LYNN — Mayor Jared C. Nicholson has formally presented a balanced Fiscal Year 2027 budget to the City Council, marking the next major step in the city’s annual budget process before the proposal is set down for further consideration on June 9th. 

The proposed FY27 budget totals $577,017,037 and, according to the mayor, reflects the city’s continued focus on maintaining services while navigating ongoing financial pressures facing municipalities statewide. 

In his communication to the council, Nicholson said, “While the pressures on municipal budgets continue, our commitment to fiscal discipline has positioned us well.” 

He added that the city is “able to maintain services and continue to make important and long-needed upgrades to our public roads, buildings, and equipment.” 

The proposal comes at a significant financial moment for Lynn, as FY27 represents the final year in which the city can spend funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). 

Nicholson noted that Lynn has largely avoided major fiscal disruptions tied to the expiration of ARPA funding by directing much of the money toward one-time expenditures instead of recurring costs. 

He also wrote that the city’s finance team and community partners have positioned Lynn to spend the remaining allocation effectively. He pointed specifically to projects such as the new turf fields at McManus Field as examples of investments completed through federal funding. 

Nicholson emphasized that the budget does not create any municipal positions, but still maintains existing services despite increasing healthcare costs. He credited consistent new growth and stable local receipts for helping offset those pressures. 

He acknowledged that two areas remain particularly vulnerable following the expiration of ARPA funds: summer youth jobs programming and the city’s language access initiative.

According to the proposal, the city supplemented summer youth employment funding this year using opioid settlement money alongside surplus ARPA funds. 

Nicholson said the combination allowed Lynn to create opportunities for an additional 100 students while incorporating substance use prevention education into the program. The city is also participating in a state pilot initiative aimed at attracting more private sector support for youth jobs programs.

“Nevertheless, without a dedicated funding source to maintain our expanded hiring levels, summer youth jobs will continue to be a funding need in the future as it is an important priority,” he said. 

In the proposal, it also outlined steps to preserve language access services for residents whose first language is not English. Nicholson explained that responsibilities previously supported through temporary funding have now been incorporated into permanent positions within the Mayor’s Office. 

The city has also expanded access to two-way translation devices across departments in an effort to improve communication with residents.

In addition to operational funding, the proposed budget includes several capital investments across public safety departments. Planned expenditures include bathroom upgrades at the Western Avenue Fire Station, new police vehicles, bicycles for expanded bicycle patrols, motorcycles for a newly established motorcycle unit, and a new secure location for Fire Alarm dispatch operations.

Nicholson also announced that Lynn’s first comprehensive in-house capital improvement plan under the city’s new charter is expected to be released soon.

The school budget, which made up 47.5% of the city budget this year, has already been approved by the Lynn School Committee under the accelerated timeline established in the new charter, representing another major component of the mayor’s communication.

 Nicholson described the school budget process as particularly difficult this year due to declining student enrollment following years of growth.

While the Student Opportunity Act continued to increase the city’s per-pupil funding levels, Nicholson explained that enrollment declines created financial strain because state education funding is based heavily on student population totals. 

He said the district has adjusted “but not without sacrifice,” while city officials continue advocating for additional state assistance similar to stabilization support provided during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those challenges have played out publicly during recent School Committee meetings, where Superintendent Molly Cohen repeatedly defended a proposed FY27 school budget that initially called for the reduction of 53 positions.

During one school committee meeting, Cohen explained that district leaders first targeted non-personnel reductions in an effort to minimize staffing cuts.

“We were able to save $2 million in curriculum supplies…and we saved two million in special education tuition. We also caught $1.5 million in external contracts and services for next year which provided us an initial $5.5 million,” Cohen said.

The proposal, however, drew criticism from educators, parents, and community members concerned about the impact of staff reductions across the district.

In response to concerns, Cohen, in a later meeting, explained that administrators reviewed the budget districtwide in an attempt to distribute reductions as evenly as possible.

“We looked across the budget, across the entire district, and we looked to see where we can reduce evenly,” Cohen explained, noting that educators account for approximately 74 percent of the district’s overall spending.

Despite the reductions, Cohen said district leaders sought to protect key educational priorities.

“Every single role in the district… (is) working toward strengthening the instructional core,” Cohen said, emphasizing the value of coaching, mentoring, and staff retention efforts throughout the schools.

The final proposal also included several revisions from earlier drafts. Among the changes was the reinstatement of an eighth-grade music teacher position at Lynn Technical Vocational Institute, along with librarian positions at Lynn English High School and Lynn Classical High School that had previously been slated for elimination.

However, restoring those positions required tradeoffs elsewhere in the budget.

“What the capital project means…is that although we can transfer that money for the librarians,” Cohen explained, “It means that that money is no longer in the capital projects line for the building and grounds maintenance.”

Public budget hearings between the City Council and department heads are scheduled for May 19 (2 p.m.) and May 26 (3 p.m.). While these are open-session meetings that the public is welcome to attend and observe, they do not include a forum for public participation. 

With the mayor’s balanced budget now formally introduced and accepted by the City Council, the proposal is scheduled to be set down on June 9 as officials continue deliberations over spending priorities, infrastructure investments, and the future financial outlook for both city government and Lynn Public Schools.