1)

Big Increase in Police and Fire

The Augustus budget has a $5.3 million increase in the budget for police and fire — a 6.2% increase. With crime on the upswing and new leadership in the Department, the organization needs a complete revamp after more than a decade under Gary Gemme.

The increase from $84.4 to $89.7 million is one of the steepest in the city — the entire school department is only increasing a 1.2 percent.

2)

Minor Increase in School Spending

According to Augustus, spending is increasing — 

"For the first time in in more than five years, this budget proposes an increase in school spending that exceeds Net School Spending. Due to ongoing financial constraints, in previous years the Worcester Public Schools were below Net School Spending, even as we have met annual minimum contribution amounts."

In FY17, we will exceed Net School Spending, something not accomplished since the onset of the Great Recession.  Exceeds the minimum required contribution for the third straight year – allocating $1.1M above our requirement.  For the second consecutive year, we have reduced the administrative fee for school grants from 2.5% to 2%, allowing WPS programs to expand with an additional $170,000 in grant funding.

3)

More Tech Friendly

Worcester is investing in improving its consumer focused technology. Presently, the city's technology has some strong components including online availability of city council meetings. But the city's website has terrible navigation and design. 

Little of the cities online attributes are mobile friendly. Case in point, try and find out if school is cancelled during a snow storm.

Investments in technology will build on existing systems and improve City operations and customer satisfaction:  Meets demand for customer friendly and up-to-date website  Builds upon the City’s commitment to transparency  Deploys additional mobile applications to reach constituents where they are.

4)

Another Big Hit is Pension Costs

Unfunded liabilities for pension continues to impact the budget.

Augustus champions that, a $3.2 million “budget increase is due to escalation in Fixed Costs including debt service, pensions, worker’s compensation, injured on duty payments, and health insurance.” Would have been even worse “without the ongoing commitment to reforms on the part of our City Administration and the cooperation of our partners in the City’s bargaining units, this would have increased by an additional $1.5M in FY17.”

5)

CSX Funding Gone, City Plugging the Hole 

With crime one of the city's ongoing most serious problems, the end of CSX funding creates a gap.

"...this budget funds the City’s ShotSpotter gunshot detection program, which has made our police department more efficient and our neighborhoods safer."