‘Why can’t we question staff publicly?’ Cambridge councillors push back at tense budget meeting

No questions to staff. No comments. And no vote allowed.

That’s how Cambridge council’s first 2026 budget amendment meeting began Monday night, and it did not sit well with all eight councillors present.

Mayor Jan Liggett told councillors the meeting was meant only for “discussion” on the proposed amendments. She said council members should question each other, not staff, and that decisions would come at the Nov. 24 meeting.

Councillors pushed back, saying they needed staff to answer questions in public if they were expected to understand the amendments.

“Is there any good reason why we’re not being permitted to question staff publicly?” asked Coun. Adam Cooper.

Cooper said the whole point of the amendment meeting was to “find facts,” but that couldn’t happen if staff were not allowed