New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
“Mayor Jon Mitchell delivered his FY2025 budget proposal to the City Council Wednesday night.
Did you know that about 75% of the total budget (the purple and red pie slices in the chart) are costs the City is legally mandated to pay, no matter what? That’s why we encourage everyone to check out the Mayor’s address and the complete budget proposal, both available on our website, to learn about the budget process and the proposed plan.
We know municipal finance isn’t the most exciting thing on your plate, especially right in the middle of a Celtics playoff game, but it’s extremely important, especially to New Bedford taxpayers.”-City of New Bedford.
City of New Bedford photo.
Complete Budget Proposal: newbedford-ma.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/55/20240515193836/Proposed_Final4.pdf
Mayor’s Budget Address: newbedford-ma.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/20240515194329/FY25BudgetAddress.pdf
The message was clear with Mayor Mitchell on channel 10 with Gene. It was somewhat a different song that is paid by the budget. Why is crime less, because of the police. So don’t complain about budget and contracts for them. As for the schools. He spoke how improvement in the school system, well hello, it mandatory school. You can’t have it both ways. Complain the school uses up the budget then point our city is better. He spoke of shortage of police. There is shortage in every dept including the schools. All see, Mayor Mitchell wants our city safe and smart, work really hard. Then you retire or even during working try to take away benefits. Yes there are many positions that have a body in them, not performing. Start there. Remove them. Why should there be many supervisors or seniors in positions when, they just sit around or drive around in city vehicles while the low man is pulling his weight plus the excess load that the senior or supv or even directors don’t do. Why would anyone want to work in New Bedford, if the job doesn’t kill you the taxes will. Shout out to all the city workers, fire, police, facilities for the city, cemetery, etc, etc, don’t forget the school is part of the city. I don’t believe Mayor Mitchell was responsible, I don’t believe he was but, many years ago, the water for the school department was not paid by the school department, it was paid by the city. The year the school was forced to pay out of their budget, there was a big stink about the school budget increasing. Again, you can’t have it both ways. Water provided to the schools should have remained a city bill. My opinion. Stop wasting our taxpayers dollars. Clean House.
Mitchell, you wanted to stop the employees of the city of New Bedford that live out of New Bedford pay the 10%. Bad enough you gave the ten year work allowance not to pay. These same people get the benefits for the New Bedford employees that should be for New Bedford Residents only. You chose to stop providing civil service positions by giving more money to non qualified employees. You can’t even get our own city children in a school they want without jumping through hoops. Yet the Superintendent who lives in Rochester kids, go to New Bedford Schools. He should have to physically live in New Bedford, has he moved, look what happened to a great man, Roger Robitialle. God rest his soul. Schools use up the budget because other town and cities students are here using up our funds. Workers living out of New Bedford use our water our services paid by taxes for city residents. Non resident students not paying tuition. It’s all in who you know. Using our budget. Not even for New Bedford residents. The school has had abuse for many years, Department heads having employees do work on their homes. Using school funds for other than allowed and hiding things in the books. Many of us are coming forward. Waste with school budget because mis handling of funds are reported and they are covered up. Where did the covid funds go, certainly not for the students health in the schools. The active school workers need to be watched carefully. Leave the retirees alone. Check all activity, watch where those who have assigned vehicles go. They do their own personal business in the vehicles during work. Not the little guys but the department supervisors and department heads. Also, those who become Mayor should be lifetime New Bedford residents. Get the hint!