Leominster Council Sets School Committee Stipend at $4,000, Approves $2.26 Million Capital Spending

LEOMINSTER -- August 11, 2025, Leominster City Council raises School Committee stipend to $4,000 and approves $2.26 million in capital spending. The council voted 9-0 Monday to amend Communication C-94, increasing the annual stipend for School Committee members from roughly $2,000 to $4,000 effective January 2026, with annual Consumer Price Index adjustments modeled on the compensation language in city ordinance Section 16-2, the same formula governing the mayor's and council's own pay. The council also voted 9-0 to transfer $2,261,190 from the Capital Stabilization Fund to cover FY2025 capital needs across 11 departments, the largest share going to the Police Department at $526,690. Finance Chair Councilor David Cormier noted that cities across Massachusetts "are going out to bond and debt exclusions for some of them just to run general government," while Leominster "is paying for all these things cash." The council voted 8-1 on second and final reading to ban horse and dog racing within city limits, continued the Veterans Tax Work Off Program to August 25 pending a comptroller's response on payment mechanics, and scheduled confirmation hearings and public hearings on five new petitions at its next meeting.