New Bedford City Council Sends $2.5 Million to Schools

The City Council held a brief meeting right before its annual Tax Classification Hearing Monday.

The Council appropriated just under two-point-five million dollars to the School Department after receiving those monies from the State earlier in the day. Many councilors took issue with the last-minute nature of the request from Mayor Jon Mitchell's office, because the funding transfer had to be approved before the tax rate was set.

Ward Five councilor Jane Gonsalves says overall, she's looking for better communication from the mayor's office.

The two-point-five million dollars was owed to the city through a late addition to the State budget in June. About two-thirds of that money will go towards a new teacher contract, which was ratified in October.