City Council Approves $577.9 Million FY27 Budget With Staff Cuts
Lowell City Council adopts $577.9 million FY27 budget with staff reductions. The council voted 10 to 1 on May 26 and completed department-by-department appropriations on June 2, with City Manager Golden Jr. steering the process through negotiations with the firefighter union. Key cuts include
City Council · Meeting of June 2, 2026
Lowell City Council adopts $577.9 million FY27 budget with staff reductions. The council voted 10 to 1 on May 26 and completed department-by-department appropriations on June 2, with City Manager Golden Jr. steering the process through negotiations with the firefighter union. Key cuts include elimination of the Police Department Victim Advocate position, a $208,728 reduction to Public Works personal services approved 7 to 3 with one abstention, and a $15,000 cut to Human Relations approved narrowly 6 to 5.
The council approved water and sewer rate increases and rejected a proposed $153,285 reduction to Planning and Development that would have eliminated the Historical Administrator position. The budget includes a projected 2.5 percent tax increase.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 493 words
Source: the City Council meeting of June 2, 2026, compiled from the official minutes.
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