Worcester City Council Agenda Preview: May 6, 2025

May 06, 2025

The City Council meeting is Tuesday at 6:30pm. The agenda is here.

Resident Permit Parking: Councilor Ojeda would like there to be resident-only parking on Lodi Street. This request will go to the Parking Committee for discussion.
Budgets: The Manager will submit proposed 2026 operational ($947 million) and capital ($145 million planned expenditures) budgets to the Council. “This year our theme is Strengthening Core City Services.” In terms of revenue, he is anticipating property tax and local receipts (excise taxes, licenses) both growing by 4%, and 8% growth in state education aid and 3% in state general aid. For expenditures, education spending would go up 6% (education spending is 60% of the city’s total budget), fixed costs down 6% (health insurance, streetlights, and unemployment costs up, pensions and Financial Integrity Plan costs down), public safety up 8% (including new police software, $2 million of work on the main police station, fire overtime, and new fire gear), public works down 6%, and other operational costs up 6%.
A Large Loan Order: The Manager is also requesting the Council approve a $158 million loan order “to pay for costs associated with projects and equipment, as approved in the Fiscal Year 2026 Capital Budget.” I believe this is larger than the $145 million capital budget because it covers multi-year projects.

Chickens: There was a request to the Council, as there frequently is, that people be allowed to keep chickens in Worcester. This was referred to the Planning Board, who are sending this back to the Council because of some procedural issue with the petition, but nevertheless “expressed their enthusiastic support” for chicken legalization (“with appropriate regulatory controls”), and want the Council to ask for a draft ordinance allowing chickens.

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