The City Council sent the petition to the Ordinance and Rules subcommittee.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council is looking to take the final say over the school budget away from the mayor.

 

Councilor at Large Churchill Cotton filed a petition that allows a supermajority of the City Council to approve a school budget higher than the mayoral recommendation.

 

Currently, the City Council only has the power to approve or deny the mayor's school budget request.

 

"I would like to have the opportunity for the School Committee to make its case to the City Council for more funding," Cotton said.

 

The petition was referred to the Rules and Ordinance Committee to be vetted more thoroughly.

 

The adoption of a state law would allow the council to approve up to the School Committee's request. Councilors say they may not ever have to invoke the rule but the option would be there to prevent cuts to the school budget the councilors don't want.

 

"I'm worried about the future. What if you get a mayor who is very much anti-education or school department and wants to make dramatic cuts?" said Councilor at Large Barry Clairmont, who said he'd like to see City Council have the power to override the mayor in all department budgets.

 

Ward 5 Councilor Jonathan Lothrop said the City Council has been acting like it had already been adopted and it has proven to be beneficial. A few years ago the mayor and the superintendent had a $1 million difference in their budget requests. Operating under the impression that the City Council made the ultimate decision, the two sides reached a compromise, Lothrop said.

 

But, it turns out the City Council had only talked about adopting the law

 

"It was a little bit of a surprise to me to find out that although the City Council discussed the matter, we didn't adopt it," Lothrop said.

 

Ward 3 Councilor Nicholas Caccamo said the ability to override a mayor is an "ace up the sleeve." 

 

Others said the move will bring more voices into the discussion. 

 

"This brings more people into the conversation," Krol said. "Right now, there is one person who creates the budget." 

 

He said if the eight members of the City Council and a majority of the School Committee agree with a budget total, they should have the power to override a mayoral request.

 

School Committee Chairwoman Kathrine Yon said 12 elected officials would have to approve the budget in order to override the mayor.

 

The Council's request comes just two weeks after many councilors voiced their frustration that the mayor did not include them in a change to employee health insurance plans. Before that, some councilors were frustrated that the mayor invoked the administrative power to sign a short-term lease to move the inspections department out of the City Hall basement.

 

And the move also comes months after voters approved a new charter that outlines the roles of government bodies and style of government the city operates.

 

Councilor at Large Kathleen Amuso and Ward 2 Councilor Kevin Morandi both said they didn't see the need for adopting the law. The mayor and the superintendent of schools work closely on the budget already.

 

"I also feel this mayor and this City Council has certainly supported education," Morandi said. "I will not support this because the way it has been done has worked."