The City Council on June 18 failed to approve the amended municipal budget submitted by Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra, which included $44,011,695 for the Northampton Public Schools in fiscal year 2026.
I joined at-large councilors Marissa Elkins and Garrick Perry, and Deborah Klemer of Ward 2 and Marianne LaBarge of Ward 6 in supporting that $145.4 million budget, an increase of 4.8 percent from this year.
Councilors Quaverly Rothenberg of Ward 3, Jeremy Dubs of Ward 4 and Rachel Maiore of Ward 7 voted against the budget, saying they wanted more money for either the Northampton Public Schools, Department of Public Works or both. President Alex Jarrett of Ward 5 was recused because he is a worker-owner with the Pedal People Cooperative, which has a contract with the city. Six votes are needed to approve the overall municipal budget.
This means that the mayor’s amended budget took effect when the new fiscal year began July 1. Two amendments approved unanimously by the City Council on June 18 include an additional $116,711 for the Northampton Public Schools. Its $44 million budget is up by $2,556,356, or 6.16 percent, from this year.
The Fire/Rescue Department budget of $7,853,180 is up by 6.15 percent from this year, largely because of $326,392 for eight additional firefighters. That will increase the number of personnel on each of four shifts from 13 to 15. The budget also includes $52,410 for one new public safety dispatcher because of the increase in emergency calls.
Other municipal departments received smaller increases. The total budgeted for Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School is $11,794,397; Police, $6,895,628; Public Works, $4,366,650; Information Technology Services, $2,075,940; Central Services, $2,045,640; Forbes Library, $1,610,650; and Health and Human Services, $1,390,931
Here is a link to the fiscal year 2026 budget:
https://northamptonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/30931/Mayors-FY2026-Budget-PDF?bidId=
The budget also is available in print at the city clerk’s office, 210 Main St.; Forbes Library, 20 West St.; and Lilly Library, 19 Meadow St., Florence.
Community Preservation Act
The City Council on June 18 unanimously approved nine requests for Community Preservation Act funds totaling $1,518,962 recommended by the Community Preservation Committee.
The projects include $248,000 for construction of the Boggy Meadow Road universal access trail from the Broad Brook Greenway entrance at Cooke Avenue for approximately one-third mile to the beaver pond.
Also, $35,000 will go to the Laurel Park Historic Resource Documentation Project. It will help preserve the history and culture of Laurel Park and its role with the Chautauqua movement.
Other projects are $639,615 for a playground at the Leeds School that is accessible and inclusive to all, including children and caregivers of varying cognitive, sensory and social-emotional abilities; $316,553 for the Betty Allen chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to improve accessibility of its quarters in the Ebenezer Clapp House, 148 South St.; $98,329 for conservation of gravestones at the West Farms and Park Street cemeteries; $91,065 for repair and restoration of the clothing collection at Historic Northampton; $70,000 for a flood resilience plan at Maines Field; $17,400 for improved accessibility at the David Ruggles Center, 225 Nonotuck St., Florence; and $3,000 for conservation of the textile collection at the Forbes Library.
The Community Preservation Act was adopted by Northampton voters in 2005, and funds are generated by a 3 percent surcharge on property taxes, with matches from the state. Since its adoption, the CPA has funded 188 projects, including preservation of hundreds of acres of open space and agricultural land, construction of more than 200 units of affordable housing, creation of multi-use trails and new recreational fields and facilities, and restoration of more than 30 historic resources and structures.
Further information, including project applications, is available here:
https://www.northamptonma.gov/1048/Community-Preservation-Committee
Stan