June 25, 2026

Votes & Decisions

Fiscal Year 2027 General Fund Operating Budget ($376,778,493) – Approved (9 in favor, Councilor Strezo opposed)

The Council approved the city's $376.8 million operating budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, following roughly 16.5 hours of Finance Committee review across six meetings, including a public hearing, three nights of departmental reviews, and a "cut night" at which no cuts were proposed. Budget Director Mike Mastrobuoni presented a final amended version with only minor, net-zero adjustments (moving the summer jobs program to the correct HHS division and creating holiday/overtime accounts for the CORE division within public safety).

The vote was not without dissent. Councilor JT Scott declared during debate, "I do not believe that this budget meets the moment," citing cuts to general government employees, denial of the School Committee's requested special education positions, and "yet more historic raises for the police department." Councilor Kristen Strezo voted no over the school funding gap (see Key Discussions below). Councilor Lance Davis, who presided, recused himself from the discussion of the school-budget portion, citing a potential conflict of interest, but participated in the overall budget vote on advice of the Law Department.

Dormers Zoning Amendment – Ordained 11-0

A citizen-petitioned zoning text amendment making it significantly easier for homeowners to build dormers (the "bump-outs" that add usable space to a top floor under a sloped roof) passed all three required votes unanimously. Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen, who chairs Land Use, explained that current zoning is "incredibly restrictive" and that the committee made three changes to the public's proposal on planning staff's recommendation: requiring a two-foot front setback so houses don't "become a cube," removing a provision that would have allowed flat three-story roofs outright, and excluding backyard cottages, which remain under active discussion. Councilor Jonathan Link noted constituents have reached out about dormers, saying the change has "material impact on people."

$1 Million to Housing Assistance Stabilization Fund – Approved 10-0

The Council transferred $1 million from the Community Benefits Stabilization Fund—money paid by developers—to the Housing Assistance Stabilization Fund for direct housing assistance. Councilor Ewen-Campen called it out specifically: "This is money directly from the biggest developers in Somerville that was demanded by this city that is now going to help people who need help paying their rent... This is exactly what we've been fighting for for a really long time."

Year-End Financial Housekeeping Package – Approved

The Council approved a large slate of Finance Committee items closing out FY2026 and setting up FY2027, which Councilor Scott summarized as largely "housekeeping." Highlights include:

• Enterprise fund budgets: Sewer ($39.6M), Water ($24.7M), Kennedy School Pool ($794,782), and Dilboy Fields ($237,500), with free-cash subsidies for the pool and fields funds because they are not fully self-sustaining

• $16 million from Sewer retained earnings to the Sewer Capital Stabilization Fund and $2 million to the Water Capital Stabilization Fund

• $7.15 million in free cash to the Street Reconstruction and Renovation Stabilization Fund for the 5-Year Capital Investment Plan

• Roughly $3.4 million in transfers and free cash to cover the FY2026 snow removal deficit

• $144,235 from the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Stabilization Fund for opioid-related projects (approved 10-0 by roll call)

• $45,000 from the COVID-19 Stabilization Fund to continue the Playworks Program at Winter Hill Community School (approved 10-0)

• $196,086 to fund a collective bargaining agreement with SMEA Unit D (approved 10-0)

• $78,900 from the Medical Marijuana Stabilization Fund to fund a Jail Diversion Clinician in the COHR Unit

• $350,000 from Community Benefits to the Immigrant Legal Services Stabilization Fund for continued legal services

• Settlement and closing costs related to the city's purchase of the Assembly Square Fire Station at 45 Middlesex Avenue

• Fifth amendment to the Grove Street parking lot lease through June 2027 (approved 11-0)

Councilor Wheeler's precautionary motion for reconsideration of all financial items failed 0-11, locking in the votes before the June 30 fiscal year deadline.

$120,000 Employment Case Settlement – Approved

Following a roughly 30-minute executive session (in which no votes were taken), the Council approved appropriating $120,000 from free cash to the Judgments & Settlements Account to settle an employment case.

Elimination of Assistant City Clerk–Vital Records & Licensing Position – Approved

Due to budget constraints, the Council voted to eliminate one assistant city clerk position. The City Clerk explained the position was chosen as having "the least detrimental impact" on operations, emphasizing "it was the position that was removed and not the person in that role." Councilor Davis explained the formal vote was needed because the Council originally established the position by statute decades ago. Councilor Hardt thanked the person who held the position for his work, particularly for the Licenses and Permits Committee.

Items Sent to Committee (Not Yet Enacted)

• Pet store animal sale ban – Referred to Legislative Matters. Councilors Link and Hardt introduced an ordinance prohibiting the sale of animals in pet stores. Link stressed it would not ban adoptions or licensed breeders, but would prevent new pet stores from selling animals sourced from "puppy mills and kitten mills," exotic bird trapping, or coral reef fish collection. Bethany DeSalt of the MSPCA, speaking as a sponsored guest, noted 17 Massachusetts municipalities have similar ordinances, that Somerville currently has zero animal-selling pet stores, and that the ordinance carries no cost to the city. Multiple councilors signed on.

• Ice rink cost barriers – Sent for discussion in Housing, Equity and Community Development. See Key Discussions.

• City volunteer policy – Sent for discussion in HECD. Councilor Strezo raised inconsistencies across departments, noting residents who want to volunteer as rec coaches are barred because they must be hired as paid employees.

• Prospect Hill traffic calming – Approved with copy to Traffic and Parking. See Key Discussions.

• Heat island measures at East Somerville Community School and Edgerly School – Approved. Prompted by an email from a fourth-grade class worried about hot school grounds, requesting shade trees and water fountains. Councilor Link called it "really wonderful student activism"; several councilors signed on.

• 13 Climate Action Commission appointments – Referred to Confirmation of Appointments and Personnel Matters. Councilor Ewen-Campen was ready to approve them all that night, but Councilor Mbah preferred appointees appear briefly at committee: "I don't wanna be selective. So I want all of them to go to confirmation of appointment." Appointments to the Affordable Housing Trust and Fair Housing Commission were also referred.

• Wings Over Somerville extended hours license (until 2am, 519 Somerville Ave) – Referred to Licenses and Permits for a public hearing.

Key Discussions

School Budget Dispute: Special Education Funding Gap

The most substantive debate of the night concerned the gap between the School Committee's approved budget and the mayor's proposed school appropriation—roughly $645,000 for six positions (special education staff and reading/math interventionists) recommended after an outside review by Empowered School Solutions. Councilor Strezo read at length from a letter by Sam Steiner, a Somerville parent and disability advocate, citing the review's findings: students with disabilities (about 19.7% of the district's ~4,900 students) show persistent academic gaps of roughly 16 to 32 percentage points on MCAS, and educators warned "some students may be slipping through the cracks when parents are not vocal." Strezo argued: "When students are present in classrooms but not meaningfully accessing instruction, that is not a fully funded system," and voted against the budget on those grounds.

Councilor Scott added a procedural point: in his view, "the only thing the city council can do to provide support for the school committee's request is to reject this budget," noting the Law Department's interpretation that the Council's unanimous vote last year to adopt Chapter 329 of the Acts of 1987 was "functionally vetoed by the mayor's refusal to sign it," and disputing the administration's reading of Charter section 6-4 on whether the mayor must submit the School Committee's approved budget. Councilor Hardt thanked Strezo for raising the report and said she'd be "looking next year to make sure that we have fully met these needs."

Body-Worn Cameras

Mayor Wilson submitted a communication offering to help the Council bring body-worn cameras to a vote before summer recess, including by calling a special meeting: "After months and months of work on body worn cameras... nobody wants to see that go to waste... something we all know an overwhelming number of our constituents want to happen." Councilor Scott, who chairs Legislative Matters, responded that related items are already on the committee's June 30 agenda and said, "I'm comfortable allowing the process to continue to play out as city council customarily functions." Councilor Wheeler asked about scheduling the requested public hearing; Davis said timing is up to the committee chair given the approaching recess and "very, very, very ambitious time frame." The communication was placed on file.

Cost Barriers at Veterans Memorial Rink

Councilor Strezo and sponsored speaker Annette McKee highlighted that public skating at the state-owned, FMC-managed Veterans Memorial Rink costs $5 entry plus $10 skate rental—$15 per child, or $45 for a family with three kids—pricing out low-income families on half-day Wednesdays. Strezo said 10 to 30 middle schoolers are reportedly turned away on a typical Wednesday. Councilor Clingan recalled paying 50 cents as a kid and called the current situation "completely wrong," urging the city to "broker some sort of deal." Councilor Davis noted that when the city ran the rink, kids skated and rented skates for free, and said he'd "love to see the city running both of those rinks again." Mayor Wilson announced the city is pursuing an RFP for the ice sheet at Founders Rink and is "in a unique position to put into that RFP things that could result in a very good outcome here." The item was sent to HECD, and the whole council signed on.

Prospect Hill Traffic Calming

Councilor Link described a recent crash on Boston Street in which a speeding car slammed into a stopped car carrying children and grandparents—fortunately without serious injuries—followed by neighbors sharing "disturbing stories" of close calls. Neighbors have collected signatures requesting traffic studies on major streets in the area. Councilor Ewen-Campen said Prospect Hill is "a major cut-through area" at rush hour, especially for drivers coming off McGrath, and pushed for clearing corners of parked cars at intersections. Approved, with a copy sent to Traffic and Parking.

Traffic & Parking Committee Report

Councilor Sait reported completed work on multiple safety items: a new one-way sign installed on Whitfield Road within days of the meeting; Teele Square added to the police traffic unit's patrol schedule with morning enforcement focus; colored bus/bike lane markings planned for Prospect Street tied to the MBTA bus network redesign; Durham and Hanson Streets added to the daylighting evaluation list; speed bump data collection underway for Vernon Street and Elmwood Street with updates expected in late summer; and a summer evaluation of the Columbus Ave/Prospect Hill Parkway/Stone Ave intersection.

Notable Moments

• Union Square rezoning withdrawn: Councilor Ewen-Campen noted that property owners in Union Square ("from Dunkin' Donuts all the way over to where Baek Gyeong, Korean restaurant is") withdrew their requested zoning map amendment to change the district from Commercial Core 5 to Mid-Rise 6.

• World Cup preparations: The Council approved a $14,974 state public health grant for World Cup community events (sunscreen, bug spray, water, hand sanitizer) and a public event license for a July 7 Somerville Watch Party by the Chamber of Commerce, with Davis joking about FIFA's restrictive sponsorship and licensing rules.

• Red Line closures: Davis noted the Red Line will be open during ArtBeat but will be replaced by shuttle buses during the NICE festival; the administration is working to minimize the impact.

• Alewife Brook CSO alternative plan: Councilor Clingan announced that Friends of Alewife Brook, who have developed an alternative to the city's Combined Sewer Overflow plan, will present it Monday at the Sustainability and Infrastructure Committee. "Everybody tune in if you wanna hear what these folks came up with." The public comment period runs into the fall.

• Block party plug: Davis encouraged residents to check the list of licensed block parties: "If your street isn't on it and you haven't had a block party, contact the clerk's office... they're wicked fun."

What's Next

• Body-worn camera policies: Initial discussion of the surveillance technology impact report and use policy at Legislative Matters on June 30; public hearing scheduling to be determined by the chair.

• Pet store animal sale ban: Heads to Legislative Matters, where Councilor Mbah has asked to compare the proposed language against existing ordinance text.

• Climate Action Commission and housing appointments: Expected at the Confirmation of Appointments committee meeting on July 1.

• Homeless shelter zoning amendment: Public comment remains open following the June 18 joint public hearing with the Planning Board.

• CSO alternative plan: Friends of Alewife Brook presentation Monday at Sustainability and Infrastructure.

• Rink access and volunteer policy: Both headed to Housing, Equity and Community Development.

• Wings Over Somerville 2am license: Public hearing to be scheduled in Licenses and Permits.