Library, Schools Sacrifice To Fix Framingham Water, Sewer Deficit

FRAMINGHAM, MA — A group of Framingham City Councilors has agreed to a plan to cure a $2.5 million deficit in the city's water and sewer enterprise fund — a problem that has delayed the mailing of tax bills this winter.

The $2.5 million will come from freezing or cutting a number of city budgets, including Framingham schools, the library and the water and sewer fund itself.

The biggest piece — $2.1 million — will come from Framingham's free cash reserve, which is the city's rainy day fund. But the city will backfill the rainy day fund to the tune of about $611,000, so it will only be down by about $1.5 million by the end of fiscal 2021.

Framingham Schools will contribute $411,000 back to the rainy day fund. The money comes from a reduction in salaries due to teachers taking federal Family and Medical Leave Act — an unpaid medical leave program — this year to stay safe from coronavirus, and savings from field trip costs. The School Committee agreed to contribute the money at the Wednesday meeting.

On the municipal side, several departments will freeze budgets to save $250,000 by the end of the fiscal year. Framingham Chief Financial Officer Mary Ellen Kelly said a majority of that savings will come from the Framingham Public Library and others — she did not specify which departments because negotiations are still going on.

Framingham will also use $200,000 from the general fund reserves, which has a balance of $400,000. Finally, the water and sewer budget will be cut by $200,000.

The Council Finance Subcommittee, which includes Councilors Adam Steiner, George King Jr., Janet Leombruno, Cesar Stewart-Morales and Michael Cannon, unanimously approved the plan at a Thursday night meeting. The compromise was the result of a private meeting last week with King, Steiner, Mayor Yvonne Spicer, Kelly, Superintendent Robert Tremblay, School Committee Chair Adam Freudberg, District 6 School Committee Member Geoffrey Epstein and Framingham Schools Chief Financial Officer Lincoln Lynch.

Spicer alerted the Council about the deficit in early December. The state wouldn't approve Framingham's 2021 tax rate due to the water and sewer deficit, and that prevented the city from sending out tax bills.

Now, the full City Council will vote on the plan on Feb. 23 and March 2. With those approvals, tax bills will begin going out by the end of March and will be due in May.

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