Coronavirus Hits Framingham Budget: Hiring Freeze, Revenue Drop

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The Framingham City Council on Tuesday got a preview of a coronavirus-modified operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Cities and towns across Massachusetts are bracing for an economic downturn due to coronavirus. With many businesses closed, local sales tax revenue may take a hit. It's also possible the state Legislature will reduce state aid.

Finance Director Mary Ellen Kelly told the City Council finance subcommittee on Tuesday that the city is expecting about$6.5 million less in revenue in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins on July 1. Kelly also said Framingham has frozen hiring citywide — including seasonal hiring for parks, public works, and sanitation departments.

Kelly also said that funding levels for most departments will actually be lower than fiscal year 2020, which ends on June 30. The health, police, and school departments may see "modest" increases, Kelly said.

Framingham Public Schools submitted a $147.3 million budget request in early April, which is about $10 million higher than the fiscal 2020 budget. Superintendent Robert Tremblay acknowledged at the time that coronavirus might mean a lower budget.

One big unknown for cities is where the state budget will end up. Gov. Charlie Baker revealed his budget proposal in January, more than a month before coronavirus truly hit the state. The state House and Senate typically reveal proposed budgets in May and June.

Under Baker's fiscal 2021 budget, Framingham would get about $71 million in aid from the state, about $8 million more than fiscal 2020.

Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer is expected to present her proposed fiscal 2021 operating budget to City Council on Tuesday. City Council members will get a copy as soon as Thursday, however (and the public can look for it on the city website tomorrow). The finance committee is meeting on Saturday to review the mayor's proposal, and a public hearing will likely happen May 12.

Spicer's 2020 budget came in at $296 million, an increase of $11.6 million over 2019. The budget passed by City Council last spring was about $141,000 less than the mayor's proposal.