Greetings from the Cambridge Association of Neighborhoods (CAN)

Cambridge City Council will be considering and/or acting upon several issues during its meeting this week (on Monday, May 13, at 6:00 pm in the Council Chambers at 305 Gay Street) that have been of great interest to CAN members. These include:
• The Property Tax Increase for FY2020
• The FY2020 City Budget
• The Rezoning of the Mill Street School Property

Although CAN has not taken a formal position on these issues, we strongly encourage CAN members to attend the upcoming City Council meeting and make their views known to the Council. Discussion at the May 9 CAN meeting focused on the following, which you may want to consider in framing your comments to the Council.

• Overall, the proposed property tax increase appears to be necessary, but —

o How can the Council vote on a tax increase when there is no approved budget or even a clearly articulated budget proposal?
o One significant cost driver appears to be the increase in insurance for City employees: Were bids solicited to obtain better insurance rates?

• The budget process this year has been very confusing for many citizens and the format this year is very different from the format used last year.

o Why was the approach changed?
o The current budget worksheet format, with no explanatory narrative, obscures what funds are actually to be used for (e.g., specific goals and outcomes, employee headcounts for each department).
o The budget worksheet approach, with no explanatory narrative, fails to communicate any vision for the future
o There are no ongoing, out-year budget projections for reasonably anticipated needs, such as capital expenditures, IT updates, etc.
o Why are we paying for health insurance for City Council members (at a cost of $21,754) when there is no Charter provision for this benefit?

• The proposed rezoning of the Mill Street School property appears to be opposed by many Mill Street and Choptank Avenue residents, who believe that (a) the proposed density is too high, and (b) the school should be demolished and replaced with single family houses.

o Has the Council fully considered these alternate views?
o Perhaps the Council vote should be delayed until a poll can be conducted to determine whether Cambridge residents prefer the school be demolished or repurposed (“CAN” or “Operation: Destination Cambridge” could do this).

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Agenda: http://www.choosecambridge.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05132019-607

• Ordinance 1148 to establish the Annual Tax Levy for Real Property for the coming fiscal year:
https://www.choosecambridge.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=94

• Ordinance 1150 to establish the City Budget for the coming fiscal year
FY2020 Budget Worksheets: https://www.choosecambridge.com/DocumentCenter/View/1734/FY-2020-Budget-Worksheet?bidId
FY 2019 Proposed Budget: https://www.choosecambridge.com/DocumentCenter/View/1542/Proposed-2019-Budget1?bidId

• Ordinances 1143 & 1144 to establish an NC3 Overlay District and rezone the property at 201 Mill St:
https://www.choosecambridge.com/DocumentCenter/View/1713/Ordinance-No-1143—NC-3-Overlay-District-Final