Proposed budget delivers largest dollar investment in Somerville Public Schools history while strengthening essential city services and advancing key community priorities
Residents Encouraged to Share Feedback at June 10 Virtual Public Hearing
SOMERVILLE — Mayor Jake Wilson today presented the City of Somerville’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget, a $394 million spending plan built to deliver results, strengthen core services, and uphold the City’s values through action.
“This budget was built for a difficult year and a strong future,” said Mayor Wilson. “We faced real constraints and made tough decisions, but we stayed focused on what residents need from us: strong schools, reliable city services, safer streets, and more affordable housing. The result is a responsible, forward-looking plan that keeps Somerville moving forward and delivers for our community.”
Addressing a $5.4 Million Shortfall
Like many municipalities across the Commonwealth and nation, Somerville entered FY27 facing a difficult budget year. The City began its process with a $5.4 million shortfall driven by rising fixed costs, broader economic pressures, and slowing new growth revenue. Rather than rely on short-term fixes, the administration made structural changes aimed at building long-term financial stability.
To close the gap, the City pursued new revenue sources, applied stabilization funds to strategically reduce long-term debt obligations, and reduced non-personnel operating budgets by approximately five percent citywide. The City also reorganized select departments to streamline operations and took the difficult step of making a limited number of staffing reductions when all other options had been exhausted.
The proposed budget totals $394,172,946 in personnel and operating expenses, investments, and obligations, representing a 3.3% increase over the prior year—consistent with a slightly below level-service budget adjusted for rising costs but without major new investments. Through reorganization of staffing and divisions and creative approaches, the budget delivers new initiatives without new costs.
Strengthening Core City Services
Strong core services are the foundation of local government and Somerville’s FY27 budget reflects that including this sampling of service investments:
· Continued and improved investment in capital projects including municipal buildings and street and road maintenance
· Maintaining strong investment in rodent control including increased use of Burrow RX to address hard to reach infestations and full implementation of humane rodent traps across City and School buildings
· A focus on shifting contracted work in-house including Department of Public Works “in-sourcing” for sidewalk and ADA ramp repair and plumbing and electrical projects
· Care and maintenance of Somerville’s more than 15,000 street and park trees
· New emergency response technology that will coordinate “green waves” of traffic signals along fire and EMS routes, reducing response times
· An overhaul of permitting systems to simplify and improve the process for local businesses, builders, and contractors, as well as homeowners
· Continued investment in 311 and constituent service systems to help residents get answers, report issues, and connect with City services 24/7
· Targeted website improvements supported by a State grant to better serve the more than 1.1 million annual visits to somervillema.gov
Record Investment in Somerville Public Schools
Even in a challenging budget year, Somerville is making the single-largest dollar investment increase in Somerville Public Schools in the history of the district—a commitment to students that stands in sharp contrast to the cuts happening in school districts across the state and nation.
The City budget also includes the maintenance of numerous youth and family investments from social services and recreation programs to a dedicated space for teen programs at the TAB. The $122.5 million school budget, which fully funds the district’s proposal, includes:
· Five new special education teachers
· Multiple new instructional coaches and math interventionists
· An additional $600,000 investment in substitute staffing to ensure consistent classroom instruction
· The first substantial increase in years to the district’s equity funding formula directing funds to the schools that need them most
· Expansion of the Working on Womanhood program, which delivers positive impacts on young women’s lives
· Free MBTA passes for all Somerville students in grades 7 through 12, year-round, including summer
“At a time when school budgets are being slashed across this state and this country, Somerville is going in the other direction,” said Mayor Wilson. “These are commitments to families and youth who trust us to get this right.”
Advancing Community Priorities
Even in a challenging fiscal year, Somerville’s budget reflects the administration’s commitment to turning community priorities into action, including:
· Housing Justice and Legal Protections: In response to the housing affordability crisis, the budget continues investments in City teams that are aggressively advancing leading-edge affordable housing creation projects including Clarendon Hill Phase II, 299 Broadway, 24 Webster, and more. The City will also be positioned to generate the next wave of housing projects in the pipeline, delivering housing stability supports, tenant legal supports, and innovating new solutions to tackle displacement. Likewise, Somerville will continue to invest in strong immigrant services, including legal supports so residents know their rights and can better navigate an increasingly hostile immigration system.
· Co-Response and Civilian Oversight: The budget funds the first tangible results of the Public Safety for All initiative including the launch of a co-response pilot program that places trained clinicians alongside first responders to better support residents in mental health crises, positioning the city for future expansion of this program. The budget also introduces a new position to launch – and run – a body tasked with police oversight and accountability.
· Language Access and Equity: Existing staff will form a new Language and Communications Access Office to strengthen services for residents across language and cognitive needs. The city’s Racial and Social Justice Department will move from planning to direct action under a new name, Equity and Belonging, with a mission that will widen to include equity practices and training across all City departments and integrate community belonging into all aspects of City work.
· Neighborhood Services: A new Engagement and Neighborhood Services division formed with current equity and outreach staff will build on and force-multiply the already strong neighborhood outreach to residents and small businesses by City teams including in the Somerville Office of Immigrant Advancement, the Economic Development Division, and Communications. Think mobile City Hall, delivering information, engagement, and services to the places where people gather.
· Planning and Climate: The Planning Department will advance the long-awaited Davis Square Plan and a permitting overhaul to better serve residents and local businesses. The Office of Sustainability and Environment will continue climate action work including green building upgrades, a new grant-funded youth climate leadership program, and advocacy to expand the state’s fossil fuel-free building demonstration program.
A Fiscally Sound Path Forward
Despite a challenging economy, Somerville’s overall financial foundation remains stable—the product of years of careful fiscal management. Cost-cutting and structural changes made in this budget are intended to build long-term stability rather than defer difficult decisions to future years.
“This was not an easy budget, but it is a responsible one,” said Mayor Wilson. “We protected core services, invested in our schools, and kept Somerville moving forward, while planning thoughtfully for our future.”
The proposed FY27 budget will now move to the City Council for deliberation and public review.
Budget Public Hearing on Wednesday, June 10, 6 p.m.
The Budget Public Hearing will be held on Wednesday, June 10, during the Finance Committee’s virtual public hearing at 6 p.m. via Zoom.
To join the Public Hearing, visit somervillema.legistar.com/calendar and select the Zoom link under ‘Finance Committee.’
If you are unable to attend the Public Hearing but wish to be heard, submit public comments to the City Clerk at 93 Highland Ave., Somerville, MA 02143 or by email to publiccomments@somervillema.gov. Public comments must arrive no later than 4 p.m. on June 10.
For more information and to view the budget, visit somervillema.gov/budget. The video of the FY27 City Budget Submission presentation will be posted to youtube.com/somervillecitytv on Friday, June 5, and re-cablecast on somervillema.gov/CityTV.