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FRAMINGHAM – City of Framingham Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Mary Ellen Kelley announced Monday, May 3, that she would be retiring effective Wednesday, June 29, 2021.

Kelley has served Framingham for almost 16 years.

On Friday, April 30, the City’s Principal Assessor William Naser left the Spicer administration.

Since January 2020, the City has hired a new police chief, a new fire chief, a new DPW director, a new library director, a new highway & sanitation director, a new water & wastewater sewer director, is advertising for a new health director, and soon will be advertising for a chief assessor and CFO.

Kelley was hired in 2005 as the CFO.

Before coming to Framingham, she spent seven years at the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) as CFO of that billion-dollar agency. Before the RMV, Kelley was the Budget Director for many state agencies, said a press release from the Spicer administration.

“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work for the community, which was also my home for several years,” said CFO Kelley, in a press release. “Framingham is unique, and I’ve seen a great deal of change here. My goal was to get the Fiscal Year 2022 budget presented more thoroughly and detailed than ever before, and after a few hiccups this weekend, I think we are there. I look forward to shepherding the
budget process to completion and setting up the foundations of the multi-year Enterprise Fund recovery solution before I retire. Afterward, I intend to spend time with my husband and family and get the motorcycle back on the road.”

Mayor Spicer and the CFO released the Fiscal year 2022 budget on Friday night at 8:30 p.m. It requests the maximum tax hike at 2.5%. The proposed budget is $307 million.

The budget used a new software program Kelley contracted for and had access problems, even for City Councilors.

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“When Mary Ellen came to me in February to discuss her intent to retire, I couldn’t help but think about how her keen grasp of numbers, sharp wit, and ‘matter of fact’ communication style would be sorely missed by the City,” said Mayor Yvonne M. Spicer. “She has led financial efforts in Framingham for nearly 16 years and, in the process, built a stellar team. She is an extraordinary caretaker of our financial
resources and has helped establish the community’s solid financial footing. Due to her shrewd command of financial management, Framingham has a great credit rating and built a stabilization fund. I wish her the best in her retirement, and I believe she is someone I will know for the rest of my life.”

The Charter provides that the CFO shall serve coterminous with the term of the Mayor.

The City is in the process of issuing a request for proposal for a temporary, interim Chief Financial Officer through December 31, 2021.

The Mayor sworn in January 1, 2022 will appointment a new, permanent CFO.

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By editor

Susan Petroni is the former editor for SOURCE. She is the founder of the former news site, which as of May 1, 2023, is now a self-publishing community bulletin board. The website no longer has a journalist but a webmaster.