Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken Presents Proposed FY2021 City Budget
GLOUCESTER — Today, Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken submitted her proposed Fiscal Year 2021 Budget (July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021) to the Gloucester City Council. This budget reflects a balanced, responsible, and conservative spending plan for Gloucester that continues to invest in municipal infrastructure, education, and public safety.
Highlights of the FY21 proposed budget are as follows:
· General Fund Revenues and Expenditures are projected to increase from $114.3 million in FY20 to $117.9 million in FY21, a 3.08% increase.
· Gloucester Public School funding is proposed at $44,388,897, a $1,250,000 or 2.90% increase from FY20
· Water Enterprise Fund Revenues and Expenditures are proposed at $7,068,315, a $337,324 or 5.01% increase from FY20
· Sewer Enterprise Fund Revenues and Expenditures are proposed at $9.030,824, a $577,694 or 6.83% increase from FY20
· Talbot Rink Enterprise Fund Revenue and Expenditures are proposed at $308,685, a $25,790 or 7.70% decrease from FY20
· Waterways Enterprise Fund Revenue and Expenditures are proposed to increase by nearly $6,500, a 1.42% increase from FY20
· Community Preservation Fund Revenue and Expenditures are proposed at $728,000.
Each year, Mayor Romeo Theken consults with the department managers and compiles a balanced budget to operate the general fund and ’enterprise’ funds (Water, Sewer, Rink, Waterways and CPA). Included in this budget is an amount of money for the public schools. Mayor Romeo Theken and the City Council do not control how the School Committee allocates their budget.
The long-term outlook for Gloucester continues to be very strong, which is confirmed by the City’s AA bond rating. For the past five years the Romeo Theken Administration has worked hard to implement financial management practices to ensure long-term monetary stability to best position Gloucester to remain on a fiscally-sustainable path.
Mayor Romeo Theken said, “The City of Gloucester will continue to make key investments toward infrastructure, education and public safety efforts. Collective bargaining with City unions, rising fixed costs, and contractual obligations have required thoughtful strategies to maintain resources and fund core operations to meet the needs of the community and to ensure the effective delivery of services.”
As the local, state and national economies are changing daily due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this spending plan does not yet factor in new economic realities throughout the City. Significant adjustments may be necessary in order to respond to the rapidly changing circumstances.
Mayor Romeo Theken added, “We will also face financial challenges head on to ensure that the City of Gloucester is financially sound in the future. Together I know that we can work through any challenge before us – and I am confident that by doing so we can recover and emerge stronger than before.”
The City Council’s Budget & Finance Standing Committee will conduct public meetings to review the city and school budgets on the following dates and times: Wednesday, May 20, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Wednesday, May 27, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m, and Tuesday, June 2, 6 p.m. Agenda and meeting details will be posted online as those meeting dates approach.
A City Council public hearing is scheduled on the FY21 proposed budget on Tuesday, June 9.
According to the City Charter, the Council has 45 days from date of submission to adopt a final city budget plan that will become effective on July 1. A Special City Council Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16 to pass the FY21 budget.
The public is encouraged to review the budget document. A PDF copy of the FY21 Budget Submission to the City Council will be available on the City’s website under Office of the Mayor on Wednesday, May 6. Hard copies will also be available for the public to view, once re-opened to the public, in the City Clerk’s Office and the Lyceum & Sawyer Free Library.
Click to access 2021-budget-document-1.pdf
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