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Date: 6/14/2023
AGAWAM — The Agawam City Council voted unanimously to table its final vote on the fiscal year 2024 budget until its next meeting in two weeks.
Appearing before the council, Mayor William Sapelli thanked the councilors for their collaboration in creating the new budget.
“It was a team effort,” he noted.
The next fiscal year’s budget is $110.5 million, Sapelli noted. It is an increase over the FY23 budget by 5.8%. He added the school side of the budget represented a 2.5% increase over the previous fiscal year.
The mayor said, “I think it’s a fiscally responsible budget, when you look at the cost of business today with the cost of energy whether it’s electricity, fuel, materials and supplies going up exponentially.”
There were only two residents speaking during the public hearing for the budget. Agawam resident Corrine Wingard spoke in favor of passing the budget, while Feeding Hills resident William Clark questioned why two line items concerning the town’s water infrastructure were decreased.
He noted that revenues received from increased from water rates are up by 30%. Clark questioned why, in light of the costs of repairing water line breaks within the past several years, the repair budgets were decreased.
“It makes no sense,” he said.
The protocol of the hearing does not allow councilors to respond to questions.
Also at its June 5 meeting, the council approved a $4,000 gift from the estate of Eleanor A. Zucco Geiger to the Agawam Public Library and $2,500 gift to the Agawam Senior Center.