Quincy City Council: June 17, 2026

• Governing Body: Quincy City Council / Finance Committee
• Meeting Type: Special Meeting and Departmental Budget Hearings
• Date: June 17, 2026
• Attendees: Councilor Richard Ash, Councilor Noel DiBona, Councilor Walter Hubley, Councilor David Jacobs, Councilor Maggie McKee, Councilor Deborah Riley, Councilor Virginia Ryan, Councilor Ziqiang Yuan, and President Anne Mahoney.
• Administration Representative: Christopher Walker (Mayor's Representative).

Tourism Budget

• Action: The Council reviewed the amended budget for the Historical Society.
• Financial Detail: Includes a new line for Director of Historic Society Benefits ($14,814) to cover health insurance and pension contributions, offset by the hotel-motel tax.
• Vote: Approved unanimously on a motion by Councilor McKee, seconded by Councilor Jacobs.

Library Budget

• Discussion: Director Sarah Slyman addressed bookkeeping errors regarding salary reallocations for the Head Archivist and other positions. Three positions remain open: Branch Librarian (Wollaston), Teen and Adult Services Librarian (Adams Shore), and a full-time custodian.
• Action: Motion by President Mahoney to cut $20,000 from the Personal Services bottom line due to breakage from unfilled positions.
• Vote: Approved 8-1 (Councilor Yuan opposed).

Downtown District

• Action: Shifted approximately $900,000 in funding from the General Fund to the DIF (Development Industrial Fund) capital projects account.
• Cuts:
  1. $20,000 from Contracted Services (Motion by McKee).
  2. $20,000 from Overtime (Line 510130), reducing it to $30,000 (Motion by McKee).
• Vote: Approved as amended (Councilor DiBona opposed the overtime cut).

Short-Term Debt

• Action: Revised the interest on notes from $16,646,411 to $15,833,818 to remove water and sewer enterprise debt.
• Cut: $149,662 from the interest line based on Hilltop Securities data provided by President Mahoney.
• Vote: Approved 8-1 (Councilor DiBona opposed).

Long-Term Debt

• Discussion: Councilor Yuan and President Mahoney highlighted that total city debt (authorized and unissued) has reached approximately $2,071,000,000.
• Cut: $500,000 from the current expense line, representing a 2019 judgment bond rolling off the books.
• Vote: Approved 8-1 (Councilor DiBona opposed).

Retirement and Pensions

• Discussion: The FY27 contribution is set at $9,749,500. Discussion focused on the $475 million pension obligation bond and market risks.
• Vote: Approved unanimously.

Legal Department

• Discussion: Solicitor Jim Timmons discussed outside counsel fees for the Long Island Bridge case ($35,651 FYTD) and the ballot petition signature case ($110,847.29 FYTD).
• Cuts:
  1. Outside Counsel (Line 530010): Reduced by $43,000 to $152,000 (Motion by Jacobs).
  2. Contracted Services (Line 530303): Reduced by $20,000 to $152,000 (Motion by Yuan).
• Roll Call Vote ($20k Cut):
  • Yes: Jacobs, Mahoney, McKee, Ryan, Yuan.
  • No: Ash, DiBona, Hubley, Riley.
  • Result: Motion passed 5-4.

Workers' Compensation

• Cuts:
  1. Injury Pay (Line 510173): Reduced by $65,000 to $687,885.
  2. Medical Bills (Line 570703): Reduced by $50,000 to $803,800.
• Vote: Approved as amended.

Judgments and Settlements

• Cut: $50,000 from the Settlements line (Line 570601), reducing it to $250,000.
• Roll Call Vote:
  • Yes: Jacobs, Mahoney, McKee, Ryan, Yuan.
  • No: Ash, DiBona, Hubley, Riley.
  • Result: Motion passed 5-4.

Mayor's Office

• Cut: $780 from Premium Pay (Line 510193), reducing it to $3,120.
• Vote: Approved as amended.

Celebrations

• Discussion: Concerns were raised regarding $75,000 paid to the Quincy Foundation for Christmas parades. Councilor Hubley noted that community events like Porch Fest are self-funded.
• Cut: $25,000 from the Celebrations line (Line 570800), reducing it to $275,000.
• Roll Call Vote:
  • Yes: Mahoney, McKee, Ryan, Yuan, Riley.
  • No: Ash, DiBona, Hubley, Jacobs.
  • Result: Motion passed 5-4.

Final Appropriations

1. General Fund Budget (Order 2026-073): Approved as amended at $488,464,606.17 (9-0).
2. Sewer Enterprise Budget (Order 2026-074): Approved at $31,685,202.76 (9-0).
3. Water Enterprise Budget (Order 2026-075): Approved as amended at $27,580,975.72 (9-0).

President's Statement on ENC and City Debt

President Anne Mahoney issued a formal rebuttal to Mayor Thomas Koch's criticisms regarding the Council's vote on the Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) acquisition.

• Direct Quote: "The suggestion that six elected councillors cannot think for themselves, review information, ask questions, and independently reach the same conclusion is offensive to this body and to the residents who elected us."
• Key Point: Mahoney emphasized that the Council's role is oversight, particularly when city debt has grown by hundreds of millions of dollars in a matter of months.