Bianchi Proposes $141.2 Million Budget

The mayor provided his proposed budget to the City Council on Friday afternoon.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mayor Daniel Bianchi is requesting a $141.2 million budget for fiscal 2015.

The proposal is 2.8 percent more than this year, but Bianchi calls it a "maintenance budget."

Particularly, paying off debt is up $1.2 million and employee pensions are up by nearly a half million, Bianchi said.

"That is the bulk of the increase," the mayor told the City Council on Friday afternoon when he submitted the budget request.

In total, the proposal is about $4 million more than last year with $2.6 million increasing on the city side and $1 million increasing on the school.

The city's budget is proposed at $75.8 million and the school is proposed at $56.5 million. A total of $8.8 million of the budget is wrapped in with enterprise accounts.

An additional $6.5 million is proposed to be raised for such things as regional school transportation, other postemployment benefits (OPEB), regional planning, some community development work and abatements. With that $6.5 million, the entire amount raised is bumped up to $147.8 million.

Meanwhile, he is asking to borrow $10 million for capital expenses. Those would include $500,000 for downtown parking management improvements, $300,000 for park improvements, $270,000 for five new rapid response vehicles for the Fire Department and $200,000 for the next phase of the North Street streetscape. The capital plan also calls to rebuild the Department of Public Works garage.

"While I can characterize it in one instance as a maintenance budget, I think that it is also a budget that is looking to the future," Bianchi said of the capital projects he believes will create efficiencies in operations.

The rapid response vehicles, for example, would be for the Fire Department's response to medical calls. Instead of sending a full engine, the rapid response vehicles could be sent instead.

"Rather than dispatching fire trucks to the 3,800 medical calls each year, we will be doing so with smaller vehicles," he said.

Another example Bianchi used is the purchase of software that will streamline all of the permitting online.

Pittsfield ZBA Member Recognized for 40 Years of Service

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:23PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Albert Ingegni III tells the council about how his father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo who died at age 94 in 2020, enjoyed his many years serving the city and told Ingegni to do the same. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It's not every day that a citizen is recognized for decades of service to a local board — except for Tuesday.

Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.

"It's not every day that you get to stand before the City Council in honor of a Pittsfield citizen who has dedicated 40 years of his life serving on a board or commission," he said.

"As we say that, I know that there are many people that want to serve on boards and commissions and this office will take any resume that there is and evaluate each person but tonight, we're here to honor Albert Ingegni."

The honoree is currently chair of the ZBA, which handles applicants who are appealing a decision or asking for a variance.

Ingegni said he was thinking on the ride over about his late father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo, who told him to "enjoy every moment of it because it goes really quickly."

"He was right," he said. "Thank you all."

The council accepted $18,000 from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and a  $310,060 from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All program.