Pittsfield City Council Approves $179M Budget for FY22

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council approved both the operating and capital budget on Tuesday in a swift meeting that adjourned at 7 p.m.

The operating budget of $179,205,963.00 was approved in a 7-3 vote with Ward 1 Councilor Helen Moon, Ward 2 Councilor Kevin Morandi, and Ward 4 Councilor Chris Connell voting in opposition.

The budget was amended from the originally proposed $179,410,963 with $205,000 deducted from the Police Department budget: $15,000 from the contractual allowances and $190,000 from the patrol officers' allotment.

Ward 7 Councilor Anthony Maffuccio approved the budget with a disclaimer to his colleagues.

"I was not going to support this budget at the Committee of the Whole level but I am supporting this budget because I do believe the city administrative side, even though they were generous with their pay raises, did add quite a few positions that helped the city out and that the mayor does a good job and orchestrating and putting together a good budget for the city side," he said.

"I do not support the School Committee budget, I don't believe they did the teachers justice, they have failed the teachers year after year with pay raises, they continue to fail our teachers year after year."

Maffuccio added that he believes the Pittsfield Public School district has not addressed retention problems and that out-of-district transfers are "way too high."  

He also said a district of this size should not have underperforming schools.

The council also approved a number of orders within the school budget.  

Below are the budget sessions for fiscal 2022 in order of when they occurred, with the latest listed last.

• The first day of budget review on Monday, May 17, covered the Mayor’s Office, City Council, City Solicitor, City Clerk, Council on Aging, Veterans’ Services, and Cultural Development.
   
• The second day of budget review on Wednesday, May 19, covered RSVP, Information Technology, Berkshire Athenaeum, Maintenance: City, Maintenance: School, Airport, Human Resources, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Community Development, Community Preservation, the Health Department, and Building Inspectors.
   
• The third day of budget review on Monday, May 24, covered the Pittsfield Public School budget.
   
• The fourth day of budget review on Tuesday, June 1, covered the Fire Department, Emergency Management, and the Police Department.
   
• The fifth day of budget review on Wednesday, June 2, covered Public Services, Worker’s Compensation, Finance and Administration, and Unclassified.

Berkshire Officials Back Bills to Protect Minors From Sexual Abuse

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:15PM / Monday, March 10, 2025

Berkshire DA Timothy Shugrue says current consent laws constrained his ability to bring charges in the recent Miss Hall's School case.  Left, state Rep. Leigh Davis has signed on to bills that would close that loophole. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Local officials urge the passage of "long overdue" legislation to protect minors from sexual abuse by adults who are teachers, mentors, or other positions of trust.

"When I began my career as a prosecutor, I specialized in the prosecution of child sexual abuse cases. In the mid-1980s, this was a taboo topic. Something rarely discussed, much less prosecuted. During those early years, I worked to normalize the prosecution of child abuse cases and to protect our most vulnerable population, our children," District Attorney Timothy Shugrue said during a virtual press conference on Monday.

"In 1993, I founded the Berkshire County Children's Advocacy Center, now known as the Kids' Place, which appropriately supports children during such a traumatic life event. It's deeply troubling and frankly enraging that we find ourselves here today, still fighting to protect children from sexual abuse. How can it be that in a forward-thinking state like Massachusetts, we still lack laws that fully protect minors from sexual assault, particularly from adults in positions of trust and authority?"

Last year, Shugrue's office was unable to press charges against a former instructor at Miss Hall's School, Matthew Rutledge, for alleged sexual relations with students because they were of consenting age.

"In Massachusetts, the problem arises because once someone reaches the age of consent, they are legally considered capable of consenting to sexual activity with adults in positions of power in their lives. I argue that such so-called consent is not possible. Proving a lack of consent becomes nearly impossible," he said.

"Young adults are in the process of discovering who they are. It's natural for them to seek mentorship, guidance, and support from trusted adults. Unfortunately, a small but dangerous group of adults seek to exploit this vulnerability."

He said pedophiles are "particularly skilled" at grooming their victims and in Massachusetts, there are cases where predators groom minors before they turn 16 and upon their 16th birthday or shortly thereafter, manipulate the victims to enter into a sexual relationship.

"In what world can a 16-year-old truly consent to sex with a teacher, a coach, or any adult in a position of authority and trust? I believe that such consent does not exist," Shugrue said.