The following is a column written by Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra and published by the “Daily Hampshire Gazette” on June 30, 2025

As of July 1, Northampton’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget of $145,431,259 is in effect. Paired with $23.2 million in capital improvements previously approved by the City Council, Northampton’s overall budget is progressive and fiscally sound, with robust investments and careful management of resources.

We’ve extended our historic investment in education. The anticipated total appropriation to the Northampton Public Schools (NPS) of $44,152,520 (pending council approval of a $140,825 transfer from the Special Education Stabilization Fund) is a 6.5% increase from Fiscal Year 2025, after increases of 5.1%, 7.4% and 9.8% in the three previous years. This is the first time in at least the last 50 years when the NPS appropriation has been 5% or more for four consecutive years, which reflects our commitment to provide every possible dollar that can be sustainably allocated for Northampton’s students.

To address significant increases in call volume to public safety, the Fire/Rescue Department will receive $7,853,180, a 6.15% increase supporting the addition of eight new firefighter positions. This is the first such increase in firefighter positions since 2013. Our 24-7 Public Safety Communications Center, or “Dispatch,” will receive $823,756, a 10.2% increase covering an additional dispatcher.

Spending for our water, sewer, solid waste, and stormwater operations remains steady with no changes to usage rates or base charges for the second year in a row. Base charges were raised in Fiscal Year 2024 to compensate for the pending departure of Coca-Cola from the Industrial Drive bottling plant, while usage rates have not changed since Fiscal Year 2020. While Coca-Cola has taken longer to leave than they said, their water usage has sharply declined. Instead of contributing 25% of water and sewer revenue, Coca-Cola is down to 10%. As is legally required, every dollar from Northampton’s utility ratepayers has strictly gone to maintain those systems, which require regular maintenance and longer-term capital investment.

As a mayor mandated by city charter and state law to balance the budget, and as a citywide democratically elected official, my charge is to produce a budget that is both balanced and reflective of public will. Under law and charter, the mayor’s budget goes into effect at the beginning of the fiscal year, even if the City Council fails to approve it. I am thankful that six councilors expressed support for the budget, including both at-large councilors who were elected with popular vote majorities citywide. In fact, in preliminary votes, council supermajorities supported all the component parts of the budget, even though final approval of the consolidated budget was not achieved, as one supportive councilor — party to a waste removal contract with the city — had to recuse himself. The final 5-3 vote was one short of the necessary two-thirds.

Having said that, the points raised by the dissenting minority — regarding school services and Department of Public Works (DPW) staffing — no doubt reflect concerns raised by some members of the public. I share these concerns.

One councilor, for example, wanted to see a “pivot” that doesn’t “normalize the idea that our schools are OK with less.” I agree, which is why we continue to invest more, even in a period of declining student enrollment and enormous uncertainty regarding federal funding and the stability of the economy. We did this with a pivot in our budgeting approach away from the extra-cautious revenue estimates used across the state during the uncertainty of the pandemic, to more aggressive estimates that take calculated risks to provide more up-front revenue to schools. We also have tapped the Fiscal Stability Stabilization Fund for the third year in a row to provide more funding for NPS.

But with student needs rising, we need the state government to revisit funding formulas that shortchange districts like ours. We’ve seen amazing activism on this front from Northampton High School students and tireless work from state Sen. Jo Comerford and state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa. We must also take a hard look at NPS operations and determine if we can better meet, and more efficiently meet, student needs. That pivot has begun, as part of a “strategic planning” process led by Superintendent Portia Bonner involving several working groups composed of school and community members.

Another councilor expressed concern over the DPW budget that “continues to understaff” at a time when our roads and sidewalks need repair. Our DPW director and I agree that we are currently understaffed, though the positions are in the budget. The issue is with our ability to fill vacancies and retain staff, which has been the focus of collective bargaining this year, and which this budget works to address in the DPW. With a tentative agreement with the union, we are posting for DPW positions and receiving an increase in applications. Moreover, our previously Council-approved Capital Improvement Program has appropriated large spending increases for roads and sidewalks.

Often, the challenge of municipal governance is how to do as much as we can with the resources we have, while being mindful of cost-of-living pressures. This requires fiscal management that’s both disciplined and compassionate. To support rising education costs, we have heavily leaned on reserves without being reckless. That’s how we’ve maintained our AAA bond rating — stretching dollars with low borrowing costs. And we’ve held off the need to request a property tax override for another year.

After incorporating ideas from department heads, elected officials, and Northampton residents, I’m confident that our budget does all we can with what we have — not just in the areas mentioned above, but also in other areas including climate mitigation, senior services, library programs, and help for those in distress through the Division of Community Care. I thank everyone for their collaborative contributions and take pride in what we have accomplished together.