Beverly Council Sets Hearings on $500K Ladder Truck and $150K Park Transfers

BEVERLY — March 4, 2024 — Beverly's joint City Council and School Committee session draws state budget warning and chronic absenteeism alarm. State Senator Joan Lovely and Representative Jerry Parisella told the assembled bodies Monday that Massachusetts revenues have run below benchmark for seven consecutive months, the governor has already cut $375 million from fiscal year 2024 — including halving a $200,000 Holcroft Park earmark to $100,000 — and the fiscal year 2025 budget is likely to be level-funded at best. The council voted 9-0 twice: to set a March 11 public hearing on a $500,000 transfer from the completed police station capital project to fund structural repairs on the city's backup ladder truck, and to set a March 18 hearing on a $150,000 transfer from the Recreational Enterprise Fund, which carries a $356,187 balance, for tennis court renovations at three parks and general park improvements. Beverly Superintendent of Schools Dr. Suzanne Trach reported that as of December 31, 23.5 percent of Beverly High School students and 25 percent of preschoolers had already accumulated seven or more absences, and previewed a new 2024–2027 District Improvement Plan built around equity, professional development, and civic education goals.