e a Safe & Happy July 4th! Vol. 32, No.26 -FREEwww.advo tenew et ery Friday ve State Rep. Turco hosts seaside reception 781-286-8500 Friday, June 30, 2023 City CFO presents overview of $262M Budget Plan to City Council By Barbara Taormina T he City Council Ways and Means Subcommittee beWELCOME: Barbara Survilas, Ward 2 Councillor Ira Novoselsky, State Representative Jessica Giannino and former Speaker of the Mass. House of Representatives Bob DeLeo are shown with host State Representative Jeff Rosario Turco during the host’s seaside reception in Winthrop. See page 14 for photo highlights. (Advocate photo) Revere Office of Elder Affairs Director Debra Peczka DiGiulio Honored as Unsung 2023 Commonwealth Heroine Special to Th e Advocate L ast week the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women announced the 2023 Commonwealth Heroine Award honorees. The annual awards recognize women across the Commonwealth for their extraordinary contributions to their local communities in public or community service. Among this year’s honorees is Debra Peczka DiGiulio, a City of Revere resident and employee nominated by State Representative Jessica Giannino (D-Revere). “Debra Peczka is a shining example of an unsung heroine who works tirelessly to make the City of Revere a better place for our seniors and all to live, work, and visit,” said Rep. Giannino. “I was proud to nominate Debra because in addition to what is in her job description as the Director of Elder Aff airs, she goes far above and beyond what is State Rep. Jessica Giannino is shown with Debra Peczka DiGiulio, Director of Elder Aff airs for the City of Revere, was honored as a 2023 Commonwealth Heroine Award at a June 23 State House ceremony in Boston. expected and truly cares about our community and its people.” Before her time as the Director of Elder Aff airs in the City of Revere, Deb began her career in public service with New York Air in 1982, and she retired from United Airlines 34 years later. Travel is a passion that she continues to pursue. Prior to her apAWARD | SEE Page 15 gan a long, deep dive into the 2024 budget proposal at their meeting Monday night. City CFO Richard Viscay came armed with a PowerPoint presentation and slews of facts and fi gures. He gave the committee an overview of the $262 million budget plan, which he described as responsible and balanced. A handful of city department heads also presented individual reports of their department budgets. Viscay buzzed through a series of slides showing millions of dollars of appropriations. He started with the big numbers: $49.2 million for city departments and services; $124 million for schools, which includes Revere’s share of the costs for Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School. Fixed costs, which include employee health insurance, pension obligations and debt service, were listed as $53.2 million, and water and sewer costs – covered by ratepayers – were $35.6 million. Viscay also showed slides that explained the city’s revenue. An estimated $112.7 million is expected from property tax payments. Local receipts include excise taxes and taxes on hotel rooms and meals. State aid, aka Cherry Sheet revenue, is $114 million with $98 million going exclusively toward education. Another $12.2 million in state aid is for general unrestricted government use. Viscay hit on some key factors aff ecting next year’s budget. In BUDGET | SEE Page 6 Councillors, Police Chief applaud Suffolk Downs Concert By Barbara Taormina M usic has returned to Suff olk Downs and the City Council couldn’t be happier. Not only are they pleased to see concerts available nearby for residents, they were almost gleeful about the way HYM handled one of their pet issues: traffi c. Tom O’Brien of HYM Investments was at this week’s council meeting to discuss the transportation operation involved with the Re:SET concert series, which featured Steve Lacey, LCD Soundsystem and Boy Genius. O’Brien said HYM worked with Revere Police and Fire, Boston Police and Fire, State Police and the MBTA – all helped with the planning. CONCERT | SEE Page 22
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