Council on Aging urges mayor to spare senior center

Council on Aging · Meeting of May 19, 2026

EASTHAMPTON — The Council on Aging voted 7-0 to urge Mayor Derby to make no cuts to the senior center. Thomas Brown made the motion, and a member seconded it. Cindy, a staff member, told members an override failure would cut $40,458.73 from the department and trim two weekly hours for four full-time union staff.

The mayor's plan would also close the center Fridays, which accounted for about 1,100 of more than 4,200 rides since Jan. 2. Brown called the cut "a rounding error" against the $65 million city budget. A member will draft a letter to the mayor signed by the whole board, and members planned to attend his June 8 coffee hour at the center.

In the full story:

• The Full Story
• Brown, who made the motion, called the $40,000 reduction "a rounding error" against the $65 million budget. [00:50:39]
• Why It Matters
• Key Motions & Votes
• Source
• Easthampton's community access TV: Council on Aging meeting, May 19, 2026
• The complete report: 768 words

Source: the Council on Aging meeting of May 19, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.