PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city has started the budgeting process for fiscal 2016.

 

Mayor Daniel Bianchi says by mid-month, department heads will submit their budget requests and after that the administration will start to craft a budget. 

 

"We are starting to prepare our municipal budget. We've asked department heads to take a look at a couple different scenarios as they go through the budget — level services and a 5 percent cut," Bianchi said. "We will be preparing for whatever the news may be from Boston in terms of what level aid will be."

 

The governor has until March to propose a budget, a latter time frame because of the switch in administration. So far, Gov. Charlie Baker has voiced support for maintaining local aid and school funding. But cities and town's won't know for sure what level of support until the Legislature passes a budget.

 

The city is already projecting a large increase on the school side. Utilities, debt services and teacher contracts are expected to add millions to the city's budget.

 

Pittsfield also purchased a new fleet of school buses last year, which is expected to add $370,000 to the school's debt service line. Gas and electric rates are expected to rise by about $500,000 and the negotiated teacher's contract is expected to cost $1.4 million.

 

"They have some extraordinary items that we know will impact the budget. We're going to have to be realistic on it," Bianchi said. "We don't want to hurt our educational initiatives because of increased cost in debt services for the buses and increased costs in utilities. But, we also don't want tax rates running away on us."

 

Those factors are expected to require a 4.11 percent budget increase over this year's $57 million budget to avoid cuts in other areas. That is about double the increase of the previous year, which had totaled $1 million, half what the School Committee had requested.

 

"I anticipate a series of discussions with the School Department on their budget," Bianchi said. "I will encourage the School Department to look at any places where they can cut back."

 

The School Committee has already been briefed on the state of the budget as it works to have the City Council vote on a budget by May 4. That is a new stipulation in the city's charter.

 

For the rest of the departments, Bianchi said he doesn't expect any significant changes. The mayor is currently working with the departments to develop goals and objectives for each department.