2nd Street Seeks Submissions for Literary Project

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — 2nd Street seeks submissions for Using Our Outside Voices, a literary project created in partnership with Berkshire Community College (BCC) that is designed to promote creativity, acceptance and inclusion for presently or formerly incarcerated men and women in Berkshire County. The deadline for submissions is June 15, 2024.
 
Authors whose work is selected will receive a cash award of $200, and winning submissions will be published in a journal. The initial run of 400 printed copies of the free journal will be distributed locally, and digital copies will be available online. In addition, public readings will be held at various venues in the Berkshires.
 
Any presently or formerly incarcerated resident of Berkshire County is invited to submit original poetry, short fiction, personal essays or other literary works. Those who need editorial help can bring their work to 2nd Street, located at 264 Second Street, Pittsfield.
 
For more details on how to submit a literary work, visit www.2nd-street.org and click Special Projects, or call (413) 443-7220, ext. 1275. 
 
Financial and in-kind support of Using Our Outside Voices is provided by Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s Arts Build Community initiative with funding from the Barr Foundation; by Berkshire United Way; by Berkshire Community College; and by Pittsfield Cultural Council, a local agency supported by Mass Cultural Council.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield FY27 Budget Up Only 2.9%

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— On Tuesday, the City Council will refer the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget of $232,782,090. 

It is about 2.9 percent, or a $6.5 million increase from the previous year. The budget public hearing will be held on May 19.

The FY26 spending plan, which was described as "best that they could," was a nearly 4.8 percent increase from the previous year. 

Budget line items were separated by personnel and non-personnel costs to show the impact of salaries on the operating budget.  For example, $1,335,684 of the finance and administration budget goes to personnel, $207,500 to non-personnel, and $14,565,313 of the police budget is for salaries, $1,874,108 for non-personnel costs. 

The DPU water treatment enterprise has been budgeted $6,738,952, $1,255,584 for the sewer enterprise, and $11,796,683 for the DPU wastewater enterprise. 

Also on the agenda for Tuesday is a request to use $2,000,000 to reduce the Fiscal Year 2027 tax rate, and a 5-year Capital Improvement Plan for Fiscal Years 2027-2031. 

The School Committee has approved an $87,200,061 school budget for FY27 that includes $68,886,061 in state Chapter 70 funding, $18 million from the city, and $345,000 in school choice and Richmond tuition revenues.  It is an approximately $300,000 increase from the Pittsfield Public Schools' FY26 budget of $86.9 million. 

Pittsfield's proposed 5-year improvement plan invests more than $455 million in important capital projects with a focus on roadway quality, parks and recreational opportunities, facility improvements, safe and functional vehicles and equipment for staff, and modern information technology.

"The proposed General Fund (GF) Capital Investment Strategy recommends a commitment of 6.5% of GF revenues for capital projects," the document reads. 

"The plan also includes funds for all water and wastewater capital projects from enterprise fund revenues (i.e. water/sewer rates and retained earnings) and reflects the City's substantial efforts to seek State grant funds and other funding sources for capital projects." 

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