State could take over Brockton's finances if ballooning deficit not plugged, CFO warns

Chris Helms, The Enterprise
Updated ·2 min read

BROCKTON — The city's chief financial officer warned that the state could take control of Brockton's purse strings unless politicians act to pay a school deficit that is almost $4 million more than previously known.

A special meeting of the City Council has been called for Wednesday. Brockton Mayor Robert F. Sullivan's administration will ask councilors to spend $9.9 million in reserves to help plug an $18.25 million deficit in the Brockton Schools' budget from last year, fiscal 2023, which ended June 30. The city would cover the other $9 million by increasing its estimate of how much revenue it will get from local taxes, fees and other sources.

In an email to city councilors obtained by the Enterprise, the city's Chief Financial Officer Troy Clarkson put it starkly: "The consequence of not approving this request will be dire — we will be unable to send out third quarter tax bills, and the state will likely require emergency deficit financing and seek to assume control of the school department and perhaps the city as well through a Finance Control Board," he wrote.

From left, Brockton Public Schools Assistant Chief Financial Officer Chris Correia; Brockton Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Aldo Petronio; and Brockton Chief Financial Officer Troy Clarkson leave a closed-door Brockton School Committee meeting at Brockton High School on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023.
From left, Brockton Public Schools Assistant Chief Financial Officer Chris Correia; Brockton Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Aldo Petronio; and Brockton Chief Financial Officer Troy Clarkson leave a closed-door Brockton School Committee meeting at Brockton High School on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023.

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In Massachusetts, it's illegal for cities to run deficits. That means Brockton must find a way to cover the fiscal 2023 deficit. The Sullivan administration had previously said the gap could be covered by reserves.

The figure of $18.25 million for the schools' fiscal 2023 deficit is $3.87 million more than the $14.4 million shortfall that has been widely reported. According to a summary sent to city councilors, that additional deficit is from paying out-of-district tuition.

City Councilor-at-large Win Farwell, who served as mayor the last time the state took over Brockton's finances, urged residents to watch Wednesday's meeting carefully.

"Without being humorous, it seems like in the blink of an eye the numbers change," Farwell said Tuesday.

The financial moves on the table for Wednesday require a super-majority of city councilors. That means at least eight out of 11 councilors must be present Wednesday and back the measures.

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Want to go or watch?

Brockton City Council has scheduled a special meeting at City Hall, 45 School St., at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Meetings are televised on Brockton Community Access, which also live streams government meetings on its YouTube channel.

[Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that Brockton mayors do not have authority to call a special meeting of the city council.]

Send your news tips to reporter Chris Helms by email at CHelms@enterprisenews.com or connect on X at @HelmsNews.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: State could take over Brockton's finances if school deficit not paid