For Immediate Release - April 3, 2026

Mayor Sciarra Announces FY27 Budget with 6.79% Increase to Fully Fund Northampton Public Schools’ Level Services

NORTHAMPTON - Today, Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra announced a 6.79% increase to the Northampton Public Schools (NPS) FY27 budget. This increase fully funds the $46,599,217 level services budget, representing a $2,963,363 increase over the NPS FY26 base budget. It is also $563,391 more than the 5.5% increase included in the Mayor’s initial budget projections released in January.

The Mayor will complete and submit the City of Northampton’s proposed FY2027 budget to the City Council on May 15, 2026. The announcement of the NPS appropriation is being made ahead of the full budget release to best inform the Superintendent as she finalizes her proposal, and in advance of the April 9 Northampton School Committee recommendation vote. 

Mayor Sciarra shared, “Our schools are at the heart of this community, and reaching a level services budget was a top priority. At the same time, we have to be transparent about what can be sustained over time with the recurring revenue sources we have. This budget reflects strong support for our students and educators, along with a clear-eyed understanding of the financial pressures facing our community and others across the Commonwealth.”

The FY27 real estate and personal property tax levy increase (2.5%) and estimated new growth of $875,000 are projected to generate $2,893,432 in new revenue. This is essentially the maximum amount of additional property tax revenue the city can generate for the upcoming fiscal year. But this does not fully cover the level services school budget increase and leaves no new property tax revenue available to support increases in other city services. Additionally, while the city’s health insurance increase is projected at 6.7%, a figure lower than many neighboring communities, it still represents a $1 million increase. Retirement costs are rising by $357,393 (4.45%), and net state aid has decreased by $333,547, all of which place additional pressure on the city’s budget during a time of economic uncertainty.

The Mayor made a series of financial adjustments to close the gap between her initial budget projection for NPS and the Superintendent’s subsequent level services budget proposal. In addition to increasing the local revenue projections, over the course of March, she and the Finance Director met with each department head to review operations and associated budgets, assessing needs and identifying opportunities to reduce spending where possible. This extensive and critical assessment process resulted in relatively level-funded expense budgets for non-school departments with increases mostly to support contractual obligations. In total, $615,665 from these departments was reduced from the preliminary budget submissions based on the outcome of this annual collaborative effort with department leadership.

“I’m grateful to our department heads for the thought and care they brought to this process,” said Mayor Sciarra. “They worked through their budgets line by line and made difficult choices to reduce spending where they could, all in support of a responsible city budget.”

To maintain essential services within the confines of Proposition 2 ½, Northampton’s Fiscal Stability Plan includes a Fiscal Stability Stabilization Fund, from which one-time fund transfers can be made to support increases in operating expenses between periodic property tax overrides. Over the past three fiscal years, the city has used $5 million in Fiscal Stability Stabilization Fund reserves to support NPS and city services to close the gap between revenues and expenses. For FY27, it is estimated that at least $2 million in reserves will be required. These fund transfers have allowed the city to increase the annual appropriation to Northampton Public Schools by 40% since FY23, including the planned increase for FY27. 

The city can only sustain these funding levels in future years if voters agree to continue the Fiscal Stability Plan, including support for the next override. It is expected that an override referendum will be needed to fund the FY28 budget in order to avoid significant cuts to city and school services.

Recognizing the difficulty of such a step, particularly in the current economic climate, the Mayor is convening a committee to take a comprehensive look at the city’s finances and structural deficit. The committee will work to align community priorities with the city’s financial capacity and develop a long-term plan for sustainability through detailed budget analysis, financial forecasting, and public engagement. The makeup of the committee will include public and elected officials and community members. 

For more information, contact the Mayor’s Office at 413-587-1249 or mayor@northamptonma.gov.

Community Baby Shower, May 30, 9:30-11:30 am at Jackson Street School Cafeteria

This event is for soon-to-be and new parents and caregivers.

• Expecting a child or with a newborn?

• Looking for information and support about life with a new baby, plus practical connections to local support and programs and information?

• Looking for FREE baby clothes and gear?

Please drop in to this 2-hour event to meet local specialists and programs who work with babies and their caregivers.  Babies and children are welcome.

Fiesta comunitaria para el bebé, 30 de mayo, de 9:30 a 11:30 de la mañana, en la cafetería de la escuela Jackson Street

Este evento está dirigido a futuros padres, padres primerizos y cuidadores.

• ¿Estás esperando un bebé o acabas de tener uno?

• ¿Buscas información y apoyo sobre la vida con un bebé recién nacido, además de contactos prácticos con programas y servicios de apoyo locales?

• ¿Te gustaría recibir ropa y artículos para bebés GRATIS?

Acércate a este evento de dos horas para conocer a especialistas locales y programas que trabajan con bebés y sus cuidadores. Los bebés y los niños son bienvenidos.

Week of the Young Child Events, April 10-18, 2026

Northampton sponsors a week of fun events in Northampton and Hadley to celebrate young children, and to thank the early childhood teachers and everyone who is involved in the care and education of young children aged 0-6.

April 3-18: DISPLAYS of children's art in downtown business windows in Northampton and Florence for 2 weeks

April 10-18: EVENTS! SO MANY!! Everything from art opportunities, shared walks in nature, to storytimes at local libraries, to playtimes at locations all around local towns.

Come celebrate the creativity and energy of young children with others, April 10-18, 2026.

To see the list of events in detail, please follow this link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IFD4uX_Eq8e6Km2Ib7NelNmNCCVBeJWN9_V8u1z-5LY/edit?tab=t.0 

En español:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VZVPuU0k9Ov1UyAWdK8pj0crg-KMV9SyaBSGnipuQ9E/edit?tab=t.0 

Northampton Fire Rescue

Month in Review ‒ February 2026

Incidents:

• Fires - 3
• EMS – 508
• Hazardous Condition – 30
• Public Service – 65
• Good Intent Call/No Emergency (Including False Alarms) – 74
• Other - 4
• Average Calls/Day - 24
• Total:  684
• Year to Date – 1405

Inspections:

• Smoke Detector – 15
• Oil Burner/Tank – 9
• Cert of Occupancy – 1
• Propane – 7
• School Fire Drill – 5
• Permit Inspection – 23
• Solar Plan Review – 4
• Other Inspections – 15
• Total: 79
• Year to Date: 197 

• Busiest Station: Downtown (394)
• Busiest Day of the Week: Tuesday (124)
• Busiest Hour: 4:00pm - 4:59pm (48)
• Busiest Apparatus: Ambulance 4 (201)
• Busiest Group: A Group (191)

Mutual Aid: Received - 6, Given - 24

Average Response Time: 6:34 (Including mutual aid and cold responses)

Training Focus:

• New Recruits Academy
•  Driver Training
• New Recruit Orientation
• Acquired Structure Evolutions
• Ice Rescue
• Hydrant Operations
• Water Supply    
• Vent/Enter/Search

Month in Review ‒ December 2025

Incidents:

• Fires - 8
• EMS – 550
• Hazardous Condition - 29
• Public Service – 69
• Good Intent Call/No Emergency (Including False Alarms) – 84
• Other - 2
• Average Calls/Day - 24
• Total Incidents – 742
• Year to Date – 9240

Inspections:

• Smoke Detector – 18
• Oil Burner – 9
• Cert of Occupancy – 3
• Propane – 10
• School Fire Drill – 0
• Permit Inspection – 0
• Solar Plan Review – 8
• Other Inspections – 28
• Total – 76
• Year to Date – 1054

Busiest Station: Downtown (463)Busiest Day of the Week: Friday (135)Busiest Hour: 12:00pm – 12:59pm (55)Busiest Apparatus: A2 (180)Busiest Group: B Group (187)

Mutual Aid: Received – 16, Given – 40

Average Response Time: 6:31 (Including mutual aid and cold responses)

Training Focus: Hose Stretches, Driver Training, New Thermal Imager In-Service, Chain Saw Operation/Maintenance Review, Building Tours, Trench Rescue Review, Vehicle Lifting and Stabilization

The FDA is advising parents and caregivers not to buy or feed any ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula products to infants. For more information about the recall, please visit the FDA’s Investigation page. There is a suspected case of infant botulism identified in Massachusetts associated with this recall. Infant botulism is a rare but very serious disease that can damage the nerves, leading to weakness and paralysis.

The Northampton Department of Health and Human Services is working with area retailers to ensure that ByHeart Whole Nutrition Formula is removed from shelves and that store staff are aware of all recall protocols. 

If you are a parent or caregiver whose infant has consumed ByHeart formula and has symptoms (constipation, poor feeding, loss of head control, and difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing), seek medical care immediately.

If the infant consumed the product but is not showing symptoms, caregivers should monitor them closely over the next several weeks and seek medical care if symptoms develop.

If you still have the container in your home, save the container, take a photo or record the lot information (found on bottom of the container), and label it “DO NOT USE.” If your child develops symptoms your state health department might want to collect your formula container for testing. If your child does not develop symptoms after 30 days, throw your containers out.

If you are a physician and suspect an infant patient has botulism, immediately call 510-231-7600 for case consultation (available 24/7).

The Northampton Department of Health and Human Services will continue to monitor this investigation, support area retailers as needed, and provide updates to the public as they become available. 

The City's annual Water Quality/Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for calendar year 2025 is now available. The CCR reflects 2025 water quality monitoring, water treatment techniques, source water assessments and other compliance programs required by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The CCR complies with the consumer right-to-know provisions of the SDWA.

The CCR can be viewed online at Water Quality Report 2025 (pdf).  A link for the CCR is also included on all utility bills.

Paper copies are available at City Hall, Forbes Library, Lilly Library and local post offices.

If you would like a paper or electronic copy sent to you, please contact the Department of Public Works at 413-587-1570 or dpwinfo@northamptonma.gov.

See Water Division webpage for more information and resources related to Northampton's water utility system.