Taunton Council Approves Supplemental Budget

The 7-1 vote reverses an October rejection and sends the budget forward without changes.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in City Hall

Isometric editorial illustration of brass coins stacked beside a squat steel reserve tank on a plain wooden table, in muted oxblood, teal, and mustard. — Taunton's City Council voted 7-1 on November 10 to approve a supplemental budget it had rejected in October, adding $481,000 to city reserves. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Taunton City Council voted 7-1 on November 10, 2026, to approve a supplemental budget it had rejected 5-4 on October 27. The budget was approved without changes and adds $481,000 to the city's reserve account.

Why it matters

The vote follows a dispute over whether the Council should have its own attorney rather than relying on the city law department headed by City Solicitor Matt Costa. Some councilors believed Costa sides with Mayor Shaunna O'Connell's administration over the Council, which is why they sought separate legal representation.

The supplemental budget adds $481,000 to the city's reserve account and includes funding for firefighters and a pension for a city employee serving in the military. The Council cannot add specific earmarks, so approval came without the $50,000 proposed for a Council attorney.

The players

Taunton City Council

The elected legislative body of the city of Taunton, responsible for approving the municipal budget and related appropriations.

Shaunna O'Connell

The mayor of Taunton, whose administration the budget supports and who said the funds were available without a specific earmark.

Matt Costa

The Taunton City Solicitor who heads the city law department currently representing the City Council.

Patrick Dello Russo

The Taunton Chief Financial Officer who said the Council's attorney funds would not be released until an agreement on the attorney's role was reached.

The details

Councilors Botellio, Chaves, McCaul and Correira reversed course to vote for the supplemental budget at the November 10 meeting. Dello Russo said money was hypothetically available for the Council to hire its own attorney, while Mayor O'Connell said the funds were available without a specific earmark.

October 27, 2026: The Council voted 5-4 to reject the supplemental budget.
November 10, 2026: The Council voted 7-1 to approve the supplemental budget.

Political Context

The dispute highlights the structural limit on the City Council, which can only approve, reject, or cut budget items rather than add earmarks. Councilors' concerns about the city law department's independence from the mayor's administration frame the push for a separate attorney.

The approved budget directs $481,000 into the city's reserve account and funds firefighter and pension obligations for Taunton residents. Whether the Council gains its own attorney depends on a still-unresolved agreement with the city solicitor's office.

The takeaway

Local budget votes can turn on questions of who advises the council, so residents tracking Taunton's finances should watch how the attorney arrangement is resolved. The outcome will show whether the Council's legal independence is recognized in practice.