BROCKTON — A new law to clean up Brockton’s public parks is among the lead items on the civic radar this week.
City councilors are also scheduled to vote on plugging an $8 million budget hole in the holiday-shortened week that started Monday, May 27.
On Tuesday, city councilors will be asked to shift $7,947,925 from what’s known as “certified free cash” (hint: it isn’t free) to a rainy-day fund the state imposed during Brockton’s previous fiscal crisis in the 1990s. City councilors, under intense time and political pressure, raided that fund in December 2023 to cover a shortfall caused by deficit spending at Brockton Public Schools.
Also on the agenda is a “public park cleaning ordinance.” The new law aims to give cops and Department of Public Works crews a way to protect the rights of people living in city parks while also keeping the parks clean. The working proposal would give 48-hours posted notice of clean-up efforts. Cops would go around and tell people living rough in parks to collect their belongings and leave the area during the clean-up.
The City Council does most of its decision-making in committees, but Tuesday’s regular meeting will see votes taken on several matters that they’ve already hashed out. Here’s the full agenda. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
It should be a quiet week as Brockton city government meetings go.
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School budget and building shifts
Of course it’s tempting fate to say any week will be quiet in Brockton. On Wednesday at 7 p.m., the School Committee holds a special meeting in the Romm Theatre at the high school. Agenda items include an update on the school budget for fiscal 2025. Budget season is just weeks away. Given the scandalous overspending at the schools, budget hearings may attract more interest, especially if you are a Brocktonian with children in the schools or you pay taxes. School politicians will also take up possible shifts in which programs or schools move to different locations.
Missed a meeting that affects you? BCA has your back
If you can’t make a meeting in person, Brockton Community Access records nearly all city government meetings. You may view them live, in many cases, or afterwards via the recordings. Check the BCA YouTube channel or Facebook page for the latest videos.
Know of a Brockton issue that’s flying under the radar? Send your news tips to reporter Chris Helms by email at CHelms@enterprisenews.com or connect on X at @HelmsNews.
