🔨 "Hard decisions" loom as Framingham faces fiscal uncertainty
$5M Gap Remains in School Budget | New Buses for MWRTA | Reminder: Hospital Hearing | Community Events | The Civic Week Ahead
Good evening, Framingham.
A big congratulations to the FHS Dance Team who were recently named the New England Champions! Their win is the first time FHS was given the New England Hip-Hop title. Way to go, Flyers!
1.| Tough Budget Road Ahead
Mayor Charlie Sisitsky warns of tough decisions ahead as the city faces a significant budget challenges for fiscal year 2026.
Schools request $12 million increase while potential state funding only provides $6 million boost
City faces flat local revenue with uncertain timing on taxes from new apartments
Administration implementing partial hiring freeze on some open positions
Why it matters: Without sufficient revenue growth, the city faces difficult choices between tax increases, depleting reserves, or cutting staff.
Three options on the table:
Exceed 2.5% tax cap using "excess capacity" (would generate $2.3 million per point increase, averaging a $100 increase to the average tax bill)
Tap into $19 million free cash reserves (against bonding agencies' recommendations)
Implement layoffs and a hiring freeze. Last week the Mayor stated there was a hiring freeze at the full Council meeting. He amended his comments to the Finance Committee stating there are 33 positions currently open and ⅓ to ½ of those positions can be frozen, while there are critical positions that need to be filled, like the Chief Assessor.
Pressures on the upcoming Fiscal Year 2026 budget: The Mayor cited a number of influences on the budget process, including the uncertainty and frustration around federal and state funding. Additional pressures include:
Rising costs from collective bargaining agreements
Health insurance increases
Inflation on materials and services, like road construction
Growing debt service obligations due to the capital budget
Requests for more employees, including from FPD
Looking ahead: Future budget pressures include a potential new elementary school debt exclusion and covering 76% of Keefe Tech renovation costs around 2027-2028.
School budget concerns: The schools also receive $9 million from the federal government for various special education and title programs. The Mayor is worried if those funds go away, he doesn’t know how those will be made up.
What they're saying: “The only increase in revenue we can identify, but not really count on, is the Governor’s Budget. Her budget increases the Chapter 70 school funding by $6 million over last year’s allotment,” said Mayor Charlie Sisitsky to the committee.
Go deeper: Councilor Michael Cannon rejected the binary choice between "jacking everybody's taxes to record levels" or layoffs, advocating instead for government consolidation and efficiency improvements. He criticized using the excess capacity as a “more expensive way to do something we’ve always done” noting the city wouldn’t be doing anything transformational that would impact residents.
The bottom line: The administration is seeking creative solutions as it prepares to present the full budget proposal to the Council by May 1.
2.| Schools trim budget but $5M gap remains
The Framingham School Committee is working to close a $5 million gap between its latest budget request and what city officials are willing to fund.
School officials have cut their initial $190.4M proposal to $186.6M (8% increase over FY25)
Sisitsky Administration is proposing $181.6M for schools
Why it matters: The School Committee works with the Superintendent and his team to draft and propose the department’s budget for the upcoming school year. The school budget represents a significant portion of Framingham's overall spending.
By the numbers:
$12M in salary increases drive most of the year-over-year growth
$2.5M in proposed new positions have been cut from the initial request
$7.2M allocated for in-house bus transportation (72 drivers, 15 monitors)
Initial request: At the start of the process, FPS proposed a budget of $190.4 million, a 10.5% increase over FY25. The initial request also included $92.5 million in state funding through Chapter 70. When presented to the Council Finance Subcommittee, they pushed back stating the number needs to be lower.
Updated budget: The School Committee reviewed the updated budget at their last meeting. The new figures came in at about $186.6 million, $4.4 million lower than the initial proposal. However, there is still a $5 million delta between this budget and what the Sisitsky Administration is proposing.
What they're saying: "It's a large gap; $5 million is a big number to close," said District 2 School Committee member David Gordon.
Transportation update: School busing returns to in-house operations next school year. Lincoln Lynch IV, Executive Director of Finance and Operations, reported interviewing over 20 driver candidates and receiving 30+ monitor applications, noting they're "on our way... to have a great bus operation next year."
What's next: The School Committee continues to look for additional cuts before submitting their final proposal to the mayor, who must present the full city budget to Council before May 1. The School Committee meets again this Wednesday, April 2 at 7:00pm in the Blumer Room in the Memorial Building.
3.| MWRTA adds new natural gas buses to fleet
The MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) unveiled three new heavy-duty buses that will double passenger capacity on its busiest route.
The 30-foot Gillig buses run on compressed natural gas, offering a cleaner alternative to diesel or gasoline.
They'll serve Route 4N between downtown Framingham and Natick Mall starting in May.
Why it matters: The expanded capacity and reduced emissions advance MWRTA's goals for both service improvement and environmental responsibility.
By the numbers:
$392,000 in funding came through the Massachusetts RTA Capital program
The buses can carry twice as many passengers as current smaller vehicles
MWRTA plans to purchase 10 more similar buses over the next two years
What they're saying: "These buses don't just carry more passengers; they last twice as long and they also align with our vision for a cleaner future," said MWRTA Administrator Jim Nee. “It’s a win for the environment, it’s a win for the residents, and it’s a win for the future of MetroWest.”
4.| Reminder: Hospital Hearing - Time Added!
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s public hearing on the closure of Framingham Union’s NICU is set for Wednesday, April 9 from 6:00pm - 9:30pm
The hearing will take place in Nevins Hall of the Memorial Building, 150 Concord Street.
Why it matters: Dallas-based Tenet Health plans closing the Level IIB Special Care Nursery this June.
Next steps: DPH is required by state law to hold a public hearing that “shall take place in the hospital’s service area.” This occurred when Tenet attempted to close the cancer center a few years ago.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to have the community come out and show support for our local hospital. While going to Boston is increasingly popular, not everyone in Framingham gets the chance or even time. Losing this hospital would be devastating for everyone. Want to take action? Speak up!
Community Events
Spring is here! The Yard Waste Facility opens on Friday, April 4. Located on Dudley Road, residents may bring yard waste such as brush, leaves, grass, and plant waste. Visit the facility’s website for more information.
Hours of operation:
Friday & Saturday: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Celebrate Framingham Fire History: Friday, April 4 from noon to 2:00pm at Village Hall, 2 Oak Street. This year marks the 172nd anniversary of the Framingham Fire Department. Come view fire artifacts and old and new fire trucks. Free and open to the public.
AARP Tax Assistance: April 4 and April 12 from 9:30 am - 2:45pm at the McAuliffe Library. Free service open to individuals of low and middle income, with special preference to those 60 and older. To learn more and register, visit tinyurl.com/FPL-AARP
Coburnville-Tripoli Neighborhood Association Monthly Meeting: Monday, April 7 at 6:30pm at Barbieri School. Special guest: State Rep. Priscila Sousa
The Civic Week Ahead
Monday, March 31
Tuesday, April 1
Wednesday, April 2
Thursday, April 3
In Closing…
Big announcement: The Ham'er merch store is launched!
I am thrilled to share your new destination for authentic, locally-inspired merch that celebrates everything we love about our city.
Whenever people post online looking for Framingham shirts (non-Flyers merch), they get directed to Walgreens or Stop and Shop which has a limited mass produced hats and shirts.
So, I decided to do something about it.
Every purchase is custom-made and environmentally friendly through a print-on-demand process. Plus, 10% of quarterly sales go directly to local non-profits doing amazing work in our community.
This is very much a work in progress. New designs will drop throughout the year, and I'd love your ideas for future collections.
Check it out here: https://framinghammerch.com/
Believe in Framingham,
