Pittsfield City Council Approves $179M Budget for FY22

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council approved both the operating and capital budget on Tuesday in a swift meeting that adjourned at 7 p.m.

The operating budget of $179,205,963.00 was approved in a 7-3 vote with Ward 1 Councilor Helen Moon, Ward 2 Councilor Kevin Morandi, and Ward 4 Councilor Chris Connell voting in opposition.

The budget was amended from the originally proposed $179,410,963 with $205,000 deducted from the Police Department budget: $15,000 from the contractual allowances and $190,000 from the patrol officers' allotment.

Ward 7 Councilor Anthony Maffuccio approved the budget with a disclaimer to his colleagues.

"I was not going to support this budget at the Committee of the Whole level but I am supporting this budget because I do believe the city administrative side, even though they were generous with their pay raises, did add quite a few positions that helped the city out and that the mayor does a good job and orchestrating and putting together a good budget for the city side," he said.

"I do not support the School Committee budget, I don't believe they did the teachers justice, they have failed the teachers year after year with pay raises, they continue to fail our teachers year after year."

Maffuccio added that he believes the Pittsfield Public School district has not addressed retention problems and that out-of-district transfers are "way too high."  

He also said a district of this size should not have underperforming schools.

The council also approved a number of orders within the school budget.  

Below are the budget sessions for fiscal 2022 in order of when they occurred, with the latest listed last.

• The first day of budget review on Monday, May 17, covered the Mayor’s Office, City Council, City Solicitor, City Clerk, Council on Aging, Veterans’ Services, and Cultural Development.
   
• The second day of budget review on Wednesday, May 19, covered RSVP, Information Technology, Berkshire Athenaeum, Maintenance: City, Maintenance: School, Airport, Human Resources, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Community Development, Community Preservation, the Health Department, and Building Inspectors.
   
• The third day of budget review on Monday, May 24, covered the Pittsfield Public School budget.
   
• The fourth day of budget review on Tuesday, June 1, covered the Fire Department, Emergency Management, and the Police Department.
   
• The fifth day of budget review on Wednesday, June 2, covered Public Services, Worker’s Compensation, Finance and Administration, and Unclassified.

First Responder Awards Honor Excellence, Highlight Mental Health

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
06:32AM / Saturday, May 23, 2026

Keynote speaker Nicole Ferry, above, urged first responders not to suffer in silence; right, the committee recognized outstanding work by its members. 

Reader's note: This article discusses suicide. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. To contact the Crisis Text Line, text HELLO to 741741. More information on crisis hotlines in Massachusetts can be found here.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — First responders gathered at the Proprietor's Lodge last week in advance of EMS Week to celebrate and support their colleagues. 

The EMS Awards Banquet, held by the Emergency Medical Services Committee of Berkshire County, included 20 awards for outstanding responses to specific calls over the past year and for excellence in various fields. 

Brian Andrews, president of County Ambulance Services and EMSCO, said its mission is to support and uplift the EMS community with compassionate care, critical resources, and "unwavering support" to first responders and their families.

"That mission is built on a simple but powerful principle: caring for our own," he said. 

"… EMS is a profession built around caring for others, but those who care for others also need to be cared for. They need support, encouragement, training, resources, recognition, and at times they need to know that this community stands behind them and their families." 

Andrews said EMSCO is one of the most active and successful county EMS organizations in Western Mass, and while its members may wear different patches and serve different communities, when the call comes in, they are all connected by the same mission. 

The evening included a $1,000 donation from EMSCO member Berkshire Community College Foundation, and County Ambulance paramedic supervisor Austin White requested that his 40 Under 40 donation be sent to the committee.