Finance Committee

• Governing Body: Finance Committee of the Whole of the Somerville City Council
• Meeting Date: March 24, 2026
• Meeting Type: Committee of the Whole (Remote Participation)
• Chair: Councilor Ben Wheeler
• Attendees:
  • Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen
  • Councilor Jon Link
  • Councilor Will Mbah
  • Councilor Jesse Clingan
  • Councilor Kristen Strezo
  • Councilor Naima Sait
  • Councilor Lance Davis
  • Councilor Emily Hardt
  • Councilor Matt McLaughlin
  • Councilor J.T. Scott
  • Councilor Ben Wheeler
• Staff Present:
  • Delaney Fisher-Cassiol, Clerk
  • Jerome Thomas, Director of Veterans Services
  • Anup Malik, HHS Finance Manager
  • Brad Rawson, Director of Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Alan Inacio, Director of Finance and Administration for OSPCD
  • Edward Bean, Director of Finance
  • Robert Barretta, Somerville Public Schools Chief Financial Officer

• Action: Approval of the March 10, 2026, meeting minutes.
• Outcome: Recommended for approval via a consolidated roll call vote (10-0).

• Action: Requesting approval to "establish a grant match account with a $15,000 transfer from the Department of Veterans Services grounds maintenance account to the Department of Veterans Services special items account for the Massachusetts General Court and State Historical Records Advisory Board grant match requirement."
• Discussion: Director Jerome Thomas explained this is a match for the 'Schrab Grant' used for the digitization of city memorials and monuments.
• Outcome: Recommended for approval via a consolidated roll call vote (10-0).

• Action: Requesting approval to appropriate $75,000 from the Bike Share Stabilization Fund for installation and startup costs of a Blue Bike Station at the 16 to 20 Medford Street development site.
• Discussion: Director Alan Inacio clarified that the funds were previously donated by developers and must be appropriated through the city as the city owns the contract and equipment.
• Outcome: Recommended for approval via a consolidated roll call vote (10-0).

• Action: Requesting the "appropriation of $430,965 from the unreserved fund balance, free cash, to the special education reserve fund."
• Discussion: Director Edward Bean and CFO Robert Barretta explained that the Department of Revenue was late in distributing Quarter 4 FY2024 special education circuit breaker funds. Because the funds arrived on July 2, 2024, they closed to free cash. This appropriation restores the funds to the school department for out-of-district tuition and transportation costs.
• Recusals: Councilors Lance Davis and Jesse Clingan recused themselves from this item.
• Outcome: Recommended for approval (8-0).
  • Voting Yes: Ewen-Campen, Link, Mbah, Strezo, Hardt, McLaughlin, Scott, Wheeler.

The committee considered five CPA-related items together:

1. Item 5 (ID 26-0300): $100,766 from Historic Preservation Reserve to the Somerville Museum for artifact conservation.
2. Item 6 (ID 26-0299): $200,000 from Open Space Reserve to the Open Space Land Acquisition Fund.
3. Item 7 (ID 26-0298): $1,167,395 from Community Housing Reserve to the Affordable Housing Trust.
4. Item 8 (ID 26-0297): $399,255 from Undesignated Fund Balance to the Community Housing Reserve (annual mid-year true-up).
5. Item 9 (ID 26-0323): $50,000 from Budgeted Reserve to the Housing Authority for open space improvements at Mystic River and Mystic View.

• Discussion: Director Inacio noted the large true-up in Item 8 was due to the new CPA surcharge taking effect July 1st, which could not be appropriated until the tax recap was complete.
• Outcome: All items recommended for approval via a consolidated roll call vote (10-0).

The Committee of the Whole discussed budget priorities for the upcoming fiscal year, noting a projected shortfall of approximately $5.9 million.

Key Councilor Priorities:

• Infrastructure: Councilor Clingan requested increasing the paving budget to cover 2% of city streets annually. Councilor Sait called for repairs to the Armory roof and school building decarbonization studies.
• Housing Stability: Broad support for the Office of Housing Stability (OHS), including flexible rental assistance and the municipal voucher program. Councilor Hardt emphasized that keeping people in homes is more cost-effective than addressing homelessness.
• Immigrant Services: Multiple councilors (McLaughlin, Hardt, Scott) requested an additional $100,000 for immigration legal aid through Greater Boston Legal Services to hire a dedicated paralegal.
• Public Safety: Councilors Scott and Sait advocated for non-police alternative emergency response programs. Councilor Wheeler suggested reviewing police overtime and staffing levels to improve efficiency.
• Youth and Seniors: Councilor Sait requested funding to activate the high school as a youth center. Councilor Strezo proposed a senior advocate liaison position and funding for teen spaces.
• Management and Efficiency: Councilor Scott raised concerns regarding the 'explosion of middle management' and the high cost of outsourcing city services (DPW, water, sewer) to consultants.
• Enforcement: Councilor Scott urged the administration to fund enforcement for the Vacant Properties Ordinance (passed in 2019) and the Rental Registry program.

Recusal: Chair Wheeler recused himself from discussions regarding the Racial and Social Justice Department and its teen program due to a family member's participation.