SPRINGFIELD—Cameras and unfunded mandates were the order of the day at the City Council Monday night. These two items dominated much of the agenda with the remainder of the agenda dispensed somewhat expediently. Council President Michael Fenton informed the Council at-large Councilor Thomas Ashe and
SPRINGFIELD—In a rather subdued press conference for the fairly good news, Mayor Domenic Sarno flanked by Chief of Staff Denise Jordan and Chief Administrative and Financial Officer Timothy Plante formally released the municipal budget for fiscal year 2016. Measuring in at just a few million
UPDATED 5/7/15 4:03PM: To reflect a correction. A previous version of this story indicated that local aid formulas from the state were affected by property values. While this is true, the implications upon Proposition 2 ½ and property taxes, and not local aid, is the
SPRINGFIELD—Following a more scintillating conversation with the city’s State Senators on the budget, the City Council held its first full meeting in nearly a month clearing end of fiscal year transfers, committee reports and somewhat embarrassing special act. Following one of the bigger WTF moments
SPRINGFIELD—As it capped off 2014, the City Council formally and narrowly approved the tax rates for residential and commercial property following the annual deliberation over which group of tax payers were more in greater need of relief. On a 7-6 vote, the Council approved rates that
On January 7 when Representatives-elect Carlos Gonzalez and Jose Tosado and Senator-elect Eric Lesser formally join the Massachusetts legislature, a lot of pomp and circumstance and celebration will be the order of the day. The next day, perhaps after locating legislator hangouts 21st Amendment and
SPRINGFIELD—Weeks after the release of a budget with far less pain and sacrifice than years past, Mayor Domenic’s Sarno’s spending plan passed the City Council without so much as a hiccup. With up to four hearings scheduled to debate and pass the budget, only the
SPRINGFIELD—Another light agenda greeted the City Council Monday night shortly after it city finance officials presented the budget for fiscal year 2015, which begins on July 1st. Few if any items engendered much discussion most had virtually no opposition ahead of the beginning of the Council’s
EDITOR’S NOTE: This post is a version of the May 19 story published immediately after the budget press conference, updated with subsequent reporting. The original post has been archived and is accessible here. SPRINGFIELD—Less gloomy than usual, the annual release of the municipal budget by Mayor
EDITORS NOTE: This story, originally published May 19, 2014, has been republished on May 22, 2014 to reflect additional reporting and details. The below is an archive of the original post, collapsed for visual tidiness. You may access it by clicking the “continue reading” text