Pittsfield Council to See $205M FY24 Budget Proposal

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2024 is almost $17,000,000, or 8.9 percent higher, than the previous year at  $188,822,018.

On Tuesday's City Council meeting agenda is an order to raise and appropriate a total of $205,634,497 for the FY24 budget beginning July 1. This begins the council's process of departmental spending deliberations with a budget adoption before the new fiscal year begins.

Mayor Linda Tyer is proposing the use of $1 million in free cash to lower the tax rate. 

The total budget also an enterprise total of $18,195,586, with $6,199,738 for DPU water treatment, $1,002,156 for sewer, and $10,993,692 for DPU wastewater.

The operating budget includes $255,797 for the mayor's office, $14.364,673 for the Police Department, $11,095, 563 for the department of public services, and $60,092,255 in unclassified.

Last week, the School Committee approved a $78,088,016 FY24 budget that was reduced by $220,000 after a conversation with the mayor. With school choice and Richmond tuition funds, the total is $78,558,016.

Reductions include the $100,000 line item to replace Chromebook computers, $22,000 from the Career Technical Education supplies, $5,000 from the curriculum and instruction account, and the relocation of a $95,000 social emotional learning coordinator to Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III funds.

The school budget is a $5,689,754 increase from last year's appropriation of $72,398,262 with more than 85 percent of the increase allocated for special education instruction and support, Career Technical Education/career pathways, and contractual obligations.

Before the final approval, Ward 2 Councilor Charles Kronick halted the council's vote on the $189 million fiscal 2023 budget with a charter objection, voiding all of the recommended amendments that were made to the proposal over four nights of deliberations.  

Pittsfield Remembers Lives Lost to Overdose, Underscores Harm Reduction

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:33AM / Tuesday, September 01, 2026

Mayor Peter Marchetti reads a proclamation at City Hall encouraging residents to raise awareness and lift each other up. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dozens of people gathered downtown on Monday to remember those lost to overdose and work toward a future of zero deaths from substance use disorder. 

The Berkshire Overdose and Addiction Prevention Collaborative and its partners held a proclamation reading and flag-raising at City Hall, followed by a standout in Park Square with signs promoting the use of naloxone, harm reduction, and reducing associated stigma. 

There were 23 fatal overdoses in Berkshire County in 2025, 11 in Pittsfield. This is down 44 percent from the 41 countywide fatalities in 2024. 

While it is a significant decrease, advocates want to see that number at zero. 

"On the one hand, we're very pleased to see this significant of a decrease. This is actually the lowest number that we've had since [Department of Public Health] started collecting these numbers in 2013, but the goal is still zero," said Andy Ottoson, public health planner with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. 

August is International Overdose Awareness Month, the world's largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember those lost without stigma, and acknowledge the grief of families and friends left behind. September is National Recovery Month, a national observance to educate the public on the importance of substance use treatment and mental health services.

Samantha Kendall of Berkshire Harm Reduction explained that it is truly meeting people where they are, as they are, and when they are, "and I think we all do a really great job at that."

"We also want to remember that we're building a community for everybody, and systems and policies for everybody. That's really important in harm reduction work, so that's also the reason we're here today," she said.