NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council on Tuesday approved a $47 million budget for fiscal 2024.

 

The spending plan at $47,410,070 is up $2,873,335, or 6.45 percent, over this year's budget. The increase is largely driven by higher costs for equipment and materials, investment in the police, fire and information technology lines, a nearly half-million hike in medical insurance costs, $223,911 more in the Hoosac Water Quality District assessment and $1.3 million more in educational costs.

 

The hike in the school budget, however, is being offset by a matching boost in state Chapter 70 education funds. The $20,054,352 spending plan for the public schools is level-funded for the city this coming year at $3,838,270 and the balance of $16,216,082 is coming from the state.

 

The city is projected to raise $21,282,250 in property taxes and $7,713,031 in local receipts. State aid, including Chapter 70, is projected at $22,634,285 and other funding at about $240,000. Total projected revenue is $51,870,156.

 

The council also approved the compensation and classification plan that includes a 2 percent across the board wage increase for all employees based on the negotiated raises for union members. The plan has several reclassifications to align responsibilities with titles such as health inspector, veterans services district director and assistant to the district director, and added new classifications for dispatchers, a water filtration mechanic and the shared municipal human resources director. 

 

In response to questions, the mayor said the study of the C&C plan by the Collins Jr. Center for Public Management at the University of Massachusetts did not weigh into these changes. 

 

"The overall the the classification and compensation survey done by the Collins Center is still in draft form. They had little impact on the current scale only because as I've expressed, I think in a couple of meetings, I'm not completely satisfied with the data," she said. "We will use it as we trend forward and looking at how do we bring up the salaries across the board, but that's a bigger discussion and a bigger project."

 

Macksey said this budget focuses on public safety but that future ones will begin to address other departments. 

 

"It's not a surprise to anyone in this room that our overall salaries for our department heads and our managers and all of our staff is traditionally low," the mayor said. "We're filling gaps across the board and to raise all of the compensation in one year, we would have a heart attack.

 

"I'm very, very sensitive to how our decisions we make today impact the tax rate down the road."

 

The investment in public safety includes adding three new police officers and filling two retirements in the Fire Department and adding two more firefighters. There's also an additional $3,000 for emergency training, $5,000 for community policing and a $12,500 line for body-worn cameras, software and cloud storage.

 

There questions about demolitions and hydrants. The mayor said the city will use American Rescue Plan Act funds for planned demolitions rather than Community Development Block Grants and that there is funding for replacing five non-working hydrants. 

 

The budget also included a "work in progress" capital plan. The mayor said the city is working with the Collins Center on developing the six-year planning document. 

 

Councilor Jennifer Barbeau pointed out that the capital plan is supposed to be reviewed by the Planning Board and submitted to the council. Macksey said there are discussions on modifying the ordinance and that there are plans to share the document with the Planning Board this summer. 

 

Councilor Keith Bona, chair of the Finance Committee, thanked those who had participated in the committee's meetings and noted much of what was discussed that evening was a repeat of the committee meetings. 

 

"But also the mayor has tweaked and corrected and adjusted some things that came up during our Finance Committee meetings," he said. "I think tonight councilors can admit that we really have some good, detailed information. 

 

"That is improvement on some of the budgets that we've had in the past. So I appreciate it. Thank you and thanks again to your staff."

 

The budget was preliminary passed in sections with the only nay vote on Public Safety by Councilor Ashley Shade.

 

Shade said she still didn't think there was enough money being set aside for building repair and maintenance, even though $30,000 had been put in the line. 

 

She did vote for the entire budget which passed 7-1 with Barbeau in opposition. Councilor Michael Obasohan was absent. 

 

The mayor read two proclamations, one recognizing LGBTQIA Pride Month and the other for the Juneteenth state holiday on Monday.

 

In other business, the council:

 

• Confirmed the appointments of Edward Morandi to the Historical Commission to complete the term of the late Justyna Carlson to expire Jan. 2, 2024; and appointments to the Mobile Home Rent Control Board of Mary Katherine Eade for a term to expire June 13, 2028, Deborah Pedercini for a term to expire June 13, 2028, and Manuel J. Serrano to fill the unexpired term of Diane Crosier expiring Sept. 25, 2023.

 

• Approved applications from Emaline Gardner and Penny King to drive a taxicab for OTT Taxi.

 

• Approved secondhand dealer licenses, with Bona abstaining, for James Montepare at Empire Antiques, Grover J. Askins for G.J. Askins  Bookseller and Timothy E. Randall for Sanford & Kid. Bona is owner of Berkshire Emporium, an antiques and secondhand shop. 

 

• Approved an amended ordinance that changes the time its meeting starts to 7 p.m. from 7:30; specifically authorizes the president to cancel meetings in cases of emergency; changes the way councilors receive their meeting packages from mailing or police delivery to digital and available in the city clerk's office; and the public posting of meetings be in compliance with the state's Open Meeting Law instead of within 24 hours. The change will be implemented as of July.