Gardner City Council approves FY2027 budget orders after amendments

The Gardner City Council on June 22 approved multiple FY2027 budget orders, adopting a salary and labor appropriation of $14,534,400 and passing amended expense, school and enterprise budgets after a series of council amendments and roll-call votes.

President Tyrus opened the special meeting and reviewed procedural changes to this budget cycle, saying he had asked councilors to submit amendments in advance to increase transparency. He also thanked the newly mentioned city auditor, Karen Butler, for introducing new auditing practices that exposed “gaps and capabilities” the council plans to address.

Councilors debated many line items. Councilor Mack questioned a proposed step increase in the city solicitor’s salary; the mayor said the $91,000 figure reflected step 1 under a recently passed ordinance. After that explanation Councilor Mack moved to withdraw his amendment to change the solicitor’s line and the withdrawal was adopted.

Other questions focused on personnel and professional-development accounts. The council approved reductions to several professional-development lines and consolidated travel funding, approving a reduction that set the consolidated professional-development and travel account at $80,000 with finance-committee oversight.

A motion to reduce the school department budget by $1 million — presented by Councilor Brooks as a cautious, strategic cut to be restored in the fall if revenues permitted — drew extended debate. Opponents warned the reduction could leave the city below net school spending and risked underfunding schools; the amendment failed on a recorded vote (7 no, 2 yes). The full school budget order for $38,143,689 then passed on a separate roll-call (recorded as eight yeas).

After several passed amendments, the clerk and auditor prepared amended orders and the council approved the updated expense ($31,808,709) and enterprise ($11,601,200) orders by roll call. Recorded votes were used where shown in the record; the salary/labor appropriation passed with a unanimous 9–0 roll call.

Councilor Mack requested and won a formal request under Section 25 of the city charter for a report listing properties in the FY26–27 tax-title/foreclosure process after the mayor said about 16 properties were currently in tax-title, with four foreclosed this fiscal year.

The council concluded its budget business by authorizing FY2027 revolving funds pursuant to the statutory language on the agenda and declaring the FY2027 budget orders complete.

The council said next steps will include the finance committee’s oversight of professional-development transfers and the mayor’s submission of any finalized transfer plans or supplemental information to support mid-year requests.