Finance Committee advances $376.8M FY27 budget; City Council OKs zoning, fund transfers

The Somerville Finance Committee voted 8-1 on June 23 to recommend the $376.8 million Fiscal Year 2027 general fund operating budget, the largest single item decided in recent city meetings. Two members recused themselves from the vote. The action cleared a major step toward final adoption and was accompanied by other significant spending and policy moves across city boards.

Budget and Finance

Beyond the operating budget, the Finance Committee unanimously approved a 10% raise for crossing guards; $400,000 for Youth Development Services grants; $20,000 for teen out-of-school time programming; a $15,180 increase for Licensing Commission salaries; restoration of funding for the Racial and Social Justice Department; and reinstatement of the Home Visitor position in the Summer Baby Program. The committee discharged without recommendation the $24.7 million Water Enterprise Fund budget and several other enterprise and capital transfer items.

City Council

At its June 25 meeting, the City Council passed a zoning text amendment on an 11-0 vote. The council also approved a series of budget transfers: $100,000 for tree planting and maintenance, $125,000 to the Snow Removal Account, $127,358 to the Housing Assistance Stabilization Fund, and a $500,000 MassDOT grant for Western Pearl Street construction. Several items were referred to committees, including a pet store animal sale ordinance to Legislative Matters, a traffic calming resolution to Traffic and Parking, and a youth ice rink cost order to the Housing, Community Development and Equity Committee.

Traffic and Parking

On June 22, the Traffic and Parking Committee voted 3-0 to recommend eight traffic resolutions as work completed. Among them: colored pavement markings for bus and bike lanes on Prospect Street, with work to begin in August; daylighting improvements at Durham and Hanson streets; data collection for speed bumps on Vernon and Elmwood streets; and an evaluation of a raised intersection at Columbus Avenue, Prospect Hill Avenue, and Stone Avenue. The committee also cleared signage enforcement on Whitfield Road, pedestrian safety art on Perkins Street, and a four-week evaluation of increased traffic enforcement in Teele Square.

Licenses and Permits

The Licenses and Permits Committee on June 24 approved three grants of location for Eversource conduit work, including a 10-foot conduit at 135 Hudson Street to support new city electric vehicle charging stations (3-0). Other approvals covered conduits at 0 Richardson Street (31 feet) and 51 Prospect Street (641 feet).

Coming up

The Confirmation of Appointments and Personnel Matters Committee meets July 6 to review mayoral appointments to several boards, including Taylor Perkins and Calli Masters to the Fair Housing Commission, Jurett Mooltrey-Weathers to the Affordable Housing Trust, 14 members to the Climate Action Commission, and six to the Wage Theft Advisory Committee. On July 7, the Finance Committee will consider accepting a $231,635 state grant to fund a police body-worn camera program.

Generated from official meeting agendas and minutes — every underlying document is linked from the city page. Read the primary source before you rely on a detail.