On April 13, 2021, the Fall River City Council and the Fall River School Committee held a special joint meeting, pursuant to City Charter requirements to review the municipal fiscal condition, revenue forecasts, and expenditure projections at least 75 days before the fiscal year begins. The meeting opened with citizen input concerning diversity training, school committee transparency, and teacher and paraprofessional pay compared to state averages. Mayor Paul Coogan spoke on the anticipated financial transformation possible through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), noting that while the pandemic caused immense hardship, substantial one-time federal funding could shape Fall River’s financial future.
City Financial Services Director Mary Sahadi provided a comprehensive overview of the FY21 budget status and the upcoming FY22 municipal budget outlook, projecting a general fund budget slightly exceeding $300 million with 100 percent net school spending funded. Fall River had collected 74.4 percent of budgeted revenue as of March 31, 2021, with city departments at 77.1 percent expenditures. Sahadi highlighted key federal funding receipts, including $7.9 million in CARES Act money and an estimated $73 million allocated through ARPA, about $4.5 million of which was projected to offset COVID-related revenue losses. School Department Chief Financial Officer Kevin Almeida and Superintendent Dr. Matthew Malone presented the school district’s financial picture, reviewing the phase-in of the Student Opportunity Act, Chapter 70 aid projected at $145.2 million, and incoming federal ESSER funding totaling $63.5 million.
A significant portion of the debate centered on capital spending, debt management, and intergovernmental collaboration. School Committee Member Kevin Aguiar and Vice Chairman Thomas Khoury highlighted the School Committee’s recent approval to transfer $1.3 million to $1.5 million in ESSER funds to help ease the city’s local contribution burden, contingent on Council support for the Watson School renovation and Durfee High School athletic field improvements. Councilors pressed school officials on educational achievement metrics, teacher turnover, and whether debt service from the Durfee High School project could be paid without triggering the voter-approved debt exclusion. Discussions also turned heated regarding Dr. Malone’s contract, pending MCAD legal disputes, and administrative delays in resolving solid waste and trash enforcement costs. The meeting concluded with an agreement to place the Watson School and field funding votes on the upcoming City Council agenda, after which both bodies voted to adjourn.
Topics discussed
- 3:19 · Diversity Training and Task Force Inquiry
Citizen input letter from David Millstone and Sarah Rogers regarding omitted public comments, hate speech, diversity task force implementation, and mandatory DEI training. - 5:03 · Superintendent Malone Performance and School Culture
Public comment criticizing Superintendent Malone’s evaluation, raise, and past attendance record, calling for his resignation. - 9:48 · Mayor Coogan Address on ARPA and Recovery
Mayor Coogan addressed the joint bodies on using American Rescue Plan Act funding for municipal revitalization and long-term financial health. - 21:40 · City Financial Overview and FY22 Budget Assumptions
Mary Sahadi detailed municipal revenue collection, stabilization fund reserves, Enterprise fund balances, debt bonding, and the planned submission of the FY22 budget by May 15. - 22:36 · Durfee High School Debt Exclusion and Bonding Schedule
Discussions on why $90M was bonded long-term earlier than original voter estimates and the timing of placing the $4.5M debt exclusion on tax bills. - 34:42 · CARES Act and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Allocation
Sahadi detailed the use of $7.9M in CARES funding, including $1.7M for Munis cloud migration, and reviewed allowable categories for the incoming $73M in ARPA funding. - 42:29 · Fall River Public Schools Budget and Student Opportunity Act Outlook
School CFO Kevin Almeida outlined the 7-year Student Opportunity Act funding, Chapter 70 aid history, indirect cost agreements, and transportation trends. - 52:42 · ESSER Federal Funding Overview
School CFO Almeida outlined three tranches of ESSER funding totaling $63.5M, detailing allocations for safety, technology, and transportation. - 1:57:30 · Durfee Athletic Complex and Field Project Scope
Councilors and school officials discussed costs, turf versus grass durability, rental fees, and why the athletic fields were excluded from the state-reimbursed MSBA building project. - 1:58:43 · Watson School Phase 1 and Phase 2 Renovations
Ken Pacheco and councilors reviewed the progress of Phase 1 MSBA repairs, the temporary roof installation, and the $4.9M Phase 2 ADA compliance project. - 2:04:11 · Motion to adjourn the City Council meeting, moved by Councilor Peckham and seconded by Councilor Dionne. — passed
- 2:20:20 · School ESSER Transfer and Funding Partnership
Discussion over the School Committee’s vote to transfer $1.3M to $1.5M in ESSER funding to assist the city’s foundation budget, tied to Council action on capital projects. - 2:56:33 · Teacher Retention and Collective Bargaining
Councilors and school leadership debated teacher salaries compared to neighboring districts and ongoing three-year contract negotiations. - 3:00:48 · Paraprofessional and Teacher Pay Equity
Colin Dyess testified regarding lower-than-average wages for Fall River paraprofessionals and teachers, questioning new positions and field spending. - 3:04:42 · Legal Settlement Line Items and Superintendent Controversy
Councilor Camara questioned Superintendent Malone on level-funding legal settlements, pending MCAD cases, and mandatory discrimination training. - 3:20:56 · Solid Waste Management and Fee Enforcement
Councilors and committee members debated escalating trash tonnages, illegal dumping, Pay-As-You-Throw purple bags, commercial barrel auditing, and the DCM trash task force. - 3:59:34 · Motion to adjourn the School Committee meeting. — passed