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Date: 7/5/2022
CHICOPEE – After undergoing budget hearing sessions on June 27 and 28, the City Council voted to approve the city’s $228.36 million fiscal year 2023 (FY23) budget during their June 30 meeting.
Background
For FY23, Mayor John Vieau explained that the budget features a 6.4 percent increase from last year. Vieau explained that a significant portion of the increase ties to raises for municipal employees, the Police Department and the Fire Department.
“Our employees deserved raises,” said Vieau in an interview with Reminder Publishing. Due to the payroll increases, the Fire Department budget rose $1.77 million while the Police Department budget increased by $1.28 million.
The mayor detailed how both departments operated without a full complement of staff members due to a hiring freeze caused by coronavirus pandemic restrictions. He explained that another aspect of their budgetary increase came from the hiring of several new police officers and firefighters to address the imbalance.
“After you do those things, they come back to you. It’s time we work towards full complements in our departments,” said Vieau.
The Human Resources Department also featured a $990,339 budget increase. Vieau said most of the higher expenses tie to increased health care insurance costs for employees. The retirement budget also increased by $448,752.
The mayor described the FY23 budget as a “level-funded budget.” Vieau and Chief of Staff Michael Pise said the budget allows the city to maintain all core services while also addressing employee raises and the implementation of the city’s new facilities department.
Previously, the city and the Chicopee Public Schools Department shared a facilities contract that the schools disbanded earlier this year. Vieau expects the new arrangement to provide “modest net savings” for the city as they address maintenance delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
“We don’t want deferred maintenance in any facility on the city side,” said Vieau.
A point of debate was the school department’s budget. The mayor served as the lone vote against the schools’ $104,813 proposed budget during the School Committee’s June 1 meeting. He explained that the budget included a commitment of $1.25 million from the city that he and his financial team never agreed upon.
In discussing the budget during the council’s June 21 meeting, Vieau explained his rationale for the pushback. While the city distributed the $1.25 million over the past few years, Vieau stressed that the inclusion of relief programs, such as federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) and state Student Opportunity Act funds, awarded the School Department a surplus of additional funds.
“Frankly, I believe the schools are in excellent shape right now going into fiscal year 2023 [FY23]. They have $7 million of carryover money from last year, meaning that the money we gave them above net school spending last year, they didn’t use it,” said Vieau during the June 21 meeting.
Vieau said his net school requirement budget of $103,563 still includes the addition of 3 percent raises for staff members and the inclusion of over 40 new staff positions. He described his decision as a move in the best interest of taxpayers across Chicopee.
“As the mayor of the city of Chicopee, I have to be prudent and responsible. I cannot take the general public another $1.25 million when our budget has gone up roughly 6.5 percent…They have enough money, frankly, to run the next year and not have an issue at all,” said Vieau.
The mayor also committed to addressing any additional spending requirements that could arise for the school district outside of the FY23 budget.
“I will commit publicly right now to tell you that I will bring that amount to the City Council immediately. … I am committed 100 percent to making sure our kids are receiving the best education they can,” said Vieau, referencing any additional expenses.
The City Council ultimately decided to continue discussion on the school budget before voting on the final budget.
City Council
The City Council hosted members of the school department and School Committee to discuss concerns around the city’s overriding of their annual $1.25 million contribution to the school district.
Interim Superintendent Alvin Morton detailed the history behind the annual city contribution. Former Mayor Richard Kos made a commitment in 2017 to dispense the $1.25 million sum as the school district endured a budget shortfall.
“There was a commitment made in order for that money to be in the budget each and every year…We’ve been doing the budget based on the $1.25 million,” said Morton.
Morton advocated for the continuation of the annual contribution as the school district plans for the expansion of services, such as Career and Technical Education and social/emotional learning programs. He explained that the funds will also benefit the school district’s expansion of universal pre-k education for the 2022-2023 school year.
“We increased pre-school by adding two classrooms at Belcher [Elementary School] and two classrooms at Fairview [Elementary School]…We also made preschool free at Szetela [Early Childhood Center] …It benefits the city as a whole. We all know that the studies show the earlier kids are into education, the brighter their future is going to be,” said Morton.
The interim superintendent noted that the pre-k expansion and other additions are not dependent on the $1.25 million, but rather the contribution will allow the school district to set a pathway for when pandemic-based relief funding is no longer available. Morton also explained that the school budget relies upon the annual city contribution each year.
“We don’t feel like we’re asking for it. We felt like it was a commitment on a yearly basis,” said Morton, who said the funds provided a “contingency plan” if any district plans falter unexpectedly.
Auditor Sharyn Riley detailed the funds remaining in the school district’s account. Riley shared that the district possesses around $12 million in their free cash account, including $7 million carried over from fiscal year 2022 (FY22). Going forward, the school district also has $22 million left in grant funds from ESSER and other programs. The district is required to spend all ESSER funds by 2024.
Ward 1 City Councilor Joel McAuliffe pointed out that the council is unable to add elements into the budget due to the council not adopting a Massachusetts General Law regarding budgetary additions. The council proceeded to ask Morton a series of questions regarding the school’s plans for the $1.25 million.
The council backed Vieau’s sentiments about the city allocation to the school district. Ward 3 City Councilor Delmarina López considered the school district request “perplexing” considering their surplus free cash.
“You have over $12 million just sitting there…At this point for me, I would deem it inappropriate for us to dish out another $1.25 million when you have not used up all of your money,” said López.
City Councilor At-Large Robert Zygarowski said he understands the school district’s exorbitant costs, but believes the city funds are needed for the taxpayers. Like the mayor, Zygarowski also assured the school district that the council will provide financial assistance if any other expenses arise.
Ward 6 City Councilor Derek Dobosz said he was prepared to back the school district’s request before the meeting, but ultimately sided with the mayor’s perspective. He argued that the school district needs to establish specific avenues for where the $1.25 would be allocated to.
“I feel like there wasn’t an in-depth answer to what’s being cut here…If that $1.25 million means so much to the school department, we need to know what is being cut,” said Dobosz.
The council ultimately approved the mayor’s budget in a unanimous vote. Ward 9 City Councilor Mary-Elizabeth Pniak-Costello said the council will host additional meetings during next year’s school budget process to gain an earlier understanding of the district’s needs.