Boulanger: 'Fruitless' to release FY10 budget to City Council

Date: 5/13/2009

By Katelyn Gendron

Reminder Assistant Editor



WESTFIELD -- Members of the City Council's Finance Committee are still waiting for Mayor Michael Boulanger to release his proposed fiscal year 2010 (FY10) budget.

Boulanger told Reminder Publications that handing over the budget to the City Council on May 7 would have been "fruitless" due to outdated projections of local aid and other sources of state revenue.

"It's too fluid a situation to submit a budget now," he said, adding that the Senate has yet to vote on its version of the FY10 budget.

Boulanger explained that he projects the budget to total about $110 million but that it's "not a realistic number" given the day-to-day changes on Beacon Hill.

He said numerous cuts are being made to the city's budget, including the closure of "a remote fire station," as well as laying off 10 police officers and 29 teachers.

"That's why we're holding out so long here, so that we can find revenue streams to save jobs," Boulanger said of keeping the budget on his desk.

State Rep. Donald Humason Jr. noted that the House approved an amendment to increase local aid, which provides the city with an additional $1 million. He added that the Senate could omit additional aid from its budget, however.

"There are certainly no secret pools of cash [out there]," Humason said, adding that money is tight everywhere.

City Councilor John Liptak, chair of the Finance Committee, said he is concerned that the proposed budget will be "unrealistic" and only mask certain shortfalls.

"Hopefully the budget is based on the best revenue [figures] available," he said.

City Councilor Richard Onofrey Jr., also a member of the Finance Committee, noted that decreased state aid and "a budget that's growing faster than revenue is growing" create difficult challenges for all involved.

He said all cost cutting measures will be on the table, including layoffs, in order to ensure the city's long-term viability.

The City Council must approve the FY10 budget by June 30 before the beginning of the new fiscal year on July 1.