An Ad Hoc Meeting – City of Boston Budget Reallocations

was adamantly opposed to the proposed cuts. Everyone uniformly supported Mayor Wu in restoring her original budget figures. The decrease in veterans’ services was an especially sensitive issue, and everyone at the meeting was encouraged to contact City Council members to express their opinions.

So what were these proposed City Council reallocations all about?

by Rick Winterson

City Council President

Ed Flynn called a meeting of concerned residents at the Thomas J. Fitzgerald VFW Post 561 on Fourth Street. The central issue at this meeting was the City Council’s proposed reallocations to Mayor Wu’s City of Boston fiscal 2024 budget –especially the cuts to Boston’s Police Department, as well as to the City’s Office of Veterans Services. These cuts amounted, in total, to some tens of millions of dollars. To summarize, everyone at Council President Flynn’s meeting

Last week by a 7-5 vote, the City Council tried to reallocate just over $50 million ($50,000,000) of the budget proposed by Mayor Wu. Obviously, that is only a small percentage of Boston’s $4.28 billion ($4,280,000,000) total budget, but even small percentages of large figures add up. For example, the reallocations would cut the largest single amount from the Boston Police Department, the BPD. This was $30 million ($30,000,000), which not only would lead to less cops on a beat and an increase in crime, but also could be mathematically impossible due to overtime demands on the BPD. As it is right now, the BPD is 400 officers understaffed, so any cut might reduce the BPD’s Community

Services efforts as well. The Office of Veterans Services would have lost one-seventh or 14% of its budget. In addition to the police and to veterans, the City Council’s reallocation attempt would also have diminished funds for firefighting, public transport, the Boston Public Library, and certain public works.

This would damage Boston’s ability to perform “core services”, which are the most essential ones.

Since then, Mayor Wu has shown leadership by rejecting the reallocations proposed by the 7-5 City Council vote described above. However, time is short. Wednesday, June 28, will see a final vote on the City’s budget, which then goes into effect on July 1. Even though the Mayor rejected the City Council’s reallocations, a two-thirds, 8-4 vote by the Council could bring them back. Get in touch with members of the City Council and let them know personally how you feel. It is especially important to inform the At-Large City Council members (Louijeune, Mejia, Murphy, and Flaherty) of your opinion concerning any more attempted reallocations