 North Adams Council Passes $41M Budget for Fiscal 2021The total amount to be raised is $40,939,756, up $134,218, or 0.33 percent, from last year. Some $11,369.776 has already been spent over the past three months through continuing appropriations caused by delays in the state budget because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.  Pittsfield City Council Passes Capital Budget for FY21The council accepted an order from the mayor Tuesday to borrow an aggregate a sum not exceeding $8,470,000 for General Fund Capital Expenditures for Fiscal Year 2021 to address various city projects.  North Adams Finance Committee Recommends $41M BudgetA budget of $40,939,756 was presented to the Finance Committee over two meetings that stands at $134,218, or 0.33 percent, more than last year.  Cheshire Would See Rise in Tax Rate With 2021 Budget ProposalThe Finance Committee recommended using $376,000 in free cash to offset the tax increase necessitated by the town's rising costs. The Selectmen had decided to reduce last year's offset number from $140,000 to $110,000.  Cheshire Selectmen Planning for Post-Employment CostsThe Board of Selectmen took a look at the town's situation Tuesday night with help from Treasurer/Tax Collector Rebecca Herzog and the news, like many other Massachusetts towns, was not encouraging.  Cheshire Selectmen Eye Salary Increases in FY21 BudgetAside from reviewing the Board of Health and Council on Aging operating budgets, the board discussed at length what some members see as stagnant salaries for many town positions.  Williamstown Proposed FY21 Budget Adjusted in Light of PandemicBut Jason Hoch told the Select Board on Monday that the new fiscal 2021 spending plan, "allows us to maintain operations and a consistent level of service without disruption."  North Adams Council OKs July Spending, Debates City Hall JobThe $3,831,954 continuing appropriation is the first as the city shifts to a month-by-month financial plan until the Legislature can pass a fiscal 2021 budget.  North Adams School Committee Votes to Keep Adjustment CounselorThe committee OK'd a level-funded budget of $17,769,075 on a vote of 5-2 with members Tara Jacobs and Ian Bergeron voting against because of concerns that the budget did not address what they felt were deficiencies in the arts and special education.  Pittsfield City Council Passes $170M Fiscal 2021 BudgetThe City Council has approved the entire fiscal 2021 budget of $169,437,880, including a $64.4 million school budget it had been reluctant to OK.  North Adams Moving Forward on Level-Funded BudgetThis week, the news isn't quite so awful with the state committed to level-funding aid through at least the first two months of fiscal 2021. But the district isn't out of the woods yet, Superintendent Barbara Malkas told the committee on Tuesday.  Pittsfield Schools Leadership Hopeful For Budget ApprovalSuperintendent Jason Mccandless told the School Committee on Wednesday that he is hoping the contentious $64.4 million school budget clears the City Council's final vote but a 1/12th budget is being prepared.  Clarksburg Town Meeting Passes $4.6M Budget, OKs Truck PurchaseThe meeting, held on the lawn of the Senior Center because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, swiftly approved a town budget of $4,565,710 and the purchase of a new Department of Public Works truck for $250,000.  Clarksburg Town Meeting to Decide Budget, Truck PurchaseTown meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 24, at 6:30 p.m. at the Senior Center at 712 West Cross Road. The meeting will be set up in the parking lot and there will be provisions for keep people separate because of the pandemic; voters are encouraged to bring their own chairs and umbrellas.  North Adams Will Take 2021 Budget Month by MonthMayor Thomas Bernard had initially presented a "placeholder" budget that is basically level funded to this year's rather than attempting a month-by-month spending plan.  Pittsfield School Committee Make No Changes to BudgetLast week, the City Council had preliminarily approved the entire fiscal 2021 budget except for the $64.4 million school plan that they tossed back to the School Committee for another look. Councilors had expressed concern that the school budget was too tight.  Adams Sets First Month's Budget With Fiscal Restraint The HopeJust like its partner in the Hoosac Valley Regional School District, Cheshire, and the school district itself, Adams will wait for definitive state aid numbers from Boston before approving a hard budget. The COVID-19 pandemic has spawned wide speculation of revenue shortfalls in the commonwealth.  Pittsfield Council Sends $64.4M Budget Back School OfficialsThe City Council on Wednesday night sent the proposed $64.4 million school budget back to the School Committee.  Cheshire Selectmen Set First Month's Budget for FY2021The town adopted a 1/12th budget process for the short term in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In lieu of a town meeting to set the budget by the state's June 30 deadline, towns can opt to go one month at a time based on their fiscal 2020 budget.  North Adams Proposing $41M 'Placeholder' BudgetMayor Thomas Bernard submitted the document to the council on Tuesday night with the anticipation of having a spending plan in place by the end of the fiscal year on June 30.  Pittsfield Council Trims Police Budget, Puts Money Toward Mental HealthThe City Council on Monday night cut $100,000 out of the Police Department budget and earmarked $85,000 for additional mental health clinicians.  State Compels Williamstown to Submit Simplified Monthly Spending PlanThe Select Board on Monday afternoon approved a new dollar figure for the town's 1/12th budget spending plan after the state told the town to submit a higher amount.  Pittsfield School Budget Tabled After Technical IssuesThe City Council on Thursday tabled the Pittsfield Public Schools fiscal 2021 budget of $64,493,70 at the conclusion of a four-hour-plus hearing after some technical difficulties brought the meeting to a grinding halt.  Lanesborough OKs Articles at 'Socially Distanced' Town MeetingTown Moderator Chris Dodig kicked off the meeting by explaining the town's thought process in deciding to have the meeting at all despite the novel cooronavirus pandemic that has wreaked havoc on the municipal budget process across the state and forced many towns to postpone meetings and even some to go so far as to consider holding them outdoors.  North Adams Schools Mull Reconfiguration, Closure ScenariosSchool officials are bracing for a worst-case budget scenario that could mean the closure of one of the three elementary schools. At minimum, the district is anticipating reductions in positions. There's also the possibility of the reconfiguration of Brayton and Greylock schools. |
| More Stories |
Send news, tips, press releases and questions to info@iBerkshires.com
Send sports news to sports@iBerkshires.com
Send sports news to sports@iBerkshires.com