Council Approves FY23 Budget

The Winthrop Town Council met on June 7, when it approved the FY23 budget.

Council Actions

Council adopted the total FY23 budget of $71,649,095. That is a 3.54 increase over last year’s budget. Councillors also allocated an additional $55,000 to the school department to help bridge its deficit of almost $700,000.

Council established a Tree Committee tasked with protecting Winthrop trees. Members will be appointed for a term of three years. Council also passed the Winthrop Tree Ordinance, which provides language about tree removal, tree memorials, landmark trees and the tree donation fund.

Council voted to transfer $150,000 from Capital Stabilization to the Revere Tips Project, a full roadway reconstruction project focusing on pedestrian safety.

Council passed the new CBD Parking Ordinance, which updates the parking rules and regulations in the CBD. The former ordinance did not account for the recent redesign of the CBD.

Trash Updates

Black plastics cannot be recycled and must be put in the trash. This includes shampoo bottles, takeout containers and any other container made of black or dark-colored plastic. According to Recycle Smart, black and dark-colored plastics are unable to be sorted by recycling facilities and are incinerated.

As of Nov. 1, there will be a ban on textiles in the waste stream. This means that all textiles (clothing, sheets, shoes, etc.) must be recycled. Separate bins for textiles will be provided to residents.

General Updates

Council will not meet on July 5.

Council will continue gathering public input on the following: acceptance of TSAC ordinance recommendations, changes to flood resilience language, trash enforcement, and the CBD crosswalk.

The Town is currently advertising for the assessor, CFO, treasurer and assistant treasurer positions.

The Town is exploring different vendors to redevelop the former middle school site.

Winthrop can solicit $200K in annual grant funding to reduce the town’s energy consumption due to its regional climate resiliency alliance with Chelsea and Revere.

The ferry is in service on weekends and is looking to hire weekend captains.

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