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Reported by us | New Bedford

Senate passes spending bill, 35 to 4, with the $2 million reserve tied to New Bedford Fire Station 9

Sen. Mark Montigny's office says the $1.3 million will be in the final bill because both chambers wrote in matching money, and the state sends it to New Bedford once Gov. Maura Healey signs.

By the SC360 Town Hall Desk | Published Nov. 9, 2026 | Last verified Nov. 9, 2026, 8:31 p.m. ET

NEW BEDFORD Updated 8:31 p.m. Nov. 9, 2026.

The state Senate voted 35 to 4 on Thursday, Nov. 5, to pass its version of the fiscal 2026 supplemental budget, the bill that carries the $2 million public safety reserve New Bedford's lawmakers have tied to keeping Fire Station 9 open.

None of this bill's money is final until Gov. Maura Healey signs it. The House passed its own version 152 to 0 on Oct. 21, and the Senate replaced the House text with its own before voting, so the two chambers still have to settle on one bill and send it to the governor, the Legislature's bill history shows.

Sen. Mark Montigny's office said Monday, Nov. 9, that the $1.3 million for Station 9 will be in the final supplemental spending bill, and that with the senator's initial $500,000 earmark the New Bedford Fire Department will receive a total of $1.8 million.

What the bill says about Station 9

The Senate bill, S.3290, lists item 1599-0911, "For a reserve to support public safety in the commonwealth," at $2,000,000. Like the House version, it does not name New Bedford, the fire department or Station 9.

Sen. Mark C. Montigny, a New Bedford Democrat, announced Oct. 29 that the $1.3 million for the station had been finalized in the Senate bill, WBSM reported, and the city's five-member House delegation said in a joint statement published by New Bedford Guide that Healey had reaffirmed "her commitment to use $1.3 million of this line item specifically for Engine 9 in New Bedford," as South Coast 360 reported Oct. 30. The governor's own supplemental budget, filed in September as H.5679, named the New Bedford Fire Department directly.

Healey visited Engine 9 on Ashley Boulevard on Sept. 28 and said she was confident lawmakers would approve the $1.3 million, WJAR reported; the State House News Service, in a story published by NBC Boston, quoted her as "confident they'll take swift action." Together with $500,000 Montigny secured earlier this year, the $1.3 million would keep Engine 9 running through June, WJAR reported.

What Montigny's office says

The Senate and House put matching appropriations in their versions of the bill, so the money is not subject to conference, Audra Riding, Montigny's general counsel and legislative director, wrote in an email answering questions from South Coast 360. Both versions list item 1599-0911 at $2,000,000 in the same words, the bill texts show.

Riding wrote that the office expects the bill to reach Healey "very soon" because the state needs to close out fiscal 2026 as soon as possible, and that the Healey administration will send the money to New Bedford once the appropriation is signed into law, per the governor's commitment to the city's legislative delegation.

"We appreciate the men and women of NBFD and their lifesaving work," Montigny said in a statement his office provided. "While fire department staffing is typically a function and responsibility of municipal government, more assistance is urgently needed to stabilize public safety in our city, and we are pleased to be able to deliver this critical assistance."

Montigny also credited the firefighters union and the families who spoke up. "This sort of state earmark has never been done and I had to leverage a deep knowledge of the budget process and my seniority in the Senate alongside the tremendous advocacy from Local 841 President Billy Sylvia, PFFM Secretary Treasurer Billy Cabral, and the many firefighters and their families who spoke up," he said.

How South Coast senators voted

Montigny, who represents the Second Bristol and Plymouth District, and Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael J. Rodrigues, a Westport Democrat who represents the First Bristol and Plymouth District, voted yes. Sen. Kelly A. Dooner, a Taunton Republican who represents the Third Bristol and Plymouth District, was one of four senators who voted no, all Republicans, with Peter J. Durant, Ryan C. Fattman and Bruce E. Tarr, Senate Roll Call 241 shows.

Why the station is in question

Mayor Jon Mitchell said in his budget address in May that the city would have to shut down a fire company, naming Engine 9 on Ashley Boulevard, as New Bedford faced a $32 million deficit, WBSM and WJAR reported. The mayor's office put the cost of running a fire company at $1.8 million a year, and closing Station 9 would eliminate its 20 positions, WBSM reported, citing The New Bedford Light for the positions.

When Montigny won the $500,000 in the Senate's fiscal 2027 budget in May, the mayor's office said it would let the city delay action on Engine 9 for a few months while it worked with the firefighters union and the City Council on long-term changes to staffing, health care and pensions, WBSM reported. Montigny's office said Monday night that the senator's $500,000 earmark is in the fiscal 2027 state budget, which was signed into law in July.

What comes next

The House can accept the Senate's version, or the two chambers can name a conference committee to write a compromise on the rest of the bill, which Montigny's office said would leave the matching public safety money alone. Whatever passes goes to Healey, who can sign the bill or veto individual items, and the Legislature's bill history showed no action on the bill after the Senate vote as of Monday evening.

South Coast 360 also asked the mayor's office and the New Bedford Fire Department how the money would be used and how long it would keep Engine 9 staffed, and their answers will be added to this story.

Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.

Notes

The vote, the count and every senator's vote come from the Legislature's bill history for H.5700 and Senate Roll Call 241, and the reserve's wording and amount from the text of S.3290, all read Nov. 8. The lawmakers' $1.3 million statement and the governor's September bill come from our Oct. 30 story. Montigny's Oct. 29 announcement and the delegation's statement come from WBSM and New Bedford Guide, and the governor's visit, the through-June estimate, the deficit, the fire company cost and the 20 positions come from WJAR, the State House News Service via NBC Boston, WBSM and The New Bedford Light, all credited to them. Montigny's office answered our questions by email Nov. 9, and its answers on the final bill and the conference, the $1.8 million total and the senator's statement come from that reply, attributed to his office; we checked the matching item against both bill texts and reread the bill history Nov. 9. Asked Nov. 8 with a Monday deadline: the mayor's office and the New Bedford Fire Department.

Corrections

No corrections to this story. If something here is wrong, tell us. Every correction is dated on the story and listed in our public log.

Sources (13)

  1. H.5700 bill history, Massachusetts LegislatureHouse passage 152 to 0 Oct. 21 (Roll Call 275); Senate Ways and Means S.3290 substitute Oct. 29; Senate second reading, substitution, third reading and passage to be engrossed Nov. 5, Roll Call #241, 35 to 4; no later action as of the evening of Nov. 9. Read Nov. 8 and Nov. 9, 2026.
  2. Senate Roll Call #241, H.5700, question on passing the bill to be engrossedMassachusetts Senate, 1 page. 35 yeas (Montigny, Rodrigues among them), 4 nays (Dooner, Durant, Fattman, Tarr). Read Nov. 8, 2026.
  3. S.3290, Senate Ways and Means amendment to H.5700Section 2A item 1599-0911, "For a reserve to support public safety in the commonwealth," $2,000,000; no line names New Bedford. Read Nov. 8, 2026.
  4. H.5700, the supplemental budget as passed by the HouseItem 1599-0911, "For a reserve to support public safety in the commonwealth," $2,000,000, the same words and amount as S.3290. Read Nov. 9, 2026.
  5. Senate budget keeps $2 million reserve tied to New Bedford Fire Station 9South Coast 360, Oct. 30, 2026. The delegation's $1.3 million statement, Montigny release, H.5679. Read Nov. 8, 2026.
  6. Healey visits New Bedford fire station she is trying to saveState House News Service (Colin A. Young) as published by NBC Boston, Sept. 28, 2026. Healey quoted: "confident they'll take swift action." Credited. Read Nov. 8, 2026.
  7. Gov. Healey proposes $1.3 million to keep New Bedford's Engine 9 operating through JuneWJAR, Mike Cerullo, Sept. 28, 2026. Healey at Engine 9 on Ashley Boulevard, confident lawmakers will approve the $1.3 million; $1.3 million plus Montigny's $500,000 keeps Engine 9 through June; $32 million shortfall. Credited. Read Nov. 8, 2026.
  8. Montigny secures funding for New Bedford Fire Station 9WBSM, Tim Weisberg, May 20, 2026. Mitchell budget address on closing Engine 9; $500,000 FY2027 Senate budget amendment; mayor's office: a fire company costs $1.8 million a year, the $500,000 would let the city delay action for a few months; 20 positions per The New Bedford Light. Credited. Read Nov. 8, 2026.
  9. New Bedford Fire Station 9 funding finalized in $2.61B state billWBSM, Tim Weisberg, Oct. 29, 2026. Montigny (D-New Bedford) announced the $1.3 million for Station 9 finalized; worked with Rodrigues (D-Westport). Credited. Read Nov. 8, 2026.
  10. Engine 9 Lives: New Bedford Lawmakers Block Shutdown in Dramatic Budget FightNew Bedford Guide, Oct. 22, 2026. The New Bedford House delegation's joint statement on the governor reaffirming her commitment to use $1.3 million for Engine 9. Credited. Read Nov. 8, 2026.
  11. Office of Sen. Mark C. Montigny: Audra Riding, general counsel and legislative director, email to South Coast 360Reply Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, 1:11 p.m., to our Nov. 8 questions: the $1.3 million will be in the final supplemental bill; matching House and Senate appropriations, not subject to conference; bill expected at the governor very soon; money sent to New Bedford once signed; with the senator's initial $500,000 earmark, $1.8 million in all; the senator's statement. Read Nov. 9, 2026.
  12. Office of Sen. Mark C. Montigny: Audra Riding, follow-up reply to South Coast 360Reply Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, 7:23 p.m.: "That is correct. The Senator's $500k earmark is in the fiscal 2027 budget that was signed into law in July." Read Nov. 9, 2026.
  13. Massachusetts Senate members listDistrict and party for Montigny, Rodrigues, Dooner, Durant, Fattman and Tarr. Read Nov. 8, 2026.

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