Northampton, MA · City finances

Good Questions Noho

Good questions need good data.

Short answers to questions people ask about Northampton’s budget, with the city and state documents behind them, plus tools to try the numbers yourself.

All views personal, all data city or state provided. Corrections welcomed and encouraged.

Start with a question

The questions so far

Good question. Let’s explore.

Try the numbers yourself

Each tool starts from the city’s own figures. Move a slider and see what changes.

One year

Balance the FY28 budget

Close the FY28 gap without an override, using the lines the city’s budget spreadsheet lets you adjust.

Open the budget tool → Five years

How long does an override last?

Pick an override amount and year, then watch the Fiscal Stability Fund fill and drain through FY32.

Open the override model → Capital plan

Explore the capital plan

Every project in the FY27–FY31 capital plan, filtered by year, department and funding source.

Open the capital explorer →

How they fit together

The budget tool asks what it would take to balance one year with no new revenue.
The override model shows what new recurring revenue would do over several years, and when it would run out.
The capital plan shows projects that are mostly paid for from separate sources, like borrowing, stabilization funds and grants, rather than the operating budget.