Boston City Council made significant alterations to Mayor Michelle Wu’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2025, reallocating over $15 million away from various city departments toward housing assistance and youth employment initiatives.

By Ross Cristantiello | June 6, 2024 | 11:13 AM

Boston City Council approved more than $15 million in changes to Mayor Michelle Wu’s proposed $4.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2025 during a meeting Wednesday. By a 10-3 vote, the council chose to reallocate money away from the Police Department, the Fire Department, Public Works Department, and Transportation department towards areas like housing assistance and youth jobs. 

Reallocations and Priorities

Multiple councilors pushed back on narratives that they were cutting funding for public safety and critical city services. Under the changes approved by the council, Boston’s top 10 departments would all still see increases from the current budget. This includes the Police Department, Fire Department, and Boston Centers for Youth and Families. All of Wu’s recommendations for allocations to support community safety personnel remained intact. Of the $3 million that councilors chose to reallocate away from the proposed increases to the BPD budget, $1 million is instead going towards the Boston Crime Lab.

“Every city councilor in this room, in this chamber, has at least one investment in the package. It aligns with our vision for a city that houses all its residents, supports its families, prepares both children and newcomers for college and careers, and invests in the arts and community safety,” Councilor Brian Worrell said. 

Guided by Data

As chair of the Ways and Means Committee, Worrell guided his colleagues through a lengthy process that culminated in Wednesday’s vote. The process, which included almost 30 hearings, two public testimony sessions, and six budget amendment working sessions, was driven purely by data and not ideology, Worrell said. 

Key Allocations

Worrell emphasized the additional $4.92 million now going towards housing, the $4.39 million for college and career readiness, $2.99 million for community health and safety, and $3 million for “quality of life” initiatives like arts programs and small business grants.

Of the $15.3 million in reallocations, some of the largest are $2 million for youth jobs funding, $1.5 million for city housing vouchers, $1.5 million for down-payment assistance, $1 million to support the families of homicide victims, and $750,000 for community land trusts. 

Budget Process and Collaboration

In recent years, voters gave City Council the power to make line item changes to the mayor’s proposed budget, instead of simply approving or rejecting it. The amended budget now heads back to Wu’s desk. She can choose to veto any of the council’s changes, but councilors could then override any veto by a two-thirds majority. 

Some councilors said that the budget process and Wednesday’s vote demonstrate the body’s ability to successfully collaborate and leverage its power. “This is our moment to demonstrate to our constituents that we can work together across our differences and support our constituents, regardless of the aisle that they come from. And I underscore, for the record, that this body, contrary to popular belief, is not out here trying to cut city services and cause harm to our municipal employees. In fact, we’re trying to do the opposite,” Councilor Julia Mejia said. 

Dissenting Voices

Councilors John FitzGerald, Ed Flynn, and Erin Murphy voted against the amended budget. All three expressed concern about moving money away from BPD, the Fire Department, and BCYF. 

“Unfortunately, we’re about to vote on a budget that I believe will do harm to core city services,” Murphy said. “Make no mistake, across the board our constituents’ quality of life and the return on investment they get from the taxes they pay will decline as a result of this fiscal plan that is about to pass this body.”

Final Thoughts

Most councilors spoke favorably about the proposed changes and the process that led to them. “Not every single decision on this piece of paper is unanimous, but there was consensus,” Councilor Sharon Durkan said.

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