Cambridge Finance Committee forwards 12 department budgets to full council vote

CAMBRIDGE -- May 12, 2026, Cambridge Finance Committee advances more than $115 million in FY2027 department budgets in all-day hearing. The committee, chaired by Councillor Patty Nolan, voted unanimously on each of 10 department budgets on May 12, forwarding them to the full City Council with favorable recommendations; remaining departments including police, fire, and public investment are reserved for a Thursday session. The $62.7 million Department of Public Works budget was the day's largest item, followed by the $16 million Department of Transportation and the $15.1 million Water Department, whose 11 percent budget increase was driven almost entirely by a new permanent $1.3 million annual line item for granular activated carbon replacement to meet PFAS standards. Transportation Commissioner Brooke McKenna clarified that a $10.2 million Grand Junction Path appropriation is a reallocation of existing developer mitigation funds, not new debt, while full path construction remains four or more years away. Community Safety Director Marie Matthews announced the department will expand to Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. coverage starting June 1, up from partial-week service, having logged more than 1,100 crisis calls this fiscal year against 700 in FY2025.