Staffing Update from Mayor Wilson, Friday, May 22, 2026

Layoffs are always a last resort. But like many communities across the Commonwealth and country, we have found ourselves facing a difficult budget season. For Somerville, that took the form of a $5.4 million projected budget shortfall for the next fiscal year that needed to be addressed.

To close the gap, we worked first to raise revenues, pay down debt with reserves, and make strategic cuts to non-personnel costs citywide. While those measures made some headway, we were still left with needing to further reduce spending. That led to the very difficult decision to cut 29 positions from the City budget, including 16 vacant roles and 13 filled roles. An additional 5 positions were transferred to best apply that capacity to City needs.

Any layoff is painful for the employees affected, the colleagues they worked alongside, and the community that relies on their daily work. I’ve been laid off twice myself and have had coworkers laid off too, so I know how hard and awful it is. Affected individuals have been placed on paid administrative leave through the end of June, allowing them continued pay and benefits, and Human Resources will assist them through this transition.

I cannot say strongly enough that we cut positions, not people. Somerville is fortunate to have extraordinarily dedicated public servants. The employees impacted by these layoffs have served this community well, and I’m grateful for their work. As we move forward, we will be taking every operational step needed to ensure the work continues through new approaches and structures, so we can continue to serve the community well.

- Mayor Wilson