🔨 FY26 Budget: Slow Growth, Increase Taxes
State Says Framingham Union Neonatal Care Essential | Confusion Over Excise Tax Bills | When is Raising Cane's Opening?! | Community Events | The Civic Week Ahead
Good evening, Framingham.
What a fun - but blustery - Earth Day Festival on Saturday! Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hi and chat at the Friends of Framingham Trails tent.
I’ll be in front of the Council tomorrow night giving an update on the work FoFT is doing, along with city officials providing an update on trail projects. Do tune in!
1.| Sisitsky Administration Unveils $383.1M Budget for FY2026
Mayor Sisitsky and his team presented their proposed fiscal year 2026 budget last week, which includes a 6.7% or $23.9 million increase over the current budget.
Significant challenges: According to the release from the Mayor, the budget presented a challenge “...prioritize resource allocation and meet essential needs within a limited revenue landscape. With constrained revenue, infrastructure maintenance, public services, community development, education, healthcare and public safety all face tough decisions.”
Flat growth: New growth is projected flat for the second year in a row at $2.2 million, which is 0.57% of the total revenue projection. Despite the increase in total spending, several key positions in Planning and Community Development have been cut, which potentially will impact the city's economic growth potential.
The school budget: The proposed budget shows a 6% increase - $10.5 million - to the Framingham Public Schools. However, the School Committee did have to cut another $2.5 million from their budget to make up for the spending gap.
Impact on your pocketbook: The 2.5% tax levy increase will raise the average single-family home tax bill from $7,761 to $7,956, a $195 increase for homes valued at $653,116.
Budget breakdown: The proposal allocates funds across these major categories:
School Department: $183.1M (47.8% of total)
Municipal Departments: $82.2M (21.5%)
Insurances: $53.8M (14.0%)
Retirement: $23.6M (6.2%)
Debt Service: $18.5M (4.8%)
Keefe Tech Assessment: $10.5M (2.8%)
Non-Appropriations: $10.4M (2.7%)
Reserve/Stabilization Funds: $825K (0.2%)
Committees: $178.5K (0.1%)
Revenue sources: The city plans to fund this budget through:
Property Tax Levy: $230.4M (60.1%)
State Aid: $107.9M (28.2%)
Local Receipts: $25.4M (6.7%)
Free Cash: $10M (2.6%)
Enterprise Indirect: $3.6M (0.9%)
Other Sources: $5.9M (1.5%)
Department impacts: Several municipal departments face significant staffing changes:
Planning & Community Development: Multiple positions eliminated, including Economic Development Corporation/Business Outreach Manager, Economic Development Specialist/Planner, Trails and Conservation Land Manager, and Assistant Conservation Administrator
Police: Only 2 of 7 requested new officer positions funded
Public Works: Vacancies unfilled for multiple equipment operators and engineers
Callahan Center: Social Worker and outreach positions eliminated
Enterprise funds: The Water and Sewer Enterprise funds will increase 5.6% to $60.9M total. According to the city, MWRA assessments drive much of this increase, rising 5.9% for sewer and 5.2% for water.
Behind the numbers: Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Pratt noted that departments initially requested $389M in spending, but budgets were trimmed to meet available revenue without exceeding the 2.5% tax levy.
What’s next: The Council Finance Subcommittee will meet, debate and hold a public hearing on the budget before making a recommendation to the entire Council. They will meet this Saturday, May 10 at 9am in the Blumer Room to review the following budgets:
9:00AM: Framingham Public Schools
9:45AM: Parks & Recreation Department
10:15AM: Framingham Police Department
10:45AM: Framingham Fire Department
11:15AM: Department of Public Works
2.| State Says Framingham Union Neonatal Care Essential
15 days after the 3 hour long public hearing in Nevins Hall, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has ruled that Framingham Union Hospital's Special Care Nursery is an "essential service" that cannot be discontinued without implementing an approved alternative access plan.
Tenet Healthcare, the Texas-based owners of the hospital, must submit this plan by May 9.
Why it matters: The Level IIB Special Care Nursery, which serves vulnerable newborns with special healthcare needs, was scheduled to close on June 10. The state's ruling reinforces what community members have been arguing - this service is vital for Framingham families, particularly those from underserved populations.
By the numbers:
12 bassinets in the Level IIB Nursery slated for closure
May 9th deadline for hospital to submit continuity plan
June 10th original closure date announced by Tenet Healthcare
What's next: The hospital must develop a detailed plan addressing:
Alternative delivery options with travel times
Transportation solutions for affected patients
Protocols for continuity of care
Potential transition to a Level IB Nursery instead of full closure
Strategies to meet cultural and linguistic needs of diverse populations
Looking forward: While the DPH has deemed the nursery essential, it lacks authority to permanently block the closure. Community advocates hope Tenet Healthcare will reconsider its decision based on the strong show of support and the state's findings.
3.| Confusion Over Excise Tax Bills
Did you receive a demand letter from the City regarding your excise tax even though you paid your bill?
Guess what? It isn’t your fault.
What happened? Framingham changed banks, and with it the lockboxes for mailed checks, back in January 2024. The lockbox address changed from Reading to Boston. The Reading lockbox was closed in March 2024, with forwarding to the new address for 6 months.
However, the change in address wasn’t well communicated, resulting in a lot of confusion. If your bank sends a check, your bank was not notified of the change.
No record of payment: After the 6 months, any checks sent to the lockbox were returned to the issuing bank. The city had no record of payment, thus the nastygrams, fees and interest charges people received last week.
The solution: According to the Mayor at last week’s Council meeting, all fees and interest charges will be waived. If you have any questions, please direct them to the Treasurer’s Office at 508-532-5430.
4.| When is Raising Cane’s Opening?!
Next to “When is the Bruce Freeman Trail opening?”, the big question I’ve been asked recently is… “When is Raising Cane’s opening?!”
Announcing the date: Tuesday, May 20.
An addition to Fried Chicken Mile: You’ll find the chicken joint along Framingham’s now legendary Fried Chicken Mile at 253 Cochituate Road, next to the old Aegean Restaurant.
Fried chicken lovers rejoice!
(BTW, did you know The Ham’er Merch Shop sells a tshirt in tribute to fried chicken?!)
Community Events
Coburnville Tripoli Neighborhood Association Meets Tonight
Special guest tonight is Dr. Bob Tremblay. Join your neighbors at 6:30pm at Barbieri Elementary School. CTNA also streams their meetings live in their Facebook group.
Framingham Garden Club Annual Plant Sale
The Framingham Garden Club Plant Sale will be on Saturday, May 10th, 9-1, located at the Cushing Maintenance Building off of Winter Street in Framingham.
Use the Winter Street Keefe Tech High driveway. Keep bearing left until you see the last small building. Follow the signs and arrows.
Shred Fest 2025!
Saturday, May 10 from 9 AM to 1 PM at the Recycling Drop-off Center (255 Mount Wayte Avenue) for a community event focused on secure document disposal and giving back!
The Civic Week Ahead
Monday, May 5
6:00pm: Council Rules, Ordinances and Ethics Subcommittee Agenda
6:00pm: Keefe Technical High School Committee Agenda
7:00pm: Community Preservation Committee Agenda
7:00pm: Women, Children, and Families Commission Agenda
7:00pm: School Building Committee Agenda
7:00pm: Team Framingham 325th Celebration 3.25mi Fun Run Subcommittee Agenda
Tuesday, May 6
Wednesday, May 7
Thursday, May 8
Saturday, May 10
9:00am: Council Finance Subcommittee Agenda
In closing…
Enjoy the rain!
Believe in Framingham,
Again what is sisitsky doing to help senior's oh let me guess nothing shame on him and let's hope someone runs against him