GREENFIELD — After completing a lengthy review of the proposed fiscal year 2024 budget, the Ways & Means Committee is recommending City Council reallocate nearly $1.2 million to the School Department.

“To me, it’s very clear from the overwhelming response of the public that the mayor’s budget does not reflect the will of the community,” Ways & Means Committee Chair Virginia “Ginny” DeSorgher said to fellow councilors at a recent committee meeting. “Working on the budget has been frustrating, with legal questions raised early in the week and financial information sent from the executive branch roughly 90 minutes before our deliberations were to start.”

The recommendations, which will come in the form of several votes on reductions followed by a vote to redistribute the funds to the School Department, are expected to be considered by City Council next week, though questions remain unanswered as to the path forward for raising the mayor’s proposed School Department budget.

While City Council typically only has the authority to reduce financial appropriations, state law stipulates that if the statute is accepted locally, school budgets are an exception, provided the municipality has accepted the statute and reductions are made elsewhere to accommodate the increase. Although this is outlined in vague terms in the city charter, Mayor Roxann Wedegartner relayed in an email to Attorney Jesse W. Belcher-Timme that City Clerk Kathy Scott determined Greenfield had not accepted the statute locally.

It’s unclear, moving forward, if Wedegartner will have to put forward a non-financial order to that effect, or if City Council can add it as an agenda item. The law does state, however, that acceptance of the statute must be approved by the mayor.

“We’re attempting to get clarity on that before Wednesday,” Wedegartner said of the May 17 meeting of the full City Council.

School budget alterations

Budget conversations began last month when Wedegartner submitted a $61.6 million budget proposal for FY24, representing a 6.5% increase over the current budget of $57.9 million. Included in this was a $1.5 million cut to the School Committee’s proposed budget, reducing the requested increase from 10.35% to 3%.

Over the last several weeks, parents, teachers and concerned community members have urged city officials to find money in the budget to support the $21.25 million request put forth by School Department Superintendent Christine DeBarge.

“I’m deeply concerned about how underfunded it is in the mayor’s proposal,” resident Jocelyn Cozzo told councilors at the Ways & Means Committee meeting. “Cities that invest in schools show people who want to move here that we’re a great place to raise your children. … There is so much here I’m concerned about and the school has already been scraping by.”

In a three-hour session last week, the committee recommended cuts as small as a few thousand dollars to as large as several hundred thousand. In particular, they voted unanimously, with At-Large Councilor Christine Forgey abstaining, to reduce one line item out of the employee’s health insurance by $600,000.

DeSorgher explained that in looking at what was budgeted in FY23, and what had been spent as of the third quarter, plus what was encumbered in the final quarter, there still remained a balance of $693,656 for employee health insurance.

“Everyone will be getting their health insurance,” she clarified. “Their health insurance will continue to be paid by the town of Greenfield.”

At-Large Councilor Michael Terounzo voiced support for the proposal, arguing that “that much of a surplus” may indicate “we had padded our budgets a little too hefty.”

The committee also recommended a reduction of $34,334 to the wages line item of the Department of Community and Economic Development and a reduction of $15,880 to the services line item.

“This department has increased dramatically,” DeSorgher said, noting the 56% increase over last fiscal year and the 48% increase over the year before.

Meanwhile, certain line items, including cleaning supplies and contracted services for the Leavitt-Hovey House — the home of the current city library — were recommended to be entirely cut.

In total, the committee voted to recommend reductions totaling $1,169,620 across the proposed operating budget — funds recommended to be redistributed to the School Department.

“Thanks to department heads,” DeSorgher said. “You provided timely, detailed information and I am very appreciative of the work that every single department in this city does.”

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.

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