NORTHAMPTON — The City Council signed off on the mayor’s nearly $112 million budget for next fiscal year Thursday night, following two days of unremarkable public hearings.
The budget maintains services with no layoffs, though the council followed Mayor David Narkewicz’s request to use funds for the first time from a fund created in the wake of an override voters OK’d in 2013. The city will dip into that special fund for $277,850.
The fiscal 2019 budget of $111,976,953 includes $96,019,032 for the general fund, with the balance included in enterprise funds for water, sewer, solid waste and stormwater and flood control.
All budget votes were unanimous. The budget now must pass the council on its second reading.
“I’m grateful that they’ve given first reading to it,” Narkewicz said. “Obviously we want to make sure that we have a functional government on July 1.”
Wednesday’s public hearing gave major department heads a chance to explain their budgets and field questions from councilors.
In his remarks Northampton Schools Superintendent John Provost spoke to the controversy over staffing at Bridge Street School and the implementation of the inclusion model there and districtwide.
“A significant corner was turned at about the first of the year,” said Provost, answering a question about the inclusion model’s implementation from Ward 4 City Councilor Gina-Louise Sciarra.
Provost said next year’s budget reflects concerns raised about the inclusion model at Bridge Street. He noted that the school would get a new, full-time school psychologist, as well as a full-time board certified behavior analyst.
Provost also said that, like the city as a whole, the school had to dip into its reserve funds for the first time this year, to the tune of $166,000.
“We run out of money in 2022,” said Provost, who noted that this situation could change.
Ward 3’s James Nash inquired about a 7.4 percent increase, to $146,832, in Police Chief Jody Kasper’s pay next year. This question was answered by Narkewicz, whom it was directed to, who said that it was the result of an increase in pay in the chief’s new three-year contract.
He said that this brought Kasper’s pay up from the bottom quarter of comparison communities, and did not make her the highest paid chief in western Massachusetts “by any stretch.” He also said that the chief’s salary was getting close to some just below her in the chain of command prior to the raise, and also spoke of recognizing Kasper’s performance.
“We have an outstanding chief of police,” said Narkewicz.
While no one from the public spoke at Thursday’s hearing, Wednesday saw two speakers address the council.
Bill Arnold gave a speech criticizing the state of the city’s roads and sidewalks.
“For somebody with a cane and a walker, the sidewalks are like a minefield,” he said.
Meanwhile, Blair Gimma, who writes for the website The Shoestring, advocated for an increase in city councilor pay.
“I think you should get paid more,” she said. “The city councilor salary is a class issue.”
She said that such action would allow more people to serve on the council.
The council in 2015 nearly doubled its annual pay to $9,000 for ward councilors, $9,500 for at large councilors and $10,000 for council president.
Ward 5 Councilor David Murphy, who serves as the chairman of the finance committee, said that the swiftness of the budget process was a result of the council and administration having worked together for a number of years.
“The budgets are very similar year to year to year,” he said.
Still, he noted that the council takes its budgetary duties seriously. “It’s one of the most important things we do,” said Murphy.
This is Murphy’s 13th budget, and he noted that he is the only non-mayor to have ever chaired the finance committee. Prior to the city’s charter change, the Finance Committee was chaired by the mayor.
“Finance is really one of the things that keeps me here,” Murphy said.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.