Last week Mayor Tom McGee presented the city council with a $367,935,216 budget for fiscal year 2020 and Tuesday night the City Council unanimously approved it after a public hearing. McGee said the number could change depending on what state aid is received.
The budget is a little over a one percent increase from the FY19 budget. This is also the earliest the budget has been brought before the council.
“It’s a balanced budget with a lot of work,” McGee said.
A change in health insurance coverage could save taxpayer dollars by switching from city group plan to the state’s group health insurance plan — Group Insurance Commission (GIC). Tentative agreements with the city unions may facilitate a switch for city employees. All the city contracts still need to be negotiated, and the unions have to decide on insurance.
Employee benefits make up 23 percent of the overall budget, with health insurance making up 49-59 percent of the benefit dollars, while pensions make up 36 percent of employee benefits.
The school department makes up 43 percent of the budget. Public Safety makes up 11 percent of the budget.
This is the second budget for McGee and the first budget for Chief Financial Officer Michael Bertino.