Councilors press for budget review and possible caps as taxes rise; staff warn many costs are fixed

Councilors, residents and staff used the tax-classification meeting to surface broader budget concerns and options for slowing property-tax growth. Several councilors said the city’s budget has grown substantially in recent years and urged a dedicated review; the council president said he will form an ad hoc committee to dig into line-by-line budgets and explore grants, streamlining and other measures.

Kathy Bono, CAFO, and other staff warned that much of the city’s recent budget growth is tied to fixed costs — net school spending, pensions, debt service and rising health insurance — which limits the scope for immediate cuts. "So much of it is fixed," Kathy said, noting past efforts cut positions and that structural solutions take time. Councilors discussed options including capping discretionary growth, tightening hiring pay ranges and seeking quick operational efficiencies to avoid layoffs.

Members also asked about free cash certification and its potential use to reduce tax rates; staff said free cash is not yet certified and that DOR-certified assessed values will be available by the next meeting. There were no votes; the committee asked staff to provide free-cash figures, exemptions data and other budget details at the Nov. 18 meeting.