Framingham Finance Chief Retiring At End Of Budget Season

FRAMINGHAM, MA — One of the longest serving remaining department heads in Framingham will depart this summer. Chief Financial Officer Mary Ellen Kelley will retire effective June 29 at the conclusion of the fiscal 2022 budget process.

In recent months, Kelley has been handling a major budget crisis in Framingham with the discovery of multimillion dollar deficits in the city's water and sewer funds. Kelley said she wanted to get through this season's municipal budget before hanging up her hat.

"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," she said in a news release Monday. "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."

Mayor Yvonne Spicer released her 2022 budget proposal late Friday night. The budget debuted in a new format compared to recent years, which was initially criticized as confusing. The 2022 fiscal year begins on July 1.

Spicer said she learned of Kelley's intention to retire in February.

"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," the mayor said in a news release.

Kelley came to Framingham in 2005 after serving as finance chief for the state Registry of Motor Vehicles. The city will advertise for her replacement soon, and the next mayor will appoint her replacement in January 2022, according to officials.

Kelley joins a long list of department heads that have left Framingham since the beginning of 2020, including health director Dr. Samuel Wong, police chief Steven Trask, fire chief Joseph Hicks and public works director Peter Sellers.