Framingham Mayor Submits FY26 Budget

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The City Council has received Mayor Charlie Sisitsky's Fiscal Year 2026 budget, the mayor's office announced on Tuesday.

Framingham Public Schools would receive a $10.5 million increase while staffing for the Framingham Fire and Police Departments would also increase by two positions.

The FY2026 General Fund Budget is set at $383,163,048, which represents a 6.7% increase of $23.9 million over FY2025, officials said.

Those officials noted that this increase was achieved while the city operated within the constraints of a "limited revenue landscape, which required tough decisions about resource allocation."

"This year’s budget represents a thoughtful and strategic approach to managing our City’s resources in a way that reflects both fiscal prudence and a commitment to our residents' well being," said Mayor Charlie Sisitsky. "While we face significant challenges, including limited revenue growth, we have worked hard to prioritize key investments in infrastructure, public services, and education. This budget sets us on a strong path toward continued growth and community prosperity."

At the beginning of the budget process, city and school departments were tasked with submitting proposals that reflected level services and level funding for operations, amounting to a budget request of $389 million—a 9.6% increase over the previous year, officials said.

"However, as revenue projections became clearer, adjustments were made to ensure the budget remained balanced without exceeding the 2.5 [percent] Tax Levy cap," they added.

The largest revenue source for the budget is that 2.5 percent tax levy, which projects to provide 60 percent of the total budget at over $230 million. Other sources include:

• State Aid (Cherry Sheet): $107,949,677
• Local Receipts: $25,400,000
• Free Cash: $10,000,000
• Excluded Debt: $3,114,480
• Enterprise Indirect: $3,587,500
• New Growth: $2,200,000
• Other: $541,000

The 2.5 percent tax levy increase will result in a $195 increase to the average single-family home value of $653,116, officials said.

This translates to a projected $7,956 average tax bill for FY2026, up from $7,761 in FY2025.

"This increase reflects the city’s efforts to maintain high-quality public services, despite the limited ability to raise revenue," officials said.