This week BPI is previewing all 6 of the Council’s budget hearings in one place:
Fire Department - Monday, May 11, at 10 a.m. - read the public notice;
Parks and Recreation Department - Monday, May 11, at 2 p.m. - read the public notice;
Office of Equity, Black Male Advancement, Fair Housing and Equity, Women’s Advancement - Tuesday, May 12, at 10 a.m. - read the public notice;
Immigrant Advancement, Language and Communications Access, Disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement - Tuesday, May 12, at 2 p.m. - read the public notice;
Age Strong, Boston VETS, Returning Citizens - Thursday, May 14, at 10 a.m. - read the public notice; and
Election Department - Thursday, May 14, at 2 p.m. - read the public notice.
The Council is also holding a budget working session on Friday morning at 10 AM in the Curley room - read the public notice.
There are a few things to look for at this week’s hearings:
On Monday look out for White Stadium questions at the Parks & Rec hearing because the new Commissioner, Diana Fernandez Bibeau, is playing a leading role in designing the new stadium - read more from the Boston Herald and Dorchester Reporter - and Mayor Wu announced a new White Stadium transportation plan on Friday - read more from the Boston Herald.
Both of Tuesday’s hearings are for the Equity & Inclusion Cabinet, so look out for protestors, and tough questions from Councilors, amid a 24% cut to the Cabinet budget and years-long vacancies in Fair Housing, a top priority for this Council.
On Thursday morning, the focus will be on Boston VETS thanks to the Council’s public opposition to the Wu administration’s proposed cuts - read more in the Boston Herald - but that $724k is just a fraction of the $6M+ worth of proposed cuts in the Human Services Cabinet, whose budget is actually far larger than Equity & Inclusion, which got 2 hearings yesterday.
On Thursday afternoon is the Elections Department’s budget hearing, which is under state receivership after a disastrous performance on election day in November 2024 and which will likely features questions about why the public didn’t find out the Election Commissioner resigned until the City posted the job on LinkedIn - read more about the resignation in the Boston Herald.
In this FY27 budget hearing preview, BPI will include:
Which departments and offices are appearing at each hearing;
Where to find each hearing’s focus in the 1,102 page FY27 Budget Book;
The FY27 vs FY26 numbers from the FY27 Budget Book for that hearing;
Highlight which spending priorities laid out in the Mayor’s budget letter are for that hearing’s topic; and
What BPI is watching for in each hearing.
FIRE DEPARTMENT (BFD), MONDAY, 10 AM
There is just one department at this hearing: the Boston Fire Department.
WHERE DO I FIND IT IN THE FY27 BUDGET BOOK?
The BFD’s Operating Budget is on p. 751-767.
The BFD’s Capital Budget is on p. 1046-1054
FY27 vs FY26 BY THE NUMBERS
BFD’s Operating Budget - $336,556,974 in FY27 vs $328,719,256 in FY26, a $7,837,718 or a 2.4% increase.
BFD’s External Funds Budget - $3,912,909 in FY27 vs $3,097,854 in FY26, a $815,055 or 26% increase.
BFD’s Capital Budget - $91,378,698 in FY27-31 vs $78,329,074 in FY26-30, a $13,049,624 of 16% increase. That increase is misleading because BFD has failed to spend its capital budget in recent years:
BFD only spent about ⅔ of what was budgeted for in FY26: $14,600,000 vs $22,491,081.
BFD only spent ~40% of what was budgeted for in FY25: $13,399,846 vs $32,407,721.
FROM THE MAYOR’S LETTER
BPD was mentioned in 1 paragraph, under the sub-section titled “Public Health & Safety” in “The FY27 recommended budget includes the following key priorities.”
To maintain Boston’s status as the safest major city in the country, the FY27 budgets for Police, Fire, and EMS include funding for recruit classes that will replace staff loss from normal attrition. Our cadet programs will also remain steady pipelines for our public safety departments. Although we have made targeted reductions to civilian positions in these departments, we will be able to maintain service levels across these critical agencies thanks to your partnership on key investments over the last few years. These include a capital investment of $3.3 million to upgrade the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system, improving 911 call-takers’ ability to quickly and securely receive and dispatch calls.
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PARKS & REC, MONDAY, 2 PM
There is just one department at this hearing: the Parks and Recreation Department.
WHERE DO I FIND IT IN THE FY27 BUDGET BOOK?
Parks & Rec Operating Budget is on p. 455-471.
Parks & Rec Capital Budget is on p. 955-998.
FY27 vs FY26 BY THE NUMBERS
Parks & Rec Operating Budget - $36,620,628 in FY27 vs $37,145,056 in FY26, a ($524,428) or 1.4% decrease.
Parks & Rec Capital Budget - $244,696,173 in FY27 vs $282,140,663 in FY26, a ($37,444,490) or 13% decrease. That decrease appears to be on the back on a large number of cancelled projects:
Parks & Rec spent only ⅓ of what was budgeted for FY26 - $29,036,250 vs $81,079,544 - and most of the unspent money was not carried forward into the FY27-31 Capital Budget.
FROM THE MAYOR’S LETTER
BPD was mentioned in 1 paragraph, under the sub-section titled “Public Realm and Quality of Life” in “The FY27 recommended budget includes the following key priorities.”
We have also continued to invest in Boston’s parks, cutting the ribbon on renovations at Harambee Park, Walsh Playground, and Codman Square Park and are nearing completion of improvements to Copley Square and Clifford Park.
There is one other line in the letter that is important for this hearing:
And next year, we will complete the renovation of White Stadium, transforming it into a state-of-the-art athletic facility for BPS Athletics and a year-round, vibrant community hub for Franklin Park.
WHAT BPI IS WATCHING FOR
There are 6 questions BPI will be watching for:
There has been extensive reporting about Fernandez Bibeau’s role in planning the new White Stadium and running the community process. Is that level of involvement in a specific project typical for a senior staffer at that Planning Department? Can you give other examples from the Planning Department or BPDA where a senior staffer was involved to this degree in planning and managing a project?
As the new head of Parks & Rec and a senior City Hall staffer deeply involved in the planning of White Stadium, can Fernandez Bibeau describe what - if any - formal role she will play in ensuring that the White Stadium transportation set-up described by Mayor Wu on Friday will be enforced?
White Stadium stands out for being the rare modern stadium project without a real estate development component. For example at both of Boston’s pro-sports arenas - the Garden and Fenway Park - the teams’ ownership plays a major role in developing and managing the land surrounding each arena. Has there been an discussion in City Hall or with the team about this project’s potential role in driving new real estate development in the neighborhoods surrounding White Stadium?
White Stadium also stands out for not having an entertainment district nearby the stadium, which also sets it apart from the Garden or Fenway. Jennifer Epstein, the managing owner of the women’s pro-soccer team, also owns a very successful restaurant group - the Wildlife Hospitality Group - which works with her husband’s real estate development company Able Company - which is also the “lead development partner” at White Stadium - to build its new locations, most recently working together on a new spot in South Boston. Has anyone at Wildlife or Able Company been consulted by the City about any entertainment district planning? Has the City considered how a new entertainment district would impact the dozens of new liquor licenses recently approved for the surrounding neighborhoods?
Private parking lots are a lucrative business around Fenway Stadium, the Garden, and Gillette Stadium. Does the City have a plan for how to deal with the creation of privately operated parking lots around White Stadium?
Parks & Rec is taking a huge step backwards on its Capital spending ambitions. Parks & Rec only spent $29M out of $81M budgeted for capital projects in FY26, and the FY27-31 Capital Budget is $37M less than the FY27-31 Capital Budget. How did Parks & Rec choose which projects not to pursue in FY26? How did Parks & Rec decide which projects to drop between FY26-30 to FY27-31?
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EQUITY, BLACK MALE ADVANCEMENT, FAIR HOUSING, WOMEN’S ADVANCEMENT, TUESDAY, 10 AM
Both hearings on Tuesday are with the Equity and Inclusion Cabinet. The morning hearing is with:
Office of Equity
Black Male Advancement
Fair Housing and Equity
Women’s Advancement
WHERE DO I FIND IT IN THE FY27 BUDGET BOOK?
The Equity & Inclusion Cabinet’s Operating Budget is on p. 221-277.
Office of Equity - p. 261-267
Black Male Advancement - p. 223-227
Fair Housing and Equity - p. 235-242
Women’s Advancement - p. 273-277
There is no Capital Budget.
FY27 vs FY26 BY THE NUMBERS
The Equity & Inclusion Cabinet’s Operating Budget - $11,852,871 in FY27 vs $15,529,977 in FY26, a ($3,677,107) or 24% decrease.
Black Male Advancement - $1,617,866 in FY27 vs $2,119,031 in FY26, ($501,165) or 23.7% decrease.
Fair Housing & Equity - $340,455 in FY27 vs $452,805 in FY26, a ($112,350) or 24.8% decrease.
Human Rights Commission - $0 in FY27 vs $391,622 in FY26, a ($391,622) or 100% decrease.
Office of Equity - $3,368,545 in FY27 vs $3,725,869 in FY26, a ($357,324) or 9.6% decrease.
Women’s Advancement - $485,673 in FY27 vs $643,544 in FY26, a ($157,871) or 24.5% decrease.
FROM THE MAYOR’S LETTER
There is no mention in the Mayor’s letter.
WHAT BPI IS WATCHING FOR
There are 4 questions BPI will be watching for:
The Wu administration has decided to effectively abolish Boston’s Human Rights Commission by budgeting $0 in FY27 but hasn’t offered any legislation to reflect the administration’s new approach to the HRC’s mission. Is the administration planning on offering new legislation for HRC?
The Council has formalized a number of offices in this Cabinet, for example passing an ordinance in June 2025 - which Mayor Wu signed - “establishing the Office of LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement as a permanent part of city government.” Does the Wu administration feel bound to follow ordinances like that one, given the administration’s decision to effectively abolish the HRC by budgeting $0 in FY27?
At last year’s budget hearing Mariangely Solis-Cervera, Chief of Equity and Inclusion, told the the Council that her Cabinet would “in the next couple of months [be] searching for the new head of of fair housing” which had been led by Robert Terrell until his death earlier in January 2025 - this answer starts at the 1:03:02 mark in the transcript. In the FY27 budget, Fair Housing still lists its director as vacant. What is the status of hiring a director for Fair Housing & Equity?
Black Male Advancement’s latest annual report, delivered to the Council earlier this year, called for a level funded budget in FY27. However, the FY27 budget is not level funded: it includes a deep cut of $500k or 23.7% cut vs FY26’s budget. Can Solis-Cervera walk through what happened between the annual report being written, and the budget being put together?
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IMMIGRANT ADVANCEMENT, LANGUAGE ACCESS, DISABILITIES, LGBTQIA2S+ ADVANCEMENT, TUESDAY, 2 PM
Both hearings on Tuesday are with the Equity and Inclusion Cabinet. The morning hearing is with:
Office for Immigrant Advancement
Office of Language and Communications Access
Commission for Persons with Disabilities
LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement
WHERE DO I FIND IT IN THE FY27 BUDGET BOOK?
The Equity & Inclusion Cabinet’s Operating Budget is on p. 221-277.
Office for Immigrant Advancement is on p. 254-260
Office of Language and Communications Access is on p. 268-272
Commission for Persons with Disabilities is on p. 228-234
LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement is on p. 247-253
FY27 vs FY26 BY THE NUMBERS
The Equity & Inclusion Cabinet’s Operating Budget - $11,852,871 in FY27 vs $15,529,977 in FY26, a ($3,677,107) or 24% decrease.
Commission For Persons W/Disabilities - $940,694 in FY27 vs $916,047 in FY26, a $24,647 or 2.7% increase.
Office of Language & Communications Access - $2,060,357 in FY27 vs $2,160,042 in FY26, a ($99,685) or a 4.6% decrease.
Office of LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement - $637,208 in FY27 vs $920,702 in FY26, a ($283,494) or a 30.8% decrease.
Office for Immigrant Advancement - $2,402,073 in FY27 vs $4,200,316 in FY26, a ($1,798,243) or 42.8% decrease.
FROM THE MAYOR’S LETTER
There is no mention in the Mayor’s letter.
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AGE STRONG, BOSTON VETS, RETURNING CITIZENS, THURSDAY, 10 AM
This hearing is for the non-Library and Community Center components of the Human Services Cabinet:
WHERE DO I FIND IT IN THE FY27 BUDGET BOOK?
The Human Services Cabinet Operating Budget is on p. 611-675.
FY27 vs FY26 BY THE NUMBERS
Operating Budget for Age Strong - $7,421,555 in FY27 vs $8,451,479 in FY26, a ($1,029,924) or 12% decrease.
That cut isn’t across the board - in fact some parts of Age Strong are growing:
Age Strong Administration - $2,027,246 in FY27 vs $1,981,071 in FY26, a $46,175 or 2.3% increase.
Age Strong Operations - $2,442,585 in FY27 vs $2,857,179 in FY26, a ($414,594) or 14.5% decrease.
Age Strong Transportation - $1,743,066 in FY27 vs $1,720,869 in FY26, a $22,197 or 1.3% increase.
Program & Partnerships - $1,208,658 in FY27 vs $1,892,360 in FY26, a ($683,702) or 36.1% decrease.
Operating Budget for Boston VETS - $4,223,460 in FY27 vs $4,947,213 in FY26, a ($723,753) or 14% decrease.
Operating Budget for Office of Returning Citizens - $1,530,484 in FY27 vs $2,396,220 in FY26, a ($865,736) or 36% decrease.
This cut is all in “non-personnel services” that is, contracted services, which is dropping to $425,863 in FY27 from $1,393,187 in FY26.
FROM THE MAYOR’S LETTER
There are 4 paragraphs about the Human Services Cabinet in the Mayor’s letter:
The Community Safety team will fully move from the Office of Human Services to the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) in FY27, reflecting the administration’s public health-centered approach to addressing community violence.
Human Services
The Human Services budget maintains evening and weekend hours and programming at libraries and BCYF centers, as well as classes for adult English-language available at no cost to residents through the Boston Public Library.
While Age Strong is seeing a decrease in FY27, the City was able to secure a $1 million federal earmark for transportation services that will help older residents get around more easily across Boston. City funding that helps older residents access state and federal benefits is maintained.
Boston VETS will continue to provide need-based financial aid to low-income veterans and their surviving spouses for food, shelter, clothing, medical reimbursements, and emergency aid for utilities and home repairs.
WHAT BPI IS WATCHING FOR
There are 2 questions BPI will be watching for:
Boston VETS is seeing a $757k cuts to “non-personnel services”: how will that affect the “need-based financial aid to low-income veterans and their surviving spouses”?
Mayor Wu’s FY27 budget letter claims that Boston “was able to secure a $1 million federal earmark for transportation services” but the External Funds Budget appears virtually unchanged from FY26: where is that grant in the budget?
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ELECTION DEPARTMENT, THURSDAY, 2 PM
There is just one department at this hearing: the Elections Department.
WHERE DO I FIND IT IN THE FY27 BUDGET BOOK?
The Elections Department’s Operating Budget is on p. 563-573.
FY27 vs FY26 BY THE NUMBERS
Operating Budget for the Elections Department - $5,829,749 in FY27 vs $6,407,251 in FY26, a ($577,502) or 9% decrease.
That cut is not across the board:
Election Activities - $4,368,164 in FY27 vs $4,984,907 in FY26, a ($616,743) or 12.4% decrease.
Election Administration - $1,000,665 in FY27 vs $985,194 in FY26, a $15,471 or 1.6% increase.
Voter Registration - $460,921 in FY27 vs $437,150 in FY26, a $23,771 or 5.4% increase.
FROM THE MAYOR’S LETTER
There is no mention in the Mayor’s letter.
WHAT BPI IS WATCHING FOR
There are 6 questions BPI will be watching for:
The public only found out that Eneida Tavares had resigned her position as Election Commissioner thanks to the City publishing a help wanted ad for the now-vacant job on LinkedIn in early March, but according to the Secretary of State’s office they were informed “in early February that she would be leaving her position as election commissioner.” Why didn’t the City make a formal announcement that Taveres had resigned?
According to public reporting, Tavares final day as Election Commissioner was February 20, and first day at her new job in City Hall was February 23. When was Taveres offered the new job in City Hall?
What is the City’s timeline for hiring a new Election Commissioner?
What role did the state receiver play in writing the FY27 budget for the Elections Department?
Elections is cutting its “contracted services” budget (p. 569) by 20%: what kind of contracts are being cut?
Elections is cutting its “Office Supplies and Materials” budget (p. 569) by 25%, the latest serious fluctuation in that line item, which has been as high as $1.2M in FY24, and as low as $692k in FY25. How important is that line item to running polling places in the primary and general elections this fall?
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