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Council approves FY26 end-of-year transfers; staff says DCC expanded hours generated overtime costs
Summary
After discussion, the council approved FY2026 end-of-year transfers to cover extra payroll days, fire-rescue overtime and overtime tied to expanded DCC (mobile response community responders) hours; council suspended rules to allow two readings and approved the transfers by roll call.
The Northampton City Council approved a package of FY2026 end-of-year transfers on Thursday to cover unbudgeted payroll timing and operational shortfalls, including overtime tied to an expanded community responders program (DCC).
Director Nardi said the Retirement Board requested raising the COLA base from $13,000 to $16,000 (effective FY2028), which would amount to a small annual increase per pensioner; the council referred that request to the finance committee and the August consent agenda for further consideration.
On the FY26 transfers (order 26.098), Director Nardi explained the largest transfers relate to firefighter overtime and additional payments resulting from an extra two payroll days. She told the council that the DCC expansion (mobile community responders) added weekend and holiday coverage beyond prior Monday'Friday hours, generating overtime costs for staff who provided those added services.
"These funds were overtime for the community responders to support the expanded DCC operating hours... the expansion reflects a commitment to aligning services with identified community needs," Director Nardi said.
Councilors asked whether the expanded hours had already been budgeted for FY27; staff said FY26 expenses had already occurred and must be covered now, and that they would check whether the expansion is reflected in FY27 planning. Councilor Robbins asked to delay approval until that follow-up if needed, but councilors ultimately voted to suspend rules for two readings and then approved the transfers by roll call.
The council also approved the enterprise fund transfer request (26.102) to move completed Leeds-project funds into the 20-inch transmission-main relocation (Beaverbrook Swamp into Mountain Street) and to replace aging radio-read water meter units.
What the council voted: Motions to suspend rules (to allow two readings) and to approve the FY26 transfers passed on recorded roll-call votes; individual roll-call votes are part of the meeting record. The council referred the COLA-base increase measure (26.097) to the finance committee/consent agenda for the August meeting.
(Reporting based on council staff presentations and roll-call actions recorded in the meeting transcript.)
