Anticipating significant cuts to State Aid, City’s proposed budget reflects level-funding from FY20.
Budget hearing schedule announced by City Council; Hearings begin June 20.
MEDFORD
– Today, Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn submitted to the City Council the
proposed municipal budget for Fiscal Year 2021. With State Aid
allocations still uncertain for the upcoming fiscal year, the City’s
proposed budget totals an estimated $184,479,028 and represents a net
reduction in operational and personnel expenses for city operations,
level-funding for the Medford Public Schools, and an increase in fixed
costs.
In
an effort to make the budget and budget process as transparent as
possible, Mayor Lungo-Koehn also announced that the FY21 budget format
has been completely overhauled and includes in-depth analysis of each
department, its year-over-year expenditures, and accounting. The
proposed budget is available for public review at
www.medfordma.org/mayor/city-budget.
Despite
economic challenges faced by cities and towns across the Commonwealth
due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Mayor Lungo-Koehn noted that the City
accomplished several goals to improve city services over the course of
FY20, and laid out goals for FY21.
In
the second half of FY20 since taking office the Lungo-Koehn
Administration achieved several important goals, including creating an
online permitting system, expanding the mission of the Office of Human
Diversity to strengthen the City’s hiring processes by actively
recruiting candidates for staff positions and boards and commissions
that represent diversity in culture, ethnicity, gender, age, religion,
and race, and developing a Capital Improvement Plan to gain greater
understanding of capital needs.
“The
core function of municipal government is to provide efficient, high
quality services for the community, and despite the significant
challenges we’ve faced together as a community in FY20, I am proud of
the diligence and commitment of our staff to see our residents and
business through these trying times while also making real progress
toward more efficient, transparent services,” said Mayor Lungo-Koehn.
“As we begin a new fiscal year we know that we will continue to face
financial challenges, but remain steadfast in our commitment to doing
more with less, and advancing the goals and initiatives that are so
important to the future of this City.”
The
Mayor’s FY21 budget proposal assumes a ten percent reduction in State
Aid to the City of Medford, however with the State Legislature still
considering the statewide budget and aid to cities and towns, Mayor
Lungo-Koehn noted that the City’s financial team will be prepared to
review and amend proposals as necessary to continue to provide essential
services.
“This
budget was prepared and is proposed with the knowledge and
understanding that further conversations and possible adjustments -
either additional appropriations or additional reductions - should be
expected in the coming weeks and months. The City is prepared to move
forward with these additional adjustments if necessary to keep the
budget in balance after the release of state aid figures in
mid-to-late-July, including personnel salary adjustments, furloughs, and
additional layoffs across operations,” the Mayor added.
Among the administration’s goals for FY21, the Mayor announced plans to pursue the following goals:
- Continued conversations on race, policing, diversity, and equity.
- Revamping financial management and budgeting systems, increasing efficiencies and integrated systems.
- Establish a Welcoming Committee in order to support and welcome new residents and businesses to the Medford community.
- Begin a Comprehensive Planning process.
- Redesign the SeeClickFix constituent reporting system, website, and robo-call system to better serve residents.
- Initiate a Charter review process to ensure that the Charter still reflects the Medford that is, and not the Medford that was.
The
Medford City Council has set a public hearing schedule to review the
proposed FY21 budget. Hearings are scheduled for Saturday, June 20,
beginning at 9 a.m., and Monday and Tuesday evenings, June 22 and 23,
beginning at 5:30 p.m. Meetings will be held via Zoom. For the full
schedule, visit
www.medfordma.org/city-council-2.
Medford
city services are available to all residents, regardless of economic
situation, race, gender, immigration status, ability, benefit
eligibility, or religious affiliation.
