PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council preliminarily approved a $216 million budget for fiscal year 2025 with a last-minute reduction to the schools.

The meeting took an unexpected twist when displeasure with comments made during a School Committee meeting last week was brought forward and councilors voted to reduce the district's $82 million budget by $200,000, dropping the proposed city budget to $215,955,210.

Councilor at Large Earl Persip III motioned for the reduction, clarifying that it was not a retaliation. Two days before the School Committee meeting on May 22, there were unsuccessful motions to reduce the district budget by $730,000 and $250,000 during Committee of the Whole.  

"First and foremost I will call the comments made about the City Council and the job that we do very unprofessional," Persip said.

"I was very disturbed to hear School Committee members who sat in this audience criticized us for doing what we're supposed to do and that's criticize these budgets. Some of the comments really threw me off, for lack of a better term. We were questioned for questioning line items. How dare we? How dare we suggest where we want to see cuts?"

Councilors expressed concerns about the district being "top-heavy" and underperforming and questioned some administrative positions during the district budget deliberation. One of which was a secretary job at the Mercer Administrative Building.

"I want to clarify when we say top heavy, I don't really mean deans who work in the schools, I don't really need principals who work in the schools, I mean people that work at the Mercer building," Persip said.

"Just to be clear because it wasn't clear to the people that were here the other night."