There’s one thing every taxpayer in Brockton should be able to say with confidence:
“I know where my money is going.”
Unfortunately, in today’s city government, that’s rarely the case.
Our schools are underperforming, our buildings are falling apart, and our city is bleeding funds—but when residents ask where the money went, they get silence, spin, or a 300-page PDF that’s already outdated.
That ends now.
As a candidate for Ward 1 School Committee and a lifelong Brockton resident who chose to raise my four children in this city—yes, in our public schools—I’m pushing for a Real-Time Financial Dashboard for Taxpayers.
Not some fancy buzzword. A real tool. For real people. With real accountability.
The Problem: Fiscal Fog and Leadership Failure
Brockton’s city government has operated like a private club with your money. Budgets are passed with limited public input, financial information is buried in obscure reports, and oversight is practically non-existent until the damage is done.
Case in point:
- A projected $25 million deficit this year.
- Transportation costs are spiraling out of control, driven by poor contract management and the costly decision to unionize drivers without a sustainable funding plan.
- City Hall has raided school accounts to cover its own payroll — a move that never should have been allowed.
- Layoffs of frontline educators and paraprofessionals. While central office contracts balloon, the people working directly with kids are shown the door.
- A scramble for emergency state assistance. Brockton is back to begging Beacon Hill for bailouts, damaging our credibility as a district.
This isn’t how a City of Champions should operate. It’s not how any responsible organization operates. It’s certainly not how you run your household, and it’s not how I ran mine.
What we need is radical transparency, not more excuses.
The Solution: A Real-Time Dashboard That Tracks Every Dollar
Here’s the simple idea: If a dollar is spent, it should be tracked. And taxpayers should be able to see it.
Think of it like your online bank account or a mobile budget app. You don’t need to wait until December to find out how much you spent at Market Basket in July. Why should Brockton parents and taxpayers wait months—or years—to know where the school budget went?
My proposal includes:
- Real-time updates on spending across every school department category—line item salaries by actual FTE, maintenance, transportation, curriculum, technology, etc.
- Public access to the dashboard via a user-friendly website and mobile app.
- Contract and vendor visibility so residents can see who’s getting paid and for what.
- Annual comparisons of budgeted vs. actual spending, including cost overruns in Town Hall style meetings.
- Teacher resource tracking to ensure our frontline educators aren’t begging for basic supplies while central office and school administrators salaries balloon unchecked.
If we can track pizza deliveries, Amazon orders, and fantasy football stats in real time, we can track taxpayer dollars. It’s not a tech problem—it’s a leadership problem. And I’m ready to fix it.
Why It Matters: Chapter 70, State Aid, and Fiscal Reality
Massachusetts’ Chapter 70 formula funds over 80% of Brockton’s school budget. But here’s the catch: the state assumes we’re spending responsibly.
Right now, we can’t prove it.
A real-time financial dashboard would:
- Rebuild trust with state partners and taxpayers.
- Protect our district from further embarrassment and emergency bailouts.
- Give parents and residents confidence that their money is going to classrooms — not bloated contracts or City Hall’s payroll.
If we want to compete with other cities and attract state and federal investment, we need to show that we can handle a budget like professionals.
Accountability Isn’t Optional—It’s Overdue
The $25 million transportation-driven deficit is proof of what happens when leadership fails. Every wasted million means dozens of paraprofessionals laid off, fewer safety staff in schools, and kids left behind.
I’m not here to play nice with the status quo. I’m here to challenge it.
The Real-Time Financial Dashboard isn’t just about numbers. It’s about accountability, common sense, and giving power back to the people of Brockton.
This is your money. These are your schools. And if elected, I’ll make sure you never have to guess where your dollars are going again.
What We Need: A New Standard for Brockton
It’s time to stop tolerating vague budgets and backroom deals. Brockton deserves clarity. You deserve clarity.
I’m Stephen Pina, running for Ward 1 School Committee. I’m not a career politician—I’m a father, a homeowner, a taxpayer, and a 100% disabled Army veteran who believes in doing things the right way.
I came back to Brockton to raise my kids, and now I’m stepping up to fix what’s broken in the schools they attend.
If you agree it’s time to demand real accountability, then join me. Let’s build a school system—and a city—we can be proud of.
Visit VotePina.com to learn more about my plan and how you can get involved.
Because real transparency doesn’t wait for an election year—it starts now.
Citation for Chapter 70 Data:
Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center. (2025, July 28). FY2026 GAA Budget Analysis: K-12 Education. https://massbudget.org/2025/07/28/fy2026-gaa-analysis/#K12
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