Mayor Lungo-Koehn Delivers Proposed FY24 Budget to City Council at Earliest Date in Over Twenty Years

The Mayor’s budget prioritizes several key areas for investment, including parks, climate action, and education. 

The Fiscal Year 2024 City of Medford Proposed Budget has been delivered to the City Council for approval at the earliest date in the last two decades, Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn announced. The proposed operating budget total is just shy of $205 million, with the City General Fund (excluding the Water/Sewer Enterprise Fund) totaling $179,150,897.79. 

“Thanks to incredible work of our finance team led by our Finance Director Bob Dickinson and Budget Manager Courtney Cardello, as well as my Chief of Staff Nina Nazarian, we have delivered a comprehensive budget to the Council at the earliest date ever in my 22 years in government,” Mayor Lungo-Koehn said. “By working across departments, we’ve been able to craft a responsible budget that responds to the needs of the community, makes smart, targeted investments in several fundamental areas and sets our City up to weather any potential financial uncertainties.” 

The administration will be submitting the proposed FY24 budget for a Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Award. The City was previously awarded this distinction for its FY21 budget proposal during the Mayor’s first year in office. 

Among the areas highlighted for investment: 

• Upgrades to affordable housing units at the Medford Housing Authority. 

• Expansion of climate friendly transportation infrastructure. 

• $5 million worth of upgrades and renovations to our parks and open spaces. 

• Additional Student Resource Officers and upgrades to materials and Math, Literacy and Health curriculum for our students in the district.  

• Invested $3.5 million for upgrades and renovations to several Fire stations in the community, as well as over an additional $20 million to be put into the reimagined headquarters. Selected The Galante Architecture Studio, Inc. (TGAS) to design and envision a new Fire Department Headquarters 

• Secured over $400,000 in state funding to expand climate resiliency efforts and emergency preparedness efforts through our community liaisons, who are working to increase accessibility and communication around city services. 

• Utilizing a new digital platform, BetterTeams, that increases our reach of qualified candidates and despite the nationwide staffing shortage, we’ve been able to hire exemplary candidates for several senior staff level positions in the past few months. 

• Expanding our tree canopy system with the planting of over 200 trees this year through Community Preservation Act and ARPA funds. 

• And so much more! 

For a complete breakdown of goals, initiatives and priorities, read the Mayor’s budget message here. A digital version of the FY24 Proposed budget is available here.