Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Somerville Schools GSA invite all community members to honor LGBTQ+ Pride Month by joining the annual Pride flag raising ceremony on Thursday, June 1, 2023. The ceremony will begin at 5 p.m. on the City Hall Concourse and include remarks from Mayor Ballantyne, City of Somerville LGBTQ+ Liaison Izzy Starr, and representatives from the John F. Kennedy School GSA.

All interested community members are invited to attend and speak at the Budget Public Hearing before the Somerville City Council’s Committee on Finance on Monday, June 5, at 7:30 p.m. for public input on the proposed Fiscal Year 2024 municipal budget. 

This meeting will be conducted via remote participation on Zoom. Spanish and Portuguese interpretation will be provided.  

There are two ways to participate: 

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne is proud to announce that the City of Somerville has been awarded the highest long-term debt rating of 'AAA' from S&P Global Ratings, a municipal bond credit rating agency, solidifying the City’s financial stability and creditworthiness. The upgraded rating, which benefits residents by lowering the City’s borrowing costs, reflects more than 20 years of prudent financial management, strong economic growth, and commitment to fiscal responsibility from both the current and previous Mayoral administrations.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne today submitted Somerville’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposal, directing $337.4 million toward key investments in the provision of City services and programs and the advancement of community priorities.

The City of Somerville is partnering with community groups to raise awareness about black swallow-wort (BSW), a very aggressive and invasive, non-native weed that can be found throughout Somerville.

Why Black Swallow-Wort Is Unwelcome in Somerville

BSW displaces native plants and habitats, threatens butterflies and songbirds, and is toxic to deer. 

It is especially harmful to the monarch butterfly population because it resembles milkweed, where monarchs lay their eggs, and once the monarch larvae hatch, they die from eating the toxic BSW leaves.