Haverhill’s schools are the big winners in the city’s Fiscal Year 2018 budget, receiving the lion’s share of the spending increase proposed by Mayor James J. Fiorentini.
The mayor revealed a $185.7 million budget to the City Council Tuesday, which calls for $5.6 million more in spending than the current $180.1 million budget for FY 2017.
The schools stand to gain $5.3 million of the increase, or 95 percent.
With the remaining $300,000 increase, Fiorentini plans to hire two police officers and a highway superintendent, as well as adding to the city’s sidewalk paving fund, bringing it to a total of $500,000.
Fiorentini said the Highway Department has lost most of its workforce over the years, dwindling from 70 to 12. Many are performing double duty, including Public Works Director Michael K. Stankovich, who also serves as highway superintendent. Hiring a new highway superintendent will give an added layer of supervision and will free Stankovich to do more long-range planning.
The anticipated police hiring will bring the city’s paid force to 101 officers, Fiorentini said.
Councilor William J. Macek commended the mayor’s proposal. “You’ve chosen the right places to put the money,” he said. “The schools are the right choice for this particular budget.”
The council will review the mayor’s proposed budget. According to the city’s charter, the council has no authority to add money to the budget, but does have authority to cut spending requests. The Fiscal Year 2018 budget goes into effect on July 1.
There is currently a bill before the State Legislature, HB3033, which will have absolutely devastating consequences for the City of Haverhill. This bill, quietly submitted by liberal progressive democrats, calls for the banning of local law enforcement from working with the Federal Government regarding immigration issues. It’s purpose is to turn the State of Massachusetts into a sanctuary state. This bill is being voted on March 24th.
Mayor Failurentini has already turned Haverhill into a sanctuary city. How much more crime needs to take place in Haverhill before enough is enough.
~Little boys getting murdered by criminal trespassers who had previously been deported
~Gang shootings at Little League games
~teenage girls getting raped at city parks by criminal trespassers in the country illegally
~Drug dealers flocking to Haverhill
~Store owners having guns put in their face in the middle of the day
~Driveby shootings in Bradford
~SWAT teams being shot at in the middle of the day by an invader held up in a home in a sanctuary neighborhood.
~School budgets exploding from the hundreds of children of criminal invaders in city schools
The mayor with his open door policies has made Haverhill a VERY dangerous place. If this bill passes things are only going to get worse….much worse. If people of Haverhill care at all about the safety of their children and family members they’d be smart to call Brian Dempsey and Linda Dean Campbell to plead with them to vote “NO” on this bill.
Brian Dempsey office number: 617-722-2990
Linda Dean Campbell office number: 617-722-2380