Get Involved with the Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Process

• Explore the budget at somervillema.gov/FY21budget: On June 19, Mayor Joe Curtatone presented the proposed fiscal year 2021 City budget to the Somerville City Council. You can find the proposed budget, our Open.gov budget explorer, a copy of the Mayor’s presentation, and historic City budget information at somervillema.gov/fy21budget.

• Attend the Budget Public Hearing or submit written testimony: Residents are invited to speak at the upcoming virtual budget public hearing on Wednesday, June 24, beginning at 6 p.m. Find out how to watch and participate in the hearing at somervillema.gov/fy21budgethearing. If you cannot attend, you can submit written testimony by email to cityclerk@somervillema.gov or by U.S. mail to City Clerk, 93 Highland Avenue, 02143. Comments must arrive no later than noon on June 24.

• Read about the $1.6M in proposed new racial and social justice investments: The City and Schools have long been prioritizing a broad range of equity investments. In response to calls for an increased focus on racial and social justice in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, Tony McDade, and many others, the Schools are proposing roughly $600,000 in new equity-focused investments, and the City is proposing a new $1 million investment, funded in part by reducing the Police Department budget. Read more here.

• Read the Reddit AMA on the FY21 Budget: Going into this year’s budget season, we got a lot of questions from residents about how the budget process works. To help residents better understand the process and how to participate, our Budget Manager held a live “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) event on Reddit. You can view the questions and answers that came up here.

Get Involved with Racial and Social Justice Efforts

• Join the Somerville-Cambridge Virtual Town Hall on Race and Equity in Policing, Sat. 6/27, 10:30 a.m.: Join us for a Virtual Town Hall Race and Equity in Policing on Saturday, June 27, at 10:30 a.m. with Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone, Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, and Somerville Police Chief David Fallon. We’ll be discussing ongoing municipal work and next steps for developing a new holistic public safety model, answering questions, and listening to your feedback, ideas, concerns, and priorities so that our cities can continue to learn from community members’ experiences as we strive to make Somerville and Cambridge safe and equitable places for all of our residents. Visit somervillema.gov/VirtualTownHall just before the meeting to join live online or get call-in information to listen by phone. You can also call 311 the morning of the meeting for call-in information. View simultaneous live streaming or later recordings on youtube.com/SomervilleCity and Somerville City Cable TV (RCN 613 and 13, Comcast 22).

• Join the Mayor for a Small Group Listening Session on Systemic Racism: Mayor Curtatone is hosting virtual small-group listening sessions with residents to hear about their experiences and gather ideas on what the community would like to see for the next steps in the continuing process of dismantling systemic racism. Residents interested in participating, either as individuals or with a group of up to 10, in a listening session can sign up online or by calling (781)-797-0748‬. Interpretation can be provided in Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Nepali, and American Sign Language.

• Watch the Panel Discussion on Systemic Racism with Congresswoman Pressley, D.A. Rollins, and More: On June 23, the City of Somerville hosted a panel discussion on structural racism moderated by Byron Barnett of WHDH TV 7 News with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, D.A. Rachael Rollins, Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins, Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer, Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone, Somerville City Councilor At-Large Will Mbah, Ward 4 School Committee Member Andre Green, and Somerville High School Black Student Union President Floriesha Bastien. You can watch a recording of the discussion on the City’s YouTube Channel or on Somerville City Cable TV (RCN 613 and 13, Comcast 22).

Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contact Nency Salamoun, at 617-625-6600 x2323 or NSalamoun@somervillema.gov.