Pittsfield FY27 Budget Up Only 2.9%
PITTSFIELD, Mass.— On Tuesday, the City Council will refer the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget of $232,782,090.
It is about 2.9 percent, or a $6.5 million increase from the previous year. The budget public hearing will be held on May 19.
The FY26 spending plan, which was described as "best that they could," was a nearly 4.8 percent increase from the previous year.
Budget line items were separated by personnel and non-personnel costs to show the impact of salaries on the operating budget. For example, $1,335,684 of the finance and administration budget goes to personnel, $207,500 to non-personnel, and $14,565,313 of the police budget is for salaries, $1,874,108 for non-personnel costs.
The DPU water treatment enterprise has been budgeted $6,738,952, $1,255,584 for the sewer enterprise, and $11,796,683 for the DPU wastewater enterprise.
Also on the agenda for Tuesday is a request to use $2,000,000 to reduce the Fiscal Year 2027 tax rate, and a 5-year Capital Improvement Plan for Fiscal Years 2027-2031.
The School Committee has approved an $87,200,061 school budget for FY27 that includes $68,886,061 in state Chapter 70 funding, $18 million from the city, and $345,000 in school choice and Richmond tuition revenues. It is an approximately $300,000 increase from the Pittsfield Public Schools' FY26 budget of $86.9 million.
Pittsfield's proposed 5-year improvement plan invests more than $455 million in important capital projects with a focus on roadway quality, parks and recreational opportunities, facility improvements, safe and functional vehicles and equipment for staff, and modern information technology.
"The proposed General Fund (GF) Capital Investment Strategy recommends a commitment of 6.5% of GF revenues for capital projects," the document reads.
"The plan also includes funds for all water and wastewater capital projects from enterprise fund revenues (i.e. water/sewer rates and retained earnings) and reflects the City's substantial efforts to seek State grant funds and other funding sources for capital projects."
Requests for 2027 include $1,000,000 for basement remediation and air ventilation at City Hall. It has been unoccupied since 2014 due to air quality issues, and there is a union agreement for all employees to work in another location until further action is taken to remedy the situation.
For the schools, $2,000,000 is requested for parking lot and sidewalk repairs, especially around Conte Community School, Reid Middle School, and Herberg Middle School; $4,000,000 for roof repairs; $1,000,000 to replace two Pittsfield Public School boilers, $500,000 to renovate Pittsfield High School's dome that hasn't been repaired in over a decade, and $1,000,000 to bring doors up to fire code.
Pittsfield is grappling with bringing its school facilities into the present day. The district has proposed a combined, consolidated Crosby Elementary School and Conte Committee School built on the West Street site, and is seeking up to 80 percent reimbursement from the Massachusetts School Building Authority for it. The School Building Needs Commission, City Council, and School Committee have also authorized interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips to submit an SOI for repairs to PHS, which is almost a century old.
The public works department has requested $4,000,000 for street resurfacing and $3,000,000 for the reconfiguration of North Street. The project is currently in the planning phase and will aim to enhance safety, accessibility, and vibrancy along the downtown portion of North Street.
In 2020, the city began reconfiguring the downtown corridor with help from state Shared Streets and Spaces Grant funding. By the next year, the street was all one-lane traffic, and on-street parking was pushed over to the curb with a bike lane in between.
The larger requests are in the water and wastewater departments: $13,000,000 for a new wastewater treatment and administration building, $1,000,000 for WWTP road repairs, $2,800,000 for WWTP switchgear, and $15,000,000 for water treatment plants upgrades. $1.5 million has been requested for sewer structural repairs, and $13,600,000 for upgrades to the Sandwash Reservoir.
The city's wastewater treatment plant, as well as the Cleveland and Ashley water treatment plants, are in need of repairs, and the administration has stressed to the council that this vital infrastructure needs investment.
The fire department has requested $9,000,000 for a National Fire Protection Association-compliant regional training facility.
Tags: budget, city council,
