SPRINGFIELD — Mayor Domenic Sarno is preparing the city’s departments for what he said are “uncertain economic times.”
In a letter sent to the City Council on March 13, Sarno said he asked his city department heads to identify a 3% reduction to their budgets in either the “Other Than Personal Services” category and/or vacant positions.
The reason, he states in the letter, is due to the potential financial uncertainty at the federal level, as well as the impact the state budget could have on Springfield.
“As you know, there has been much dialog about the fiscal uncertainty with some of our funding from the federal government,” Sarno said. “This, along with the potential impact upon the state’s FY26 budget, can potentially have a drastic negative impact upon our own budget and the services we provide for our residents.”
Sarno invited the City Council to attend and participate in the city’s annual budget hearings with its 28 departments, which occurred last week from March 18 to 21. Aside from the budget reductions, Sarno asked the city’s department heads to also present what a level service budget “would look like while maintaining all core and vital city services for our residents and business community,” according to his letter to the council.
The hearings were conducted at City Hall and are also available to watch on Focus Springfield.
In his letter, Sarno stated that, for 10 straight years, the city has had a balanced budget without using its reserves. He credited Chief Administrative and Financial Officer Cathy Buono and the city’s finance team for “sound, prudent and sustainable fiscal management policies.”
“Despite facing various natural and man-made disasters throughout the years, as well as navigating through an unprecedented global pandemic, my administration remains steadfast in our efforts to ensure the dedicated residents, businesses, and visitors of our great city continue to receive the core services they deserve,” he said.
Last year, the City Council unanimously passed a $928 million budget for FY25, according to previous Reminder Publishing reporting. Prior to voting the full budget through, the council slashed $750,000 by cutting 17 funded, but vacant, city positions.
In a statement accompanying Sarno’s March letter, Buono said that Springfield’s goal in FY26 is to maintain core services and fiscal stability as the city continues to monitor the “potential of economic uncertainty.”
“I look forward to working with the mayor and department heads to craft a thoughtful budget that lives within our means and doesn’t mortgage the future,” Buono said.
Budget talks have also ensued within the School Department, where a proposed FY26 budget of $671 million was introduced to the Springfield School Committee’s Budget and Finance Subcommittee on March 5.
At the time, Springfield Public Schools Chief Financial and Operations Officer Patrick Roach said the school budget was in its development process, and that Superintendent Sonia Dinnall is expected to present her recommended budget to the full School Committee on April 8.
