A proposed balanced budget is on the table for the Springfield City Council, after Mayor Domenic Sarno unveiled his spending recommendations for Fiscal Year 2025.
Sarno presented an overview of the spending plan at city hall Wednesday, highlighting a recommended budget that comes in at $928.7 million dollars – a 5.8 percent uptick from last year’s adopted budget.
School department spending makes up the bulk of the figure, coming in at $627.3 million while city-side spending added up to $301.4 million.
It also continues a trend of keeping a large rainy day reserve fund on hand, totaling close to $70 million, progress Sarno called attention to.
“When you look back, 17 years ago, we were on the brink of bankruptcy, and now under my administration, we have the highest bond ratings in the city's history and we're going to continue to be efficient, effective, strategic and compassionate in our budget,” the mayor said.
Among the programs set to continue is the city’s full‐day, universal free Pre‐K program, billed as the first of its kind in the state. It also comes on the heels of adding an additional 17 preschool classrooms across the district in FY24.
It also continues to fund the city’s pension liability aggressively, according to Sarno. The budget appropriates a $67.5 million contribution toward pension liability - a 9.1 percent increase over the previous fiscal year.
Overall, the mayor says Springfield will see many of its services and programs continue at a time when some surrounding communities grapple with cuts and layoffs.
"This is the tenth, consecutive year that we balanced the budget without the use of reserve, which is unheard of,” he said. “Ten years in a row. You know, we have a healthy reserve account about $69 million, but we have to make sure we keep that in account because – it’s for a rainy day.”
The recommended budget now heads to the city council, which is expected to weigh in and review the proposal throughout the month, culminating in a potential vote at the end of May.
