Finance Subcommittee Begins FY26 Budget Review Process

FRAMINGHAM - The Framingham City Council’s Finance Subcommittee began their review of different aspects of the 2026 fiscal year municipal budget on Thursday, May 8, as various department heads provided overviews of their budget recommendations throughout the following week across multiple meetings.

Mayor Charlie Sisitsky’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year is for about $383.2 million. If passed by the City Council in the coming weeks, that would represent a roughly $24 million raise compared to the FY25 budget. About 60% of the new budget’s revenue would be through just over $230 million via the total tax levy locally, along with close to 30% of it calculated through around $108 million in state aid.

A major chunk of the upcoming budget within the city are the costs associated with Framingham Public Schools (FPS). Local officials have been trying to bridge a gap, as Sisitsky has proposed a $183.1 million school budget while education leaders have mulled a $184.8M budget.

Prior to the Finance Subcommittee’s meeting on Saturday, May 10, the School Committee voted to shave off an additional $315,000 from their proposal through the reduction of various expenses, the eliminations of a fine arts coordinator position and another new capital project manager position that had been proposed, and a cut to the legal settlement line within the special education budget.

With those reductions, the proposed budget from FPS officials stands at about $184.5 million, though Executive Director of Finance and Operations for the local school district Lincoln Lynch told the Finance Subcommittee that their budget development process will continue.

“We’ve had lengthy discussions at our School Committee meetings in the last couple of months,” Lynch explained on Saturday at the Memorial Building.

“We’re still working, looking line by line, but I believe there is still more work to be done—I’m saying this on behalf of the School Committee.”

Members of the Finance Subcommittee noted that they’d be interested in learning more about FPS salaries and costs associated with developing an in-house school bus transportation model, where bus drivers would become city employees.

Throughout the past week, public comments have been critical of any potential eliminations to positions within FPS, especially those that are based within the schools themselves. Dunning Elementary teacher Sarah McKeon was one of the residents who spoke to the Finance Subcommittee, as she called for all educational funding requests to be approved in order to execute the school district’s mission.

“Each of our schools is a unique place with its own specific needs that should be taken into consideration,” McKeon said on Saturday.

“When we discuss equity, that does not mean giving all schools the same thing, but looking at what each school needs. Right now, every one of our schools needs their staff to remain exactly as they are.”

Additionally, $26,711,156 have been recommended to be allocated to Keefe Regional Technical School. That would be close to a 7% increase from their budget compared to FY25, as the school is looking to continue a feasibility study to determine how they can proceed with developing a new building in the future.

Elsewhere in Framingham, the local library has been recommended to receive $3,592,607 in the FY26 budget. About 80% of that money would be used for personnel, including employees who assist residents through the Framingham 411 information line. Library Director Dawn Dellasanta told City Councilors that upcoming goals for the fiscal year include the continued digital preservation of the MetroWest Daily News’ archives, strengthening emergency training, and engaging in additional community feedback.

The local Technology Services Department’s recommended budget for the new fiscal year is $2,938,640, with 65% of those dollars set to benefit maintenance. The department will be looking to support software and hardware used throughout the municipal government, including the replacement of laptops used in multiple departments.

The recommended Capital Projects and Facilities Management budget is $2,465,531, a .67% raise from the 2025 fiscal year. Upcoming projections from that department show operating costs for municipal-managed properties increasing by about $23,000, though the repair and maintenance budget has gone down by roughly $52,000. Capital Projects and Facilities Management Director James Paolini noted on Thursday, May 8, that the projected cost of the proposed community center at former Marian High School site will depend on what is and is not included in the final plan, as city officials continue to garner feedback on its development from residents.

$4,870,684 has been recommended for the Parks and Recreation Department, with about 75% of that money being devoted to staff. Framingham’s Parks and Recreation Director Jim Snyder told the Finance Subcommittee that the staff budget reflects the “labor-intensive” nature of the department. Additional money will be used to maintain recreational spaces and venues—like Loring Arena and the Callahan Center—along with recurring events such as the Framingham Farmers Market and the Stars and Strides Over Framingham celebration ahead of Independence Day.

The fire and police departments in Framingham have been recommended to receive $18,574,672 and $20,988,202, respectively. Salary and wages cover 94% of the Framingham Fire Department’s proposed budget, according to Fire Chief Michael Dutcher.

As for the Framingham Police Department, Chief Lester Baker said their goals in FY26 will mainly focus on hiring and retaining members of the force. The department has the target of adding seven officers annually over the next five years, according to Baker, as there are currently 136 sworn officers with a 96% staff retention rate overall. Baker said that more officers can help the police department be more proactive in answering any calls that they receive.

“It’s more than just crime, we need the officers out there,” Baker continued on Saturday.

“These officers are stretched thin; we do about 52,000 calls for service (a year), the city is over 26 square miles.”

Finally, the Framingham Department of Public Works’ recommended FY26 budget is for $14,322,328.

Amid the budget review process, additional public comments called upon local officials to strive for commitments on things such as strategic planning and environmental action.

At-Large City Councilor and Chair of the Finance Subcommittee George King noted on Tuesday, May 13, that the body is still considering the overall budget before making a final judgement. A major piece of business remains the school budget gap, as King called for collaboration among all parties so that a final budget figure can be determined.

“People are definitely hurting in this economy; water and sewer rates are up,” King said.

“I know there are some people that have no sympathy for the taxpayer, but I think what we need to do is try to come up with the most efficient approach to this budget as we can.”

The Finance Subcommittee is set to meet on Thursday, May 15, as well as Monday, May 19.