BEVERLY, MA — Beverly Mayor Michael Cahill delivered a Fiscal 2027 budget to the City Council on Monday night that includes municipal layoffs, position eliminations through attrition and reduced hours for the public library and other full-time employees going to part-time as a way to close a structural budget deficit.
Cahill said the budget proposed included $1.4 million in additional cuts necessitated by the City Council's reduction of his proposed trash and recycling increase.
Cahill had proposed increasing the fee from $100 to $425 for most families, with an option of a $285 fee for a smaller trash bin, to fully cover the costs of the new hauler contract at approximately $5.4 million per year.
Last week, the City Council took the first of two votes needed on the ordinance change — but by a 7-2 margin voted to support a lesser increase to $300 for most families, with a $200 smaller-bin option, and $400 larger-bin option. Cahill said the difference in the increases would mean additional cuts in municipal staff and services.
"While we proposed a trash fee increase that was calculated to cover the full cost of our trash and recycling program," he said, "we appreciate the City Council's work on the proposed fee, and I both understand and ultimately support the vote you took last week to set the new trash fees at the level that you have.
"The resulting additional cuts to our budget will impact our work. Still, I am confident that we can and will continue to deliver the core services across city government that our people need and rely on."
City Council President Julie Flowers said a second vote on the new trash fee will be delayed to make sure all ward community meetings take place before a final vote.
City Councilor Steve Crowley, who had proposed an increase to $200 for most families, while keeping the fee at $100 for the smaller bins, said he plans to propose a fee-relief amendment for veterans similar to the one available to low-income seniors.
Cahill said his cuts include 2.5 full-time-equivalent positions in the mayor's office, 1 FTE in the Planning Department, 1 FTE in the City Clerk's Office, 1 FTE in the Inspector's Office, 1 FTE in the Council on Aging, 1 FTE in the Engineering Department, 2 FTE via attrition in the Department of Public Services, the clerk in the Purchaser's office, as well as 1 police and 1 fire position through attrition.
"We have proposed eliminating funding that has supported numerous local nonprofits that have provided significant economic development to our community," Cahill said. "We have tightened every department's budget, limiting the ability of our city departments to conduct needed work, such as property surveys and appraisals, valuable consulting on challenging issues and projects, and modest line items to reimburse basic costs for department heads and other staff to attend meetings and conferences.
"Meetings and conferences that help bring opportunities, critical knowledge, grant and other funding back home to our community."
He said the budget also includes reduced hours at the Beverly Farms library branch, and the restructuring of the main branch, which may also result in a reduction of staff.
He said the city's one municipal bus line will also be eliminated.
The proposed budget is $180,884,417, with 53.1 percent of the budget going toward Beverly Public Schools, Essex Tech and out-of-district tuitions.
The proposed BPS school budget is an increase of $4.5 million, or 5.28 percent, after it was increased 9 percent last year.
"I respect my School Committee colleagues as well as our Beverly educators and parents who advocate for even more funding than this for our schools," Cahill said. "Because the students' additional needs are real.
"We cannot, however, do more in this budget."
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