Gardner City Council Approves FY 2027 Budget With $82,100 in Amendments

GARDNER — June 22, 2026 — Gardner City Council approves FY 2027 budget with $82,100 in cuts after rejecting a $1 million school reduction. The council passed the full budget package Monday in a series of votes, approving a salary and labor order of $14,534,400 and an amended expense budget of $31,808,709 — reduced from the mayor's proposal by three amendments eliminating the $3,500 Massachusetts Municipal Association dues line, cutting the mayor's office supplies by $500, and trimming the consolidated professional development and travel account by $42,100 to $80,000. Enterprise fund professional development accounts for the sewer and water departments were each cut by $18,000 to $5,000. The school budget of $38,143,689 passed 8-0 after Councilor Brooks's proposal to reduce it by $1 million failed 7-2; Brooks argued the city's revenue projections — including motor vehicle excise tax and investment earnings — were overstated by at least $450,000, but Councilor Kaczynskis countered that the council "can't guarantee we're going to be able to put the million dollars back" and that voting below net school spending sets an unacceptable precedent. The council also appropriated $573,186 from free cash to the snow and ice account and $285,802 to police overtime, and referred a salary transfer from the City Clerk's office to the Auditor's office to the Finance Committee for further review.