Gayla Cawley
Boston Herald
(TNS)
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu vetoed almost the entirety of amendments the City Council made to her recommended budget, restoring all funding that was cut from her spending plans for core city services and public safety.
Wu filed a letter with the City Council on Monday, informing councilors that she was “procedurally disapproving” the amended version of her proposed $4.6 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2025 that the body approved last week.
She further stated that she was refiling her initial budget with “further amendments,” revenue and spending adjustments that allowed for acceptance of $1.1 million in Council-proposed reductions and roughly $2 million in spending for the body’s priorities. The Council had approved roughly $15.3 million in changes to her budget.
“We restore funding to ensure effective operations in core city services and public safety, including where new funding is needed for the Boston Police Department to operationalize contract reforms in modernizing paid details, upgrading technology, and other planned improvements,” Wu wrote.
“Boston is now the safest major city in the country, and we must continue that progress through continued coordination and strong infrastructure for community safety and excellent city services for youth, families and seniors,” she added.
The City Council had approved changes that would have cut nearly $3 million from the police budget and $734,999 from the fire department, which was denounced by the largest unions for each department.
Wu announced her plans to veto public safety cuts to police and fire at the Boston Fire Department’s annual memorial service on Sunday, as first reported by the Herald.
The Council also voted to reduce the mayor’s spending for public works, transportation and the Boston Center for Youth and Families by $800,000, $600,000 and $570,000, respectively, in order to transfer funding to other Council priority areas — similar to what was done with police and fire budget reductions.
“Our record-low levels of violence are tied to well-resourced public safety efforts, beautiful parks and public spaces, and comprehensive programming to serve every generation of our community,” Wu wrote.
“We therefore disapprove of deeper cuts to departments while accepting some more modest reductions that reflect a pattern of vacancies in staffing as we work to improve hiring processes and fill these needed roles.”
In addition to vetoing those cuts, the mayor rejected the Council’s attempt to significantly reduce the city’s $5 million annual budget, by roughly $4 million, for its “Execution of Courts” line item, “used to fund legal judgements and settlements, because these expenses, like public safety overtime, are legally required expenses,” Wu wrote.
Unlike last year’s straight veto of Council amendments, which included rejecting a $31 million cut to the police department and millions more the body sought to take from fire, veterans and other city departments that provide basic services, Wu allowed some wiggle room to councilors in adjusting her refiled budget.
The mayor partially accepted amendments around housing and youth job spending, including $500,000 for housing initiatives that can support investments in down payment assistance, community land trusts and legal representation for families.
She also accepted funding for an inspectional services and trash containerization, both of which may have been for pest control; constituent services technology; parks and green spaces; infant and maternal health programs; landmarks personnel; supports for small businesses; and an increase in Council staff salaries, Wu said.
While rejecting the body’s increased spending for workforce development and college readiness, the mayor mentioned that there may be external funding used for those initiatives in the future. She also committed to seeking Council approval to use the city’s remaining federal pandemic relief funds through the American Rescue Plan Act for “housing and other priorities.”
The amended budget was approved via a 10-3 vote. The mayor would need two of the councilors who voted in favor to flip, to prevent a two-thirds override and sustain her veto. The Council could take up the Wu’s new budget filing as soon as Wednesday.
Council Vice President Brian Worrell, who shepherded this year’s budget process as chair of the Ways and Means committee, pushed back on the mayor’s veto plans Sunday, speaking to the data-driven approach the Council took in amending the budget this year and the final product’s reflection of the “voices of the constituents.”
“Last week, we had 10 councilors support our high priorities of housing, community safety, college and career readiness, and quality of life issues,” he added in a Monday statement. “The Council approved the largest increase in city history for both the police —$47 million — and fire —$27 million — departments.
“I look forward to continuing the process over the next two weeks,” Worrell said, “for the operating budget and the BPS budget.”
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