Strong local tax base, long-game fiscal management & strategic cuts enable city to avoid austerity measures

$1.6 million allocated for new Racial and Social Justice investments funded in part via $750,000 in funds diverted from Somerville Police budget

On Friday, June 19, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone submitted a proposed $262.7 million fiscal year 2021 budget to Somerville’s City Council that avoids the austerity measures being seen in cities and towns throughout the region. The FY21 budget preserves all city services and contains no layoffs or furloughs to city or school employees, while also making new racial and social justice investments.

— Tufts University Photo

Thanks to a Cummings Foundation $100,000 grant, The Fletcher School at Tufts University will launch a Global One Health Diplomacy Initiative dedicated to identifying holistic, interdisciplinary solutions to complex global health problems. The Initiative seeks to meet the need for effective global health diplomacy by combining The Fletcher School’s distinctive strengths in international law and diplomacy, social justice, and international peace and security, with the expertise in health and nutrition science, and human and veterinary medicine at Tufts’ health sciences schools.

Somerville Cambridge Elder Services is providing farmers’ market coupons for eligible participants starting mid-July, 2020.

Coordinated through the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture, the program provides income eligible older adults with $25 in coupon vouchers to purchase locally grown produce at participating farmers’ markets.  Coupons can be used to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey.

Going into this year’s budget season, we’ve gotten a lot of questions from residents about how the budget process works. To help residents better understand the process and how to participate, the city’s Budget Manager is doing a live “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) event at www.reddit.com/r/somerville starting at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 22. He’ll take any questions that are submitted within 24 hours, until 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 23. If you’re unfamiliar with AMAs, they’re a type of post on Reddit where anyone can submit a question and get an answer right away.

By Norah Al-Wetaid and Susan Pacheco

June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month. For the past six years, the Cambridge Council on Aging and Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) have marked the occasion by working together to raise awareness about elder abuse issues and help connect people with local resources.

Dear Community Members,

Here is a COVID-19 update for Saturday, June 20. Please also be sure to check somervillema.gov/covid19 for information and resources that are updated frequently.

$1 million in emergency small business support to be distributed to 123 local small businesses

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone today announced that $1 million in Somerville Small Business COVID-19 Relief funds will be awarded to 123 local, small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funded by federal Community Development Block Grant monies, the Fund will issue forgivable loans to businesses in the city that collectively employ about 600 people.

Somerville’s second Shared Streets route, which connects West Somerville and Davis Square, is set to open Tuesday, June 23. The Shared Streets initiative opens up low-volume or residential side-streets to pedestrians, cyclists, and other users while still allowing vehicle access for residents who live on the street or who need to use the street to get to their homes, first responders, delivery drivers, sanitation trucks, and street sweepers.