The City Council passed the FY26 budget, a resolution of support of maintaining Social Security benefits and approved a first reading of an ordinance that strengthens rules around electric bikes.
Photo credit: Agawam Media
AGAWAM — The Agawam City Council unanimously approved Mayor Christopher Johnson’s $116.6 million fiscal year 2026 general operating budget during its June 16 meeting.
A 4.1% increase from this year, the budget funds all existing positions within all departments and includes no layoffs of existing personnel. The only major change in this realm is the slashing of funds for the assistant planner position and the creation of a new grant writer/administrator position to help the town secure more federal and state grants.
“We’ve been somewhat, knock on wood, successful getting grants from the state and federal government and even from some private resources,” Johnson said when he introduced the budget on June 2. “And at this point, we simply need help in not only trying to write more grant applications but administering the grants that we currently have.”
In his presentation to the council, Johnson said the town wants to be as frugal as possible over the next couple of years while it awaits payments for the Agawam High School project, which officially broke ground a couple of weeks ago. To that end, Johnson said the town will once again have a 2.5% tax increase this upcoming fiscal year.
“[We’re trying] to be as conservative as we can be and try to keep our taxes as low as possible as we wait for the high school project,” Johnson said.
The biggest area of increase in the FY26 budget is employee benefits insurance, which rose by $1.1 million. Johnson also mentioned that electricity and gas increased by $300,000 while solid waste went up $146,000.
Readers can learn more about the budget through previous Reminder Publishing coverage: tinyurl.com/3ne6yze7.
Social Security resolution
An annual report released last week by the Social Security Board of Trustees said that the trust fund Social Security relies on to help pay retirement benefits may be depleted in 2033, while the program’s combined trust funds may run out in 2034.
With advocates worried about Social Security’s future stability, the Agawam City Council passed a resolution sponsored by Johnson and City Councilor George Bitzas, urging Congress to “take the necessary steps” to prevent the depletion of these funds.
“If Congress takes no action and the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund that pays Social Security retiree benefits is depleted, it is expected that Social Security recipients would receive just 79% of their scheduled benefits,” the resolution says.
Speaking to the resolution, Bitzas emphasized the importance of Social Security for all generations, including seniors who currently rely on it.
“I hope this resolution brings Democrats and Republicans together,” Bitzas said.
Although a couple councilors were leery of passing a resolution that may not carry substantive weight, all were on board. City Councilor Robert Rossi spoke in favor of the legislation after sharing how he was unable to receive full Social Security benefits in the past.
“I’ll vote for this because I believe that we probably should do something,” Rossi said. “Because the only thing that we have, the only tool in the box that’s really worth anything, is your voice. And they can’t take that away from you.”
At one point in the discussion, City Councilor Tom Hendrickson proposed an amendment that adds more specificity to the language of the resolution because he felt the “take the necessary steps” portion of the legislation was a little too vague.
The amendment never earned a vote because no one seconded his motion, but Hendrickson still backed the sentiment of the resolution.
“Social Security has been one of the most important and most successful programs that the U.S. government has ever implemented,” Hendrickson said. “It’s responsible for keeping millions of elderly and disabled Americans out of poverty, and we have a responsibility to take steps to ensure that that continues to be the case.”
Electric bicycle safety
An ordinance strengthening the rules around electric bicycles passed the City Council for first reading on June 16. Sponsored by City Councilor Dino Mercadante, the legislation states that e-bikes cannot be operated recklessly and should not carry passengers unless there is a seat designed for such a thing.
Among other rules, the article also states that e-bike operators cannot ride on sidewalks and includes a $50 fine for violators of the new ordinance.
Mercadante said the article essentially mirrors state law.
“It’s necessary because the influx of e-bikes now in town and the way [people] are riding them and the way they’re manipulating them so that they can go faster…It’s become a real problem,” Mercadante said. “And before we get somebody killed and say we should have done something, let’s be a little proactive.”
The council will officially vote on the second reading of the ordinance at its next meeting.
