Proposed FY24 Budget Needs More Funds for Urgent Priorities
Schools, Library, Zoning Reform, and Budget Planning need $1.25 million in additional funds.
Mayor Lungo-Koehn released her FY24 budget proposal. While the Council did receive the full budget book prior to June 1st, the Mayor’s proposal did not include urgently needed funds for Medford Public Schools, the Library, zoning reform, and budget planning. Read on for my big takeaways and how you can help build a better budget for Medford’s future.
Let’s start with the positives:
- Unlike in the past three budgets, the city is not using one-time federal ARPA funds or reserves to pay for recurring city-side expenses, which is a major improvement.
- Revenue went up slightly more than expected from “new growth” from new property development, local fees and excise taxes, and an increase in Chapter 70 school funding from the state.
- This also means a higher balance of free cash reserves currently going unused that could be used to support additional spending.
But additional funding is needed for urgent priorities:
- This budget proposal does not include a forward-looking revenue plan to address major issues like fixing our streets and sidewalks, new building projects like Medford High School or Medford Fire Headquarters, or providing full staffing levels for city services.
- Medford Public Schools budget number is not final, but is $900,000 less than needed to avoid cuts and fund key priorities.
- Major MPS operating expenses are being funded using one-time federal ESSER funds, and MPS will face a funding cliff next year, endangering at least 20 essential full-time staff positions.
- Medford Public Library budget is approximately $100,000 below the Library Trustees request for FY2024.
- Non-staff expenses are still funded below 2018 levels and are based on the cost of the small temporary space on Boston Avenue that was used from 2019-2022, not the new MPL building on High Street.
- $50,000 needed to fund the City Council’s work with the Office of Planning, Development, and Sustainability on updating our Zoning Ordinance to support more new construction of housing and commercial development
- $100,000 needed to hire a full-time Budget Director for long-term financial planning as outlined in the Medford Better Future Budget Plan
- The City Council has also heard concerns from other city departments, including the Parking Department and Department of Public Works, about sufficient staffing levels.
How You Can Help Improve the FY24 Budget
- Medford Public Schools funding is not finalized.
- You can speak out and ask the Mayor to increase funding for the schools this year at the June 5th Medford School Committee Budget Hearing at City Hall or by Zoom.
The biggest dates will be:
- Tuesday, May 30st (Mayor’s Budget Presentation)
- Tuesday, June 6th (Better Budget Charter Ballot Question Vote)
- Tuesday, June 20th (Final Council Vote on FY24 Budget)
Full City Council budget meeting schedule is available here. Zoom information is available here.
Use the ORM email letter tool to quickly send an email to the Mayor and City Council!
Share your concerns about the FY24 budget with the Mayor by email or phone.
Better Budgeting Process to Plan Medford’s Future
Our public schools, city services, and infrastructure are not what we deserve. Medford residents are fed up with broken streets, cracked sidewalks, crumbling buildings, neglected tree stumps forests – and with the lack of funding and staffing to make a real difference in fixing those problems. People are paying for the failure of local government with every dollar spent on car repairs, outside-of-school services, or hiring someone to remove a tree stump on their street.
The issues with this year’s budget don’t even touch on the tens of millions of additional dollars that Medford needs to spend every year on more school staff, more city staff, and major construction projects. What will fixing our problems cost? We need a plan for a better future for Medford.
- Fixing Our Streets and Sidewalks – At least $10 million more per year according to the city’s 2021 street and sidewalk management reports
- New Medford High School and Fire HQ – At least $12 million per year for capital project debt service (depends on size on bond and exact financial plan)
- Funding for Additional Staff Compensation – A 4% raise for all city and school staff this year would cost approximately $4.4 million based on the salary data in the proposed budget.
- Full Staffing for Schools and City Hall – The City has no comprehensive report of additional needed staff positions, but based on prior city department and MPS budget discussions, the cost is likely at least $5 million more per year.
That’s why we need the Medford Better Future Budget Plan. I’m calling on every Medford resident and my fellow elected officials to support this plan to create a Medford City Budget with clear goals through an open, transparent, and collaborative process.
This year, we can come together as a community and make a plan to fix our biggest challenges. Let’s improve the FY24 budget and pass the Medford Better Future Budget Plan so a new, collaborative process is in place for the FY25 budget and many years ahead.
In Solidarity,
Zac Bears
Medford City Councilor