FY26 BUDGET SEASON: Preview of 5/19-5/22 Hearings
This week's hearing include how Boston's budget addresses the housing crisis, bike & bus Lanes, and White Stadium
This week the Council will hear about the FY26 budgets for the City agencies responsible for three big issues that have been in the news recently: the cost of housing; the City’s policy on bike & bus lanes; and White Stadium.
There are the six Council budget hearings this week:
Monday, May 19, 2 PM: Office Of Human Services (Office Of Returning Citizens);
Monday, May 19, 6 PM: Mayor's Office Of Housing (MoH);
Tuesday, May 20, 10 AM: Parks And Recreation, Parkman Fund;
Tuesday, May 20, 2 PM: Boston Transportation Department (BTD), Public Works Department (PWD);
Thursday, May 22, 10 AM: Age Strong, Veterans Services;*
Thursday, May 22, 5 PM: Office of Workforce Development (Youth Options Unlimited), Youth Employment and Opportunity (YEO), Office of Human Services (Youth Engagement And Advancement).
This week all six hearings are in this preview, so keep reading for each one!
*This hearing is being held the Grove Hall Senior Center, not the Iannella Chamber in City Hall.
MONDAY, MAY 19, 2 PM, IANNELLA CHAMBER
The listed topic for this hearing is “Office Of Human Services (Office Of Returning Citizens).” Check out more from the public notice for this hearing.
This is a slightly unusual hearing because it not for a stand-alone department, but rather for 1 of 7 offices inside the Office of Human Services, which itself is 1 of 5 departments that make up the Human Services Cabinet. While the other 4 departments in the Human Services Cabinet got their own hearings, the Office of Human Services is not getting its own hearing. Instead, 3 of the 7 offices got their own hearings - Early Childhood had a hearing on May 6, Returning Citizens is May 19, and Youth Engagement & Advancement is on May 22 (& is included in this preview) - and 4 did not.
WHERE TO FIND IN THE FY26 BUDGET BOOK?
Office Of Returning Citizens - p. 868
BUDGET NUMBERS IN FY25 vs FY26?
Office Of Returning Citizens - $2,358,834 in FY25 vs $2,396,220 in FY25, a $37,386 or 1.6% increase
WAS IT IN THE MAYOR’S BUDGET LETTER?
Not mentioned.
MONDAY, MAY 19, 6 PM, IANNELLA CHAMBER
The listed topic for this hearing is “Mayor's Office Of Housing (MoH).” Check out more from the public notice for this hearing.
WHERE TO FIND IN THE FY26 BUDGET BOOK?
Mayor's Office Of Housing (MoH) - p. 912-935
Boston Housing Authority - p. 932-935 & 1097
BUDGET NUMBERS IN FY25 vs FY26?
Mayor's Office Of Housing (MoH) - $55,567,359 in FY25 vs $52,068,982 in FY26, a ($3,498,376)
Boston Housing Authority - no operating budget, but there is City capital spending on behalf of BHA:
BHA Charlestown - $5,000,000 in FY26, $6,149,667 in FY27-30
BHA Retrofit - $0 in FY26, $25,000,000 in FY27-30
Elevator Modernization - $1,000,000 in FY26, $3,000,000 in FY27-30
Mary Ellen McCormack Redevelopment - $0 in FY26, $20,000,000 in FY27-30
Mildred C. Hailey Phase 1 Redevelopment - $4,000,000 in FY26, $3,000,000 in FY27-30
Mildred C. Hailey Preservation - $20,000,000 in FY26 $13,000,000 in FY27-30
Whittier Street Housing Development Roadways - $1,000,000 in FY26, $0 in FY27-30
WAS IT IN THE MAYOR’S BUDGET LETTER?
Housing is mentioned a number of times, with a heavy focus on City spending that occurred in FY25 - the Housing Acquisition Fund, the Housing Accelerator Program, and the Acquisition Opportunity Program - all of which the City Council has already approved.
There are three housing mentions that are about the future and not the past. First is this line explaining the budget cut:
The FY25 budget included one-time investments in the Mayor's Office of Housing and Property Management that will not continue in the next fiscal year, leading to reduced budgets for those departments even as they maintain and grow services.
Second is here about a new homeownership fund:
Meanwhile, using existing operating funding, the Housing Cabinet will launch a Co-Purchasing Pilot Program to encourage households to combine their purchasing power and buy multi-family homes with 0% interest-deferred loans from the City.
Third is about City capital spending being spent by the Boston Housing Authority, a quasi-independent agency that should have officials at this hearing:
The Capital Plan also invests $124 million in partnership with the Boston Housing Authority in the preservation and redevelopment of the Bunker Hill, Mildred Hailey, and Mary Ellen McCormack sites.
WHAT IS BPI WATCHING FOR?
BPI will be watching for 3 things:
How are the housing loan programs - the Housing Acquisition Fund, the Housing Accelerator Program, and the Acquisition Opportunity Program - launched by the Wu administration in FY25 going?
Is the $124M in BHA capital spending at the Bunker Hill, Mildred Hailey, and Mary Ellen McCormack sites explicitly linked to the public-private redevelopment projects at those sites? If it is, what sort of obligations does the City and/or BHA have to deliver these improvements?
Has the City considered doing more capital spending at BHA in order to solve the issues identified earlier this year in a federal audit and by local press?
TUESDAY, MAY 20, 10 AM, IANNELLA CHAMBER
The listed topic for this hearing is “Parks And Recreation, Parkman Fund.” Check out more from the public notice for this hearing.
WHERE TO FIND IN THE FY26 BUDGET BOOK?
Parks And Recreation - p. 559-623
Parkman Fund - p. 573
BUDGET NUMBERS IN FY25 vs FY26?
Parks And Recreation - $35,664,420 in FY25 vs $37,118,652 in FY26, a $1,454,232 or 4% increase vs FY25
Parkman Fund - $1,300,000 in FY25 vs $1,300,000 in FY26
WAS IT IN THE MAYOR’S BUDGET LETTER?
No mention
WHAT IS BPI WATCHING FOR?
There are two questions that BPI is watching for answers to at this hearing:
Why was funding cut for 3 of Parks’ 7 programs?
How much will the improvements to Franklin Park called for in recently released “White Stadium Transportation Plan Update” cost Parks?
First up, the biggest question at this hearing will be: why was funding cut for 3 of Parks’ 7 programs?
Those programs are:
Parks & Recreation Administration - a ($1,012,824) or 29.5% decrease vs FY25
Citywide Recreation - a ($20,765) or 1.4% decrease vs FY25
Cemetery - a ($110,269) or 3.6% decrease vs FY25
Those cuts are in spite of an overall increase in Parks budget. Here is how the budget’s executive summary described the budget changes on p. 33:
The Parks and Recreation Department budget will increase by 4.1%, or $1.5 million, in FY26. The increase is primarily due to general wage increases, a reclassification effort for the Laborer/Motor Equipment Operator job family of positions and contractual increases to park maintenance contracts. This budget will continue to fund prior year efforts to maintain Franklin Park, to continue quality park care citywide and support tree canopy growth and maintenance.
Answering that question will be Boston’s new interim Parks Commission: Brian Swett, Boston’s inaugural “Chief Climate Officer” and the Environment, Energy & Open Space Cabinet Chief, who Mayor Wu appointed to that position for a 60 day term on May 1. Boston has been looking for a new Parks chief for almost 8 months: the last permanent Parks Commissioner left in October 2024, and then the first interim left to lead the Friends of the Public Garden.
Outside of the budget cuts to 3 programs, the other major issue BPI will be watching is: how much will the improvements to Franklin Park called for in recently released “White Stadium Transportation Plan Update” cost Parks? This is a really important question the improvements laid out in that plan do not appear to be in the City’s capital plan:
The only capital project for White Stadium in the FY26 budget appears aimed exclusively at the City’s part in building the new arena;
There are 9 capital projects focused on Franklin Park in the budget, all of which are being managed by Parks, but none appear lined up with the plan’s improvement.
TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2 PM, IANNELLA CHAMBER
The listed topic for this hearing is “Boston Transportation Department (BTD), Public Works Department (PWD).” Check out more from the public notice for this hearing.
WHERE TO FIND IN THE FY26 BUDGET BOOK?
Streets Cabinet - p. 1038-1149
Boston Transportation Department (BTD) - p. 1104-1149
Parking Clerk - p. 1121-1126
Traffic Division - p. 1110-1120
Public Works Department (PWD) - p. 1054-1098
BUDGET NUMBERS IN FY25 vs FY26?
Streets Cabinet - $193,447,166 in FY25 vs $206,285,628 in FY26, a $12,838,462 or 6.6% increase vs FY25
Boston Transportation Department (BTD) - $44,710,763 in FY25 vs $44,390,831 in FY26, a ($319,932) or <1% decrease vs FY25
Parking Clerk - $8,143,470 in FY25 vs $8,221,820, a $78,350 or 1% increase vs FY25
Traffic Division - $36,567,293 in FY25 vs $36,169,012, a ($398,281) or 1% decrease
Public Works Department (PWD) - $118,331,528 in FY25 vs $131,051,770, a $12,720,242 or 11% increase
WAS IT IN THE MAYOR’S BUDGET LETTER?
Two of BPI’s 11 takeaways from Mayor Wu’s FY26 budget letter & speech are about the departments at this hearing:
#3 “The FY26 budget will see modest growth in the Streets Cabinet of $12.8 million or 6.6%, related to new, improved trash collection contracts that provide additional contracted labor and require more reliable trucks and technology,” on p. 4 of the FBD.
#7. “The Capital Plan will invest over $135 million over the next 5 years in sidewalk reconstruction, roadway resurfacing, and the construction of ADA compliant curb ramps, ensuring safe, reliable, and accessible transportation for all road users,” on p. 5 of the FBD.
WHAT IS BPI WATCHING FOR?
There are two major public issues that both BTD and DPW have responsibilities for, and which Councilors are likely to discuss:
Bus & bike lanes, which has emerged as a top issue in Boston’s mayoral race, and which recently got an important update in a 30 day review ordered by Mayor Wu in February;
Traffic safety, which prompted an emotional set of speeches at the Council’s regular April 30 meeting after a BPS student was struck and killed by a BPS school bus.
The other two issues that BPI is watching for are both budget related: a budget cut, and lagging compliance with a legal settlement. On the first of these: why did the Transportation Department, and specifically the Traffic Division get its budget cut?
The second issue is the “construction of ADA compliant curb ramps” that is part of DPW’s $135M in capital spending. DPW is performing this work as part of a 2021 legal settlement with disability advocates, and last summer, those plaintiffs charged Boston was not satisfying that agreement.
This is what the Universal Hub wrote about the complaint:
The filing says advocates were willing to cut the city a break at first, because of the effects of both the pandemic and an unusually rainy year in 2021, but that the city has since failed to step up the pace as required under the agreement, which calls for the installation and repair of 15,000 ramps over 10 years. In 2023, the filing charges, the city only installed or repaired 1,050 ramps, compared to the 1,500 required by the consent decree.
THURSDAY, MAY 22, 10 AM, GROVE HALL SENIOR CENTER
The listed topic for this hearing is “Age Strong, Veterans Services.” Check out more from the public notice for this hearing.
WHERE TO FIND IN THE FY26 BUDGET BOOK?
Age Strong - p. 792-804
Veterans Services - p. 828-832
BUDGET NUMBERS IN FY25 vs FY26?
Age Strong - $8,084,972 in FY25 vs $8,251,479 in FY26, a $166,508 or 2% increase vs FY25
Veterans Services - $4,847,129 in FY25 vs $4,897,213 in FY26, a $50,083 or 1% increase vs FY25
WAS IT IN THE MAYOR’S BUDGET LETTER?
This is the only mention of either department:
The Age Strong Commission, with strong support from the Mayor and City Council, will leverage their Council on Aging state external funds and operating budget to target reducing social isolation for older adults through increased programming across several neighborhoods. These resources will augment state earmarked funding for senior programming in West Roxbmy, increasing programming from two days to three days per week.
THURSDAY, MAY 22, 5 PM, IANNELLA CHAMBER
The listed topic for this hearing is “Office of Workforce Development (Youth Options Unlimited), Youth Employment and Opportunity (YEO), Office of Human Services (Youth Engagement And Advancement).” Check out more from the public notice for this hearing.
This is a slightly unusual hearing because it not for a stand-alone department, but rather for 1 of 7 offices inside the Office of Human Services, which itself is 1 of 5 departments that make up the Human Services Cabinet. While the other 4 departments in the Human Services Cabinet got their own hearings, the Office of Human Services is not getting its own hearing. Instead, 3 of the 7 offices got their own hearings - Early Childhood had a hearing on May 6, Returning Citizens is May 19, and Youth Engagement & Advancement is on May 22 (& is included in this preview) - and 4 did not.
WHERE TO FIND IN THE FY26 BUDGET BOOK?
Office of Workforce Development (Youth Options Unlimited) - p. 467, 468, & 470
Skill Up/DYS YOU, YOU Shannon State, FYOB Donations, FYOB State Street, FYOB Baupost
Youth Employment and Opportunity (YEO) - p. 473-479
Office of Human Services (Youth Engagement And Advancement) - p. 869
BUDGET NUMBERS IN FY25 vs FY26?
Office of Workforce Development (Youth Options Unlimited) - there is no line item for this, but there are five external funds listed as supporting YOU:
Skill Up/DYS YOU - $84,728 in FY25 vs $0 in FY26
YOU Shannon State - $100,000 in FY25 vs $72,001 in FY26
FYOB Donations - $289,424 in FY26 vs $91,872 in FY26
FYOB State Street - $34,829 in FY25 vs $125,319 in FY26
FYOB Baupost - $42,870 in FY25 vs $112,988 in FY26
Youth Employment and Opportunity (YEO) - $22,630,310 in FY25 vs $22,365,216 in FY26, a ($265,094) or 1% decrease
Office of Human Services (Youth Engagement And Advancement) - $1,051,424 in FY25 vs $970,389 in FY26, a $81,035 or 7% decrease
WAS IT IN THE MAYOR’S BUDGET LETTER?
There are two mentions of these departments in the Mayor’s letter.
First, one line that touches on the unusual funding mechanism:
Finally, the Planning Department and the Office of Workforce Development allocations are decreasing due to a more accurate assessment of their needs as new City departments.
Second, a line about youth jobs:
In FY26, the youth jobs budget will maintain the City's record-breaking, robust commitment to youth employment as a benefit to the entire community.
WHAT IS BPI WATCHING FOR?
The Workforce Development Cabinet - which both Youth Options Unlimited and the Youth Employment and Opportunity fall under - gets a significant portion of its funding from the quasi-independent Boston Planning & Development Agency through the same unusual mechanism that funds the new Planning Department.
This shared funding mechanism means that lines of questions started at the Planning Department’s budget hearing last week can be continued this week. These are the two BPI is watching for:
The Council learned that spending on contracts was incorrectly calculated, resulting in the big budget drops - find more detail at the 26:21 mark of last week’s hearing;
Councilor FitzGerald pushed administration officials over whether the new funding mechanism made the programs brought over to the City from the BPDA last year genuinely “revenue neutral” - he is Speaker 9 and starts at the 45:21 mark.
This hearing is another opportunity for Councilors to ask more questions about both issues.
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