By Amanda Burke, The Berkshire Eagle
The U.S. Senate narrowly passed the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill on Saturday, sending it back to the House then President Joseph Biden for final approval. The bill provides direct relief payments to many Berkshires residents, as well as aid for cities, which will no doubt prove to be a boon to Pittsfield as finance officials keep working on the budget for next fiscal year.
And at its Zoom meeting on Wednesday, the School Committee will dive into Pittsfield Public Schools finances at its first public budget presentation of this year.
But before that happens, the City Council on Tuesday will take up a set of mayoral orders requesting approval to add three new positions to the cityâs payroll, and to raise compensation to non-union, non-management municipal workers, whose pay the administration says hasnât kept pace with their union counterparts.