motion to reject was recorded in the minutes as 8 in favor, 1 opposed (Councilor Joseph S. Bowen Jr.). The minutes also include a line reading, "Order signed by the Mayor June 10, 2026," which appears in the clerk’s record and is noted here as part of the meeting minutes.

Following the vote on Order 064-26, councilors moved and seconded to hold the remaining budget and appropriation items on the agenda (orders 065-26 through 077-26) pending resolution of the budget. That procedural motion passed by unanimous consent, 9–0. The items placed on hold include specific transfers and appropriations intended to reduce the FY2027 tax rate (for example, $700,000 from overlay surplus and $250,000 from the stabilization fund), a set of enterprise fund line-item allocations, and several program- or department-specific appropriations detailed in the clerk’s record.

The clerk’s record included line-item breakdowns for enterprise funds that were on the agenda: the Water Enterprise ($9,997,019) with budgeted personal services $2,484,996, expenses $2,695,000, indirect costs $1,597,530, debt service $1,739,493 and capital $1,480,000; the Wastewater Enterprise ($18,316,809) with personal services $3,094,481, expenses $4,637,600, indirect costs $1,710,830, debt service $7,196,648 and capital $1,677,250; and the Airport Fund ($1,137,919) with personal services $363,206 and expenses $774,713. Other listed items included an appropriation of $3,776,232 from available funds to reduce the tax rate and $410,000 from ARPA available funds for the tax levy.

The meeting record also lists an authorization to establish and expend from revolving funds under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 44, Section 53E½, with a maximum annual expenditure limit of $100,000 (and a FY2027 limit for Public Health Sustainability set at $750,000). The clerk’s agenda enumerated named revolving funds (for example Planning Board applicant advertising, Animal Control, Public Cemetery, Public Library programs) and the officials authorized to expend those funds; those items were among the set the council placed on hold.

The oral report of the Council as a Whole was read and accepted by unanimous consent. The special meeting adjourned at 6:44 p.m.

Votes at a glance: - Order 064-26 (Mayor’s FY2027 Operating Budget): motion to reject — passed by roll call 8–1 (opposed: Councilor Joseph S. Bowen Jr.). - Items 065-26 through 077-26 (series of appropriations, revolving fund authorizations, ordinance amendment): held pending budget resolution — approved by unanimous consent 9–0.

What’s next: The council placed the detailed appropriations on hold pending further budget resolution; the clerk’s minutes reflect the items that will need to be revisited in subsequent sessions. The record is signed in the minutes by Joanna Bilotta, City Clerk.