Published May 21, 2021

MELROSE — Mayor Paul Brodeur presented the City Council with a proposed spending package for the next year that totals $91 million.
The budget allocates about $34 million for schools, about $9 million for various public works-related services, $5.2 million for police and $5 million for fire protection. 
The spending proposal for the fiscal year beginning July 1 is not quite 3 percent more than what the city had to work with this year.
In a message, Brodeur wrote to councilors and the general public:
“I respectfully submit for your consideration, the City of Melrose’s proposed operating budget for the Fiscal Year 2022. This year’s proposed budget is in balance, with total estimated operating expenses of $91,000,522.33, a 2.94% increase over Fiscal Year 2021.
“One year ago, I submitted a proposed budget which had been authored under the assumption that our City would face dire economic conditions. I am both proud and relieved that thanks to our careful financial planning and the wealth of talent in our City government, we can say this harrowing forecast did not come to pass. While one-time relief monies such as from the CARES Act and ESSA funds helped mitigate the potentially disastrous economic impacts of COVID-19, it is our long-term, sustainable financial planning that has left us in this strong position coming out of the pandemic.
“During my campaign, I promised increased transparency in our City’s finances. As Mayor it is also my mission to enhance civic engagement in our community. To achieve those goals, we must provide residents and elected officials alike the necessary tools and information to participate in their local government. That is why this year, I am delivering an interactive budget that makes the numbers clear, accessible, and digestible. Until now, municipal budgets have been presented in lengthy PDFs and hard-to-read spreadsheets. Transparency is nothing without accessibility, and this presentation offers both.
“This innovative presentation takes key data off of the page and into your hands. Rather than thumbing through hundreds of pages and perusing thousands of line items, you will be able to clearly see what changes are happening where in a few clicks. (Editor’s note: The Fiscal Year 2022 budget can by found on the cityofmelrose.org website.)
“Over the past 18 months, we have had to adapt and innovate in ways previously unimagined. The format of this presentation is merely one of those ways, and over the coming weeks, as each department head shares their story of the last fiscal year, you will hear the myriad ways the City of Melrose pivoted to continue offering exemplary services.
“This budget delivers on a commitment to our residents to:
• Provide first-rate education by investing in our schools;
• Enhance quality of life by advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our community, supporting seniors, and continuing sustainability efforts;
• Use data to drive decision-making by investing in critical infrastructure such as IT, and using what we learned through the pandemic to drive us forward.
“I would like to thank our finance team, and Kerriann Golden in particular, for their tremendous work on the City’s budget year after year and the team’s collaboration with Brianna Garcia from my office, and our Chief Assessor, Chris Wilcock, who built this groundbreaking tool. This presentation will improve access to information about our City’s finances, and hopefully serve as a model for other municipalities across our Commonwealth.
“I offer the following as a supplement to the clear and accessible numbers you will find on our budget dashboard. Although the numbers speak for themselves, these pages add context and texture to the services our City departments provide, and outline the story of how we worked through one of the most challenging years in our City’s history,” the mayor concluded.