Politics & Government
Framingham OKs 2021 Budget: See What's Been Changed
The Framingham Council approved the city's $284.4 million budget on Tuesday. A lot has changed since the mayor proposed the budget.
FRAMINGHAM, MA — The Framingham City Council's annual task of approving the next fiscal year's budget is now essentially over. On Tuesday, the Council voted 7-4 to approve a $284.4 million 2021 budget, which was changed in many ways from what Mayor Yvonne Spicer had proposed in May.
This year's budget process was unusual due to the coronavirus crisis. Closures related to the pandemic are cutting into local and state tax revenues, although the full impact of those losses is still being calculated. The state's budget may not be public until July or August, which is when Framingham will know how much state aid it might lose due to coronavirus.
The budget approved on Tuesday is about $12 million lower than the 2020 budget, and much lower than the $298 million Spicer asked for in mid-May (she had originally asked for $300.9 million, but resubmitted her request on May 18 with new cuts due to coronavirus fallout).
Find out what's happening in Framinghamfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Every department, from schools to cemeteries, got cut. Only funding for Keefe Tech, snow removal, and the Disability Commission emerged unscathed.
Here's what's been cut and what has stayed the same between the request Spicer submitted and what Council approved on Tuesday:
Find out what's happening in Framinghamfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
| City Department | Spicer's request | Council approved (June 16) |
| Schools | $142,281,934 | $140,949,434 |
| Police | $16,697,074 | $16,274,119 |
| Fire | $14,858,432 | $14,696,586 |
| Keefe Technical High School | $9,468,116 | $9,468,116 |
| DPW Sanitation | $4,397,870 | $4,327,222 |
| DPW Highway | $4,011,976 | $3,713,735 |
| Framingham Public Library | $3,278,860 | $2,996,233 |
| Parks and Recreation | $2,743,140 | $2,635,639 |
| Technology Services | $2,456,722 | $2,234,487 |
| Capital Projects/Facilities Management | $2,574,690 | $2,234,468 |
| DPW Snow/Ice Removal | $1,654,688 | $1,654,688 |
| Public Health | $1,225,114 | $1,202,618 |
| DPW Fleet/Facilities/Communications | $1,316,805 | $1,169,416 |
| Building Inspections | $1,162,847 | $1,142,507 |
| DPW Streetlights/Signals | $965,493 | $949,950 |
| DPW Engineering | $936,485 | $928,693 |
| Mayor's Office | $948,964 | $838,453 |
| Planning/Community Development | $910,181 | $826,210 |
| Chief Financial Officer | $743,648 | $739,048 |
| City Solicitor | $770,000 | $713,500 |
| Assessing | $661,433 | $625,773 |
| Treasurer/Tax Collector | $651,241 | $594,109 |
| Loring Arena | $601,264 | $589,994 |
| Accounting | $639,473 | $586,813 |
| Veterans' Services | $582,691 | $582,691 |
| Human Resources | $609,443 | $573,323 |
| Council on Aging | $509,187 | $507,405 |
| DPW Administration | $565,006 | $440,759 |
| Media Services | $389,152 | $381,352 |
| Cemeteries | $354,877 | $342,157 |
| City Clerk | $322,113 | $319,613 |
| City Council | $336,849 | $244,972 |
| Elections | $274,928 | $209,047 |
| Purchasing | $226,694 | $202,993 |
| Animal Control | $182,290 | $180,847 |
| Weights/Measures | $74,302 | $72,042 |
| Traffic Commission | $109,000 | $64,000 |
| Emergency Management | $67,489 | $62,239 |
| Disability Committee | $6,500 | $6,500 |
The 2021 fiscal year begins on July 1, which is when the city's new budget takes effect. Following the Council's vote on Tuesday, the budget will go back to Spicer for her to sign.
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