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Committee presses city on $3.7M CARES shortfall and up to $4M school transportation gap
Summary
Members flagged a $3.7 million outstanding CARES Act deficit and an estimated $2M–$4M FY26 transportation shortfall for Brockton Public Schools; city officials said they are seeking DOR/DESE relief to avoid reducing free cash available for FY28.
Councilor Nicastro raised council concern about outstanding federal-pandemic related deficits and what they'd mean for the city's free cash calculation. "So 3,700,000 outstanding CARES money overspent," Nicastro said, noting the transportation shortfall estimates ranged from $2 million to $4 million and that together they could substantially reduce next year's free cash available to balance the budget.
CFO Troy Clarkson and the auditor said they have discussed the matter with the Department of Revenue and DESE and are seeking relief so those deficits do not unduly reduce certified free cash. They warned that if the Commonwealth requires the city to cover those charges, the payment would come from the city's limited resources and affect next year's tax recap and levy calculations.
