City Council - Regular Meeting

Good afternoon, everyone. I call to order today's meeting of Boston City Council. Viewers can watch the council meeting live on YouTube at boston.gov backslashcity-council-tv. At this time, I ask my colleagues and those in the audience to please silence their cell phones and electronic devices. Also pursuant to rule 42, I remind all in this chamber that no demonstration of approval or disapproval from members of the public will be permitted. Thank you. Mister Clerk, would you please take a roll call vote to ascertain the presence of a quorum?

Councilor Braden.

Here.

Councilor Coletta Zapata. Councilor Culpepper. Here. Councilor Durkin. Here. Council Flynn. Here. Council Lujan. Here. Murphy. Here. Council Vipin. Here. And Council Worrell. A quorum is present.

Thank you, mister clerk. Miss thank you. I've been informed by the clerk that a quorum is present. Now it is my pleasure to introduce this week's clergy invited by Councillor Louis Jean, Reverend Caitlin Hold Givens. Councillor Louis Jean, would you like to come up and introduce your clergy? And following the invocation, we will have the pledge of allegiance.

Thank you, madam president, and good afternoon, everyone. I'm very happy to welcome back into this chambers and into this body, reverend Caitlin Ho Givens, who is just a transformative leader here in our city and in her East Boston community. She was here with us last year. You know, May, obviously, Asian heritage month, but it's also Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage month. And having her here is a testament to the diversity and the greatness of our city.

And I'm just grateful to have you back here. I'm also really grateful because, coincidentally, you've just been even when I'm posting about, hey. We need people to call members of congress to support extending temporary protected status for the Haitian community, and I know if it would for any other community, you would do so. I would get messages saying, hey. I just spent thirty minutes of my morning making these calls and with you in this fight.

So I just wanna say thank you because that work of solidarity building across identity, multi multiracial solidarity, and building the just world and the just country that we wanna see you exemplify that within your work as a religious leader and as just as a compassionate person here in our city. So I wanna thank you. She's lived here in Boston over twenty years and is a pastor at Resurrection Church in East Boston, a a great representation of Boston's multiculturalism, and bilingual, and I heard you speaking with Anna Spanish before we started, English and Spanish and pastor of mixed white and Latino congregation. She's passionate about building a community of Americans and immigrants that worship together and engage strategically in neighborhood life, advocating for justice, supporting neighbors in need, and partnering with local leaders for the good of the city. It is my great honor to bring up to the dais, Reverend Caitlin Hogivens.

Good afternoon. I want to start by just acknowledging that there is a lot carried here in this room. There are deadlines. There are things that you have to do. There are people who are coming to you to be listened to and be advocated for.

And I want to just have us arrive here together. Let's just take a moment to pause, to breathe. Thank you for the opportunity to be here, and thank you for the service that you do for the people of Boston. It is a demanding job with seamlessly ending needs, and you are doing it in divided time and exhausted time. I continue to witness small and stubborn forms of hope.

I pastor a church in East Boston that is this joyful mixture of Americans and immigrants. And much of our recent life together has involved accompanying immigrant families through seasons of uncertainty and fear. Recently, one of the pillars of our church, Raul, he is a husband, a father, a minister in training who regularly preaches at our church. He went to a routine immigration check-in and was detained on the spot. I was with his wife outside in the waiting room.

His kids were outside of the building because they were too scared to come in. They were with other church family members. And then the moment came that no family should have

to go through where I walked with

Lillian as she went to her kids to tell her that their father had been taken away and that they did not know when they would see him again. I will never forget standing with them in the parking lot. It was raining as they shook with grief. There's a 12 year old, a 13 year old, a one year old in her arms all trying to hold on to hope together. And what followed was extraordinary.

Our small church rose in love and in advocacy and in generosity so meals were showing up, groceries, diapers were quietly delivered, people were watching kids raising funds, attending court hearings, searching for legal support, writing letters, making calls, and as people of faith, we were praying late into the night. And Raul, this minister in training, while he was detained, he began ministering to those around him. He was praying for men who felt abandoned. He was preaching hope into the night when the men would gather to worship. He was encouraging those who had spent months there waiting in uncertainty.

It was astonishing to witness. It was amazing to behold love taking shape in the very place where love is not intended to survive. Prison is a cold, hard place and yet I have seen courage and hope emerge from there. Since then, Raul has been released and we have continued to care for men in detainment. We have sent books and we send we write letters.

We send money so that they can buy extra clothes because it's literally cold in there. We send money so they can buy toothpaste so that they can get small comforts like a ramen or a coke to go with their meals, like these huge little celebratory things for them in this bleak place. We have sent Christmas gifts to their families. We've shown up at court hearings and the judge is like, who are you? And we're like this.

We are here to support our friend and neighbor because what happens to him matters to us. Small acts invisible on their own and yet together they are they form something like a stubborn light that refuses to go out. In our home, have blackout curtains that try to keep the street lights out at night. And no matter what we do, there is always that one sliver of a light that sneaks through the edge of the curtain. It's like that.

Even in places that are shaped by fear and grief, even within systems that can make people feel forgotten or invisible, light keeps finding a way in. Even when darkness tries to close in completely and snuff everything out, somehow light still comes through the cracks. A meal, a prayer, a ride to court, a lawyer offering pro bono help, an 11 year old opening up a birthday gift that is from her father. Someone saying, Jaime, you are not forgotten. Jorge, we are with you.

Kenneth, we care about you. Emmanuel, your life mattered. Christians believe that God moves toward people in darkness rather than away from them. That no person is disposable and that some of the clearest signs of hope emerge precisely in places where the world only expects despair. In mercy, in peacemaking, in people refusing to abandon one another in suffering.

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. I've watched people see strangers as neighbors and real family. I have watched our immigrants lead us in courage and faith. I have watched fear loosen its grip in the presence of steady compassion. The the kind of peace that allows your shoulders to slowly unclench so that people you could finally breathe again.

It is this beautiful thing. It feels like glimpsing another world breaking into this one. Not one that's built on fear and division or winning at all costs but one shaped by mercy, by mutuality, by a stubborn conviction that every human being bears dignity. It is not charity. It's not just doing the right thing check. It's something deeper. It is a refusal to let darkness have the final word. It is a refusal to let a person disappear. It is a defiant act of love that says, I see you. You belong to us.

Your life is precious. This is what Christians call the kingdom of God. It's not something far away or abstract. It is the embodied love of God in ordinary people. It's light finding places finding its way into places where everyone assumed that only darkness could survive.

It is what community looks like when love refuses to surrender to cynicism. And perhaps that's part of the calling of public life to continue to see one another clearly, to resist the temptation to reduce people to headlines or to issues, to remember the humanity behind the disagreement, to help to build a city where no one is forgotten. And so thank you for every act of care, every time you are listening, every time you are trying to collaborate, every time you are trying to carefully deliberate. It is a beautiful thing privately and publicly the way that you are working to build our city together. Thank you for continuing to show up.

May you have wisdom and courage and compassion as you lead. Let us pray. God of wisdom and mercy, we pray for the leaders gathered in this hall today. Would you grant them clarity where there is confusion, peace where there is tension, steadiness amidst all of the noise, and the urgency of this time? Help them to listen well and not just to the loudest voices, but to the perspectives that are different from their own, to the needs of the communities beyond their immediate view.

May they remember that wisdom is often found not in standing alone, but in learning from one another and seeking the good of the whole. God, we ask that you would protect this city, that you would strengthen its neighborhoods, that you would comfort all who are fearful and suffering, that you would continue to kindle courage and compassion and hope and bring light in every corner of Boston. Amen.

Nation under God, indivisible, with

liberty and justice for all. Thank Thank you, Reverend Caitlin, for your words of wisdom and encouragement. We have two presentations but we also want to recognize our EMS workers. We'll be voting on a resolution later in meeting but if we invite our EMS workers to come up and I think Councillor Pepin, you were the lead sponsor and our colleagues to come up and get a photograph with the EMS workers. And then we'll go on to presentations.

We've got anybody from Come on up. Yes. Just a We have two presentations after this.

Right up front.

Yeah. Right up front and center. We'll be recognizing the work of our EMS workers in a resolution later. Thank

you.

We have two presentations today. Flynn is recognizing the Boston debate league. Councillor Flynn, would you like to come up with your honorees? And then Councillor Culpepper is also going to recognize Fire Commissioner Rodney Marshall. Councillor Flynn, you're up first.

Thank you madam chair. We have a city council resolution to recognize the twentieth anniversary of the Boston debate league. Many of them are here now and I'd like to ask them if they please come to the dais please.

Thank

you to Kim and Jackney and the entire leadership of the Boston debate league for their exceptional work. Thank you for joining us today. We had a wonderful reception this morning in the Curly Room, but we wanted to formally recognize the Boston debate league. Since twenty o five, the Boston debate debate league has empowered thousands of students across Greater Boston through their transform transformative power of debate, preparing young people for college, career, civic life. Through their after school debate, debate inspired classrooms, and resolve problems, this organization equips students with critical thinking, research, communication, and skills essential for success.

The Boston debate lead partners with more than 30 schools across the region including right here in Boston Public School System. Some of the students here are from Brighton. They're from the South End. Some of them attend English High School. With nearly 500 volunteers, and I've had the opportunity to serve as a volunteer judging the debate between students.

But what I love about the debate between students, especially when they're partnering with each other as as a team, but I love how they support each other. And if one needs a little bit of support, the other student really encourage encourages them, offers positive words, but they're working as a team and I try to highlight that to them. That's what life is all about is working together, bringing out the best in each other. So I wanna say thank you to this exceptional organization for they for what they do, not just supporting BPS kids, but supporting so many youth across our Commonwealth. But I'd like to ask Kim and maybe one of the young people if you'd like to come up here and and say a few words.

Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for having us here today. We're delighted and honored to be here. We are really proud of the work that we're doing here in Boston with young people, but we're super excited about the partnership that we've had with the city. We have been around for twenty years and Boston Public Schools is our longest and deepest partner. We run three programs which you mentioned and all of them are built on rigor. They are all about helping young people to develop as leaders, to develop public speaking skills, to learn how to argue with one another, grounded in evidence and reasoning, but also in community as you talked about. Certainly, know the benefits, the academic benefits of this program. Students are going to college at higher rates. They are graduating from high school.

They are improving their literacy skills, their English speaking skills, Spanish speaking skills because we do debate in Spanish and English. And what we're most proud of, I would say anyway, is the way they treat each other, community. The fact that they are part of a community and that they feel a sense of belonging. It's not lost on me that this summer, this country will celebrate two hundred fifty years of the signing of the declaration of independence. Debate was a part of that. Debate continues to be a part of what we do in this community. And these young people know how to do it well and how to do that respecting one another and seeing one another's humanity even when they disagree. And so we're just delighted to have them here with us today. We're not the stars. I have an amazing team, the staff, but the stars are these young people who are here behind us.

And I'm going to call one up, Alana LaForest, who is actually a senior in high school at BLA, and she's going to Wake Forest University on a full debate scholarship. So so she can speak for us better than

anyone. Good

afternoon, council members and public. I'd like to thank miss Kim for inviting me as well as councilor Flynn. As miss Kim said, I'm a senior at Boston Latin Academy as well as a rising freshman at Wake Forest University and a seven year long member of the Boston debate league family. When I think about the Boston debate league, obviously, the word family comes to mind, but the community that we've created as a as a group of students as well as a group of educators and teachers and coaches has honestly been something that can't be replicated outside. The Boston debate league is a part of the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues, is a couple of different cities across the national the nation.

Right? We have DC and Baltimore and California and all of these other amazing leagues that we've been able to partner with across for the past twenty years, which is something that honestly, I think, is what makes us so special. The ability for us to collaborate across the across the country with other students and other families to share the good word about debate. Right? I think that part of the reason why debate has been something that's been so influential to me is because of this emphasis on persuasion and respectful discourse.

I think that when we invite spaces of discourse and spaces of interrogation or when the when the best policies are formed, I think watching even the council members have conversations about what it looks like to protect our families and what it looks like to protect our immigrants and all of these conversations about how we can be the best the best, like, politicians for our people. I think the common question throughout all of this has always been respectful discourse. And so learning how to replicate these things are the ways in which they open opportunities for students like us to continue. Right? I'm I want to study politics and international affairs in college and likely likely end up in a in a way that's similar to y'all.

And I think that being able to practice these skills and practice these ways is something that I've honestly am so indebted to the Boston debate league for. I'm the biggest advocate for continuing to fund the program and continuing to support us because the Boston debate league is, I, in my opinion, the best out of all of the National Urban Debate League. So I would say thank you to miss Kim. Thank you to the rest of the staff, and thank you to all of my fellow students that have been able to practice and debate with me across the years. I'm so sad that it's my last year to be part of the program, but it's definitely not gonna be my last year part of a part of the BDL.

And so I encourage everyone here to find a way to get involved with the debate league, whether it's through volunteering or through coaching or judging or just finding a way to help support discourse and and and research based research based and evidence conversations around the city of Boston. So thank you all so much. Thank

you. I would ask I would ask my city council colleagues if they would like to come up for a photo, and as they do that, I do have a city council resolution to the Boston debate league. This is from all of the city council colleagues. Your outstanding commitment to empowering students through this transformative power of debate, dedicating to fostering critical thinking, leadership, communication, civic engagement. You continue to make a lasting impact on students.

We wish you continued success. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, miss Kim. Thank you. I wanted wanted to have you. Congratulations. Thank you so much. You did a great job.

Wait. What are we doing? Okay.

I think you're gonna be in the mayor's office or the governor's office someday. Yeah. I might need a job from you. Okay?

Thank you, Councillor Flynn, and thank you to the Boston debate league. Councillor Culpepper, you have a presentation. I'll welcome you up to the dais. Your Honoree Fire Commissioner Rodney Marshall, would you like to join us?

Thank you, madam president. It's an honor and a privilege to welcome Boston's forty fifth fire commissioner, Rodney Marshall, to the chamber today. Commissioner Marshall is a longtime Bostonian, born and raised in the one and only Grove Hall, Dorchester, and has spent the last thirty five years giving back to the very community that shaped him. He joined the Boston Fire Department in 1991, serving at engine fifty six and rose steadily through the ranks, lieutenant, captain, district chief, deputy chief, and chief of operations. Here are two commissioners unit citations along the way for acts of extraordinary courage, saving multiple lives in a six alarm fire and rescuing individuals trapped in a severely damaged bus.

Beyond his own heroism, commissioner Marcus Marshall has worked to open doors for others, designing and launching the department's cadet program to create new pathways for young inner city residents to pursue careers in firefighting. It would be lost on me to not recognize this moment in history. Rodney Marshall serves as the Boston Fire Department's first ever black commissioner. The fire department plays an essential role in protecting residents across every neighborhood, and it is critical that its workforce reflects the diversity of the city it serves. While we still have progress to make, the appointment of commissioner Marshall is a significant significant milestone and must be celebrated today.

I had the chance to hear commissioner Marshall speak about what it meant to grow up in Dorchester, see the doors of the fire department open, and now he sits in that seat. He wants to do the same for the next generation, and that matters. Kids running around these neighborhoods should be able to look up and see the brave men and women who are there to protect them and think that could be you someday. And when a child sees someone that looks just like them who grew up on the same streets they did, wearing that uniform and leading that department, it changes what they believe is possible. That's what commissioner Marshall represents.

Not just a historic appointment, but a signal to every young person in Grove Hall, in Dorchester, in Roxbury, in Mattapan, in Hyde Park, in the South End, in Jamaica Plain, to every young person that the path is open and the future belongs to you. We wish you all the best, commissioner. This chamber is in your corner, and Boston is so lucky to have you leading the bravest of all. Thank you, mister commissioner. And let me just read this citation, this resolution.

Stand right up here. City of Boston and city council. Official resolution presented by the city councilor the city councilors, including councilor Menard Culpepper. Bid resolve that this Boston City Councilor offers its congratulations to fire commissioner and chief Rodney Marshall. In recognition of Rodney Marshall on his historic appointment as Boston's fire commissioner who became the first black fire commission commissioner to lead the department in its nearly three hundred and fifty year history.

A thirty five year veteran of the Boston Fire Department, commissioner Marso has demonstrated exceptional leadership rising through the range from firefighter to chief of operations. His distinguished career includes lifesaving heroism, a lasting commitment to expanding opportunity through the department's cadet program. His appointment reflects a dedication to public service and continued commitment to protecting Boston. Be it further resolved that the Boston City Council extend its best wishes for your continued success that this resolution being duly signed by the president of the city council and attested to a copy there transmitted by the clerk of the city of Boston, president of the council Elizabeth Braden offered by Menard Culpepper and its council colleagues, 05/01/2026. Give them a big round of applause.

Let me just correct that. Y'all didn't catch that. It's 05/20/2026. Thank you. Thank

you. You. Good

afternoon. Madam president, thank you for having me here. Councilor Culpepper, thank you for having me here. I'm very honored to be in front of this, esteemed body today. And, it's fitting that we have some young folk in the audience today because I don't know if you guys know my story, but like I said, when I was growing up, I didn't see people that looked like me on the fire department.

So it was never something that I wanted to pursue. But I would in saying that, I would say to you, keep all your options open because my original goal was to be a a police officer. Fire department was not in in my line of sight, but it was a true calling to me when I did accept this job. And it is something that it's like I said, it's a calling and it's something that resonates in my soul to be able to help the citizens of the city of Boston. And I would just say, like I said, keep your options open because you never know which way your life is gonna turn and it might be something like I said that's not on your radar but something that's meant for you is gonna come your way and God is always in your corner and he's gonna guide you to that point.

So in saying that, congratulations to you guys, and and I hope that you all have esteemed careers, you'll be a a guiding light to someone that's coming up behind you. Thank you.

Would all my colleagues please join us?

Thank you, Councillor Culpepper, and congratulations again to Fire Commissioner Rodney Marshall. Mister Clerk, could you please amend the the attendance to reflect that councillors Warell and councillor Santana have joined us? We are now on to the first order of business, which is the approval of the minutes from the meeting of 05/13/2026. All in favor say aye. All opposed say nay.

The ayes have it. The minutes of the May 13 meeting are approved. We are now on to communications from our honor, the mayor. Mister clerk, could you please read dockets, ten thirty and ten thirty one.

Docket number 1030, message not authorizing the city of Boston to appropriate the amount of $47,120,292 for the purposes of funding the snow winter management appropriation to meet operating expenses of the fiscal period commencing 07/01/2025 and ending 06/30/2026. Docket number 1031. Message and order authorizing the city of Boston to appropriate the amount of $22,845,672 for purposes of funding Boston Public Schools to meet operating expenses of the fiscal period commencing 07/01/2025 and ending 06/30/2026. This appropriation request was approved by the Boston School Committee on 05/06/2026 and is intended to cover projected deficits and health insurance, $18,087,750 and utility spending, dollars $4,757,922.

Thank you. Dockets one zero three zero and one zero three one will be referred to the committee on ways and means. Mister clerk, could you please read docket one zero three two?

Docket number one zero three two, message in order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $2,520,000 in the form of a grant, youth works grant awarded by the Mass Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant would fund a summer and school year jobs program that will provide leadership development skills training and career exploration for low income at risk youth ages 14 through 25 years old.

Thank you. The chair recognizes councilor Worrell. Councilor, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. This is a $2,500,000 grant for youth work to support low income youth and young adults aged 14 to 25 in skill building, industry exposure, and mentorship in both summer twenty twenty six and the twenty twenty six to twenty twenty seven school year. The Office of Workforce Development selected six recipients for this funding, included Action for Boston Community Development, the the Boston Private Industry Council, Fresh Film Films, the Wentworth Institute of Technology, Youth Employment and Opportunity, and Youth Options Unlimited. Collectively, this funding will help these groups serve approximately 694 youth with career building and mentorship resources. I know this is a large dollar amount, but we know exactly what the youth job program is.

We know it works. We just heard from the office of workforce development earlier this month on this program, and we should continue to fund them. Also, I'm asking for a suspension and passage of this docket. Thank you.

Thank you. Councillor Woyle seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket zero three two. All in favor say aye. Aye. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket one zero three two?

Councillor Braden? Yes. Councillor Braden, yes. Councillor Coletta Zapata? Councillor Culpepper? Yes. Councillor Culpepper, yes. Councillor Durkin? Yes. Councillor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald? Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald? Councillor Flynn? Yes. Council Flynn. Yes. Council Lujan. Yes. Council Lujan. Yes. Council Mihir. Council Mihir. Yes. Council Murphy. Yes. Councilor Murphy. Councilor Councilor Pippen. Yes. Councilor Santana. Yes. Councilor Santana. Councilor Weber.

Yes.

Councilor Weber, yes. And Council Worrell?

Yes.

Council Worrell, yes. Docket number one zero three two has received 12 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you. Docket one zero three two has passed. Mister Clerk, could you please read docket ten thirty three?

Docket number 1033, message in order authorizing the City of Boston to accept an expended amount of $178,000 in a form of a grant, the Ray Fellowship Grant awarded by the Barr Foundation to to be administered by the Environment Department. The grant will fund a two year paid fellowship that provides recent college graduates from historically underrepresented communities with the professional experience, mentorship, and leadership development needed to launch careers in the environmental sector.

Thank you. The chair recognizes consular O'Rail, the chair of the committee on labor economic development. Consular, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. The Ray fellowship is an $178,000 grant intended to fund a two year pay fellowship that provides recent college graduates from historically underrepresented communities with the professional experience, mentorship, and leadership development needed to launch careers in the environmental sector. The climate analytics fellow will work with the environmental department to help shape and execute a research agenda to answer emerging questions in climate policy and implementation. I'm asking for suspension and passage of this docket. Thank you.

Councillor O'Brien seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket ten thirty three. All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed say nay. Thank you. Docket one zero three three has passed. Mister Clerk, could you please read docket one zero three four?

Docket number 1034, a message in order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expand the amount of a $100,000 in the form of a grant, sports and entertainment events fund grant awarded by the Mass Executive Office of Economic Development to be administered by the office of tourism. The grant would fund the city's plan to activate neighborhoods through watch parties to reflect the diversity and spirit of our communities. Each will feature a live match broadcast, family and youth oriented programming, and opportunities for local small businesses to participate as food vendors. Watch parties are tentative pending matchup finalization. All watch parties will be held on City of Boston property.

The city plans to hold six watch parties supported by this

grant. Thank you. Docket one zero three four will referred to the committee on arts, culture, enter oh, I beg your pardon. The chair recognizes Consolu Le Vigene, the chair on the committee on arts, culture, entertainment, tourism, and and special events.

Thank you, madam president. I move for suspension and passage of this grant. This is a time when grant funding is so important for our city, and this is money, free money that we're getting from the state to activate neighborhoods through watch parties that really is going to help make sure something that I care about deeply that all of our neighborhoods will be able to celebrate the World Cup as it comes here. There'll be each will feature a live match broadcast. There'll be a lot of programming and opportunities for our local small businesses to make sure that they are also getting some of the economic revenue that is that is created as a result of the World Cup.

So I look forward to these watch parties in our neighborhood, and I look forward I know that our our neighborhoods and residents are looking forward to these as well for the number of games. The biggest one being Haiti versus Brazil, which will be right which will be here. And over when Cape Verde plays, it's gonna be a watch party likely in Dorchester. So there's a lot for our our neighborhoods and our people to be celebrating, and I'm excited that these grants get to go out the door to help make that happen. Thank you.

Thank you. Councillor Louis Jen seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket number ten thirty four. All in favor please say aye. Aye. All opposed say nay. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket ten thirty four?

Councillor Library?

Yes.

Councillor Brayden, yes. Councillor Coletta Zapata. Councillor Culpepper. Councillor Culpepper, yes. Councillor Durkin? Yes. Councillor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald? Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald, yes. Councillor Flynn? Yes. Councillor Lujan?

Yes.

Council Lujan, yes. Council Mihir. Council Mihir, yes. Council Murphy? Yes. Council Murphy, yes. Council Bippen? Yes. Council Bippen, yes. Council Santana? Yes. Council Santana? Council Weber? Yes. Council Weber, yes. And Council Worrell?

Yes.

Council Worrell, yes. Docket number 1034 has received 12 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, docket one zero three four has passed. Mister Clerk, could you please read docket one zero three five?

Docket number 1035. Message and order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $24,095 in the form of a grant for fiscal year twenty four Paul Coverdell forensic science improvement awarded by the United States Department of Justice passed through the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory to be administered by the police department. The grant will fund training and continuing education for forensic examiners, criminalists, and laboratory personnel.

Thank you. Docket one zero three five will be referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice. Mister Clerk, could you please read docket one zero three six?

Docket number one zero three six, message in authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expand an in kind donation valued at $428.67, representing the cost of tabling at the Boston Pride for the People Pride Festival to the mayor's office of LGBTQIA two s plus advancement by Boston Pride for the People. The purpose of this donation is to support the city's participation in the twenty twenty six Boston Pride for the People celebration. This table will enable the mayor's office of LGBTQIA two s plus advancement to promote city programs and events, distribute resources, and directly engage with residents during pride.

Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn. Councillor Flynn, you have the floor. Beg your pardon, that's right. Councillor Flynn, did you wish to speak on this matter?

No.

No. Okay. This will this will be referred to I'm sorry. I've got the wrong chair of the wrong committee here. Beg your pardon.

The chair I'm I'm rather confused. It's it says Councillor Flynn, but he's not the chair of human services.

Neighbourhood services? City services?

Yes. If it

was going in there, I would move to suspend and pass just because it's a small amount of money. It

should be going to the Human Services.

Sorry

for the confusion. Councillor Murphy, you have the floor.

Thank you. Councillor Flynn could have also spoken on it. That would have been fine. But I would like to suspend a pass. I hope my colleagues join me in voting in favour of it. Thank you.

Thank you. Councillor Murphy seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket docket ten thirty six. All in favor say aye.

Aye. Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket ten thirty six?

Councillor Braiden. Yes. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Coletta Zapata. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Culpepper. Councillor Durkin. Yes. Fitzgerald. Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald. Councillor Flynn. Yes. Council Flynn. Yes. Council Lujan.

Yes.

Council Lujan. Yes. Council Mihiel. Yes. Council Mihiel. Yes. Council Murphy.

Yes.

Council Murphy. Yes. Council Mapin. Yes. Council Mapin. Yes. Council Santana. Yes. Council Santana. Council Weber? Yes. Councillor Weber, yes. And Councillor O'Rell?

Yes.

Councillor O'Rell, yes. Docket number 1036 has received 12 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you. Docket one zero three six has passed. Mr. Clerk, could you please read dockets ten thirty seven through ten forty one? 104 one zero four zero.

Docket number 1037. Message in order for the confirmation of the appointment of Vineet Gupta as an alternative member of the Boston Landmarks Commission for a term expiring 06/30/2026. Docket number 1038. Message in order for the confirmation of the appointment of Susan Cogganian as a member of the Boston Landmarks Commission for a term expiring 06/30/2020 docket number 1039. Message in order for the confirmation of appointment of Susan Goganyan as a member of the Four Point Channel Landmark District Commission for a term expiring 06/30/2026 and docket number 1040.

Message in order for the confirmation of the appointment of Kathleen Conner as a member of the Back Bay Architectural District Commission for a term expiring 12/31/2026.

Thank you. Dockets zero 1037 through 1040 will be referred to the committee on planning, development, and transportation. Mister Turk, could you please read docket 1041?

Docket number 1041, message transmitting certain information under section 17 f relative to BPS student athlete school transfer policies. Docket number zero six nine eight passed by the city council 04/01/2026.

Thank you. Dockets 104141. 1041 will be placed on file. We are now on to reports of public officers and others. Mister Clerk, could you please read dockets one zero four two through one zero five two?

Docket number one zero four two, notice received from the mayor of the appointment of Erica Chen as a member of the commemoration commission effective immediately. Docker number 1043, notice of receipt from the mayor of the appointment of Catherine Davis Wheeler as a member of the commemoration commission effective immediately. Docket number 1044. Notice was received from the mayor. The appointment of Kay Salzman as a member of the commemoration commission effective immediately.

Docket number 1045. Notice was received from the city clerk in accordance with chapter six of the ordinances of 1979 regarding action taken by the mayor and papers acted upon by the city council at its meeting on 05/06/2026. Docker number 1046. Communication was received from the Boston Air Pollution Control Commission regarding the building emissions reduction and disclosure ordinance regulations and the statements of fiscal effect and small business impact report. Docket number 1047.

Communication received from Timothy Smith, executive director of the Boston Retirement Board regarding a notice of a retirement board election for a vacant re for vacant retirement board seats. Docket number 1048, communication received from councilor Murphy regarding selective blocking of late file matters. And docket number 1049, communication received from councilors Minnie Yard Culpepper and Brian Worrell regarding their absence from the 05/15/2026 Blue Hill Avenue bus ride along. Docking number 1050. Communication received from councilor Flint regarding a recent violation on the Boston Housing Authority from the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board.

Docket number ten fifty one. Communication received from council Weber regarding initial thoughts from the chair on how the amendment process would work. Docket number ten fifty two, communication received from Masstad regarding temporary closures of Summit Street.

Thank you. Dockets number ten forty two through ten fifty two will be placed on file. We are now on to matters recently heard. Mr Clerk, could you please read dockets seven thirty three through seven forty seven? The chair recognizes Councillor Weber, the chair of Western I beg your pardon. Mr. Clerk, you do your reading first and we'll recognize the chair.

Dockets number seven thirty three through seven thirty five, orders for the fiscal year twenty seven operating budget including annual appropriations for departmental operations for the school department and other post employment benefits also known as OPEB. Docket number 0736Through0737. Orders for capital fund transfer appropriations. Docket number 0738 through 0740. Orders for the capital budget, including loan orders and lease purchase agreements.

And docket number 0747, message and not approving in order authorizing a limit for the Boston Census for Youth and Families revolving fund for fiscal year twenty seven twenty twenty seven to pay salaries and benefits of employees and to purchase supplies and equipment necessary to operate the city hall childcare. This revolving fund shall be credited with any no receipts from tuition paid by parents and guardians of children enrolled at the center. Receipts and resulting expenditures from this fund shall not exceed $1,100,000.

Thank you. The chair recognizes Councilor Weber, the chair of Ways and Means. You have the floor.

Okay. Thank you very much Madam President. Last week, the committee on ways and means held two hearings, one with a strong Boston vets and the office of returning citizens under the human services cabinet, and another hearing with the elections department. This week, we also held hearings with leadership from the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, and Boston Public Libraries. We heard about more painful cuts to a lot of services that we hold dear and calls for restoration for those those cuts.

The good news is that the city council has a tool to deliver for Boston residents. We spoke we had a working session today where we this morning where we talked about next steps. In terms of tools, in 2021, the Boston voters gave the city council the power to amend the budget. Gone were the days when the city council went through the charade of rejecting the budget only to accept whatever the mayor refiled. Instead, Boston residents handed us a tool to do the work and deliver a budget that better reflects the needs of our constituents.

Now we and are talking about just rejecting the budget again. Why? Because we want the mayor to make our jobs easier for us. The argument is that rejecting the budget would give the mayor an opportunity to less conservatively budget revenue, pull from reserves, or move money around to restore vital programs like youth jobs. She would have seven days to do this, which keeps us on a timeline to amend the budget.

However, the mayor has made it clear that she will just resubmit the same budget or a smaller one because state aid is less than expected. Why would she resubmit the same budget? Because unlike under Mannino or Flynn or White, the mayor doesn't need our support. It is our job, if we have a problem with the budget, to amend it and override her vetoes if we have nine votes. So a rejection now would be a gesture, just one with potentially serious consequences, and the hard work will still remain for us to do one week from now.

But let's say the mayor does decide to increase the size of the budget by either increasing revenue, dipping into reserves, or dipping into funds like the parking meter fund. I deeply respect the advocates who have helped come up with these ideas, and I share the same goal, restore as much of the grant funding as possible. But I don't want that to come at the expense of our financial future. I hear you and you really do understand the argument that investing in things like new jobs and access to counsel are cost savings in the long run. However, unfortunately, we can't just add money to the budget without putting our city in a potentially worse financial situation.

Dipping into reserves to pay for recurring programs or artificially inflating revenue projections would possibly erode our triple a bond rating, something the city has spent years building toward. For example, Moody's looks for an unassigned fund balance of 30% or more of the total operating budget. If we approve the $70,000,000 supplemental appropriation for the f y twenty six budget that's before us right now, our fund balance would be $530,000,000. That's 24%. Inflating revenue and spending reserves for recurring programs are exactly why New York City and San Francisco had their economic outlooks downgraded by the rating agencies.

Moreover, additional funds would not go toward our priorities, but would more likely go to items we know have been under budgeted like police overtime. So even if the budget was artificially inflated we would likely have to amend the budget to move these funds to pay for our priorities like youth jobs anyway. And we will be calling for less conservative revenue projections in the same meeting that the mayor has filed two supplemental appropriation orders to withdraw $70,000,000 from reserves to cover the f y twenty six deficit. Do you know why we have a deficit? Because our projections of our revenue and of our expenses for FY twenty six were off by $70,000,000.

And unlike but you know but unlike most cities and towns, the reason why a $70,000,000 deficit isn't a cause for mass hysteria in Boston is because we have spent years budgeting conservatively, allowing the city to handle shocks like terrible winters and rising health care costs without needing mass layoffs or a tax override. The budget is $4,900,000,000. Our residents on fixed incomes are already struggling with rising property tax bills. They're struggling to fill up their gas tanks and to keep food on the table. This body's response should not be just inflate the budget so we do not have to do our jobs to review the budget and make the hard choice to meet the moment.

From where I stand, the options in front of us are one, do the jobs we are elected to do by reviewing and amending the budget or two, abdicate our duties and request that the mayor either do our jobs for us or worse, engage in conduct that will hurt our bond rating, lower our reserves, increase the likelihood of an operating deficit of the fiscal of fiscal 2027, and just kick the can down the road on hard choices. And maybe mortgage the future of the kids we are supposedly trying to help for our own short term political gain. I think we should go with option one. Either way, I hope we can preserve our ability to amend the budget to ensure that youth jobs, housing vouchers, the equity cabinet, small business grants, and access to council budget. This morning, we talked about conversations the chair of the ways and means committee has had with the mayor.

This amendment process is a negotiation with the mayor and every ways and means chair is in conversation with the mayor and her office during the budget process. You can ask our our prior chairs of the Ways and Means Committee. For me, this is about what we can agree to as a body. The budget is in our hands. We shouldn't give up control of it.

The difficult part of the amendment process is reaching consensus on where we were willing to take the money from to fund amendments. Regardless of a rejection, I do want to reiterate the budget ends with us. We make the decision and it's our job to do the hard work. Regardless of which road we take, we are still going to have to sit down as a group and figure out whether we are serious about finding a way to restore these cuts in a way that puts the city on sound financial footing for the long run. For those reasons, I recommend that these matters stay in committee. Thank you.

Thank you. Chair recognizes consular Worrell. Consular, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. And for me, this is about whether this council, will use, all the tools, that we have before us, to fight for what we've heard over the course of a month and a half. When the mayor filed this budget, it came before the benefit of the public process that the chair of Ways and Means ran, more than a month of hearings, testimony, and a whole lot of resident feedback. It came before this council had the full record of what these cuts would mean. Now we have that record.

The amendment power was created to get this council more power, not to limp not to limit us to one form of power. Before the charter amendment, rejecting the budget was one of this body's tools. The amendment process added power. It did not replace it. Residents have been clear they do not want fewer youth jobs, less housing support, or cuts to food justice, arts and culture, veteran services, a strong, or the complete defunding of human rights.

And while services are being cut, homeowners are still facing double digit property tax increases. People are being asked to pay more and get less, and that is a hard message to defend. I understand that this is a difficult fiscal year, but a difficult fiscal year cannot mean the public speaks for a month and nothing changes. The administration has tools that this council simply does not have. They can and should increase revenue estimates to better reflect reality.

We have underestimated revenue an average of more than $200,000,000 per year for the past four years. Last year, the forecast revenue that was inside of the budget book for f y twenty seven was $5,020,000,000. We are usually conservative on our estimates and this year we are ultra conservative. And we cannot address that revenue projection. This body cannot.

Only the mayor can. Another tool is raining in areas that the mayor can overspend without council oversight. That's overtime and snowing winter management. We have no tools to restrict spending in those areas, but the mayor does. But we have a tool.

It's our vote. Rejecting this budget today does not end collaboration. It gives the mayor the opportunity now that we have heard from the public, now that we have heard from councillors to come back with a budget that better respects all of our stakeholders. If the mayor chooses not to restore these priorities, we still have the amendment process and by the timeline and schedule that the chair laid out, we will still be on time. But this folks gives us leverage before we get there.

The public came here asking us to use our power. Today, using our power means sending this budget back and asking for a stronger one that that reflects the testimonies, the emails, the conversations we have that have been done through this budget process. So I'd like to ask for the suspension of rule 24 to call for a vote to reject the budget.

Thank you. So, Councillor Warrell, you're asking to suspend rule 24. We have a second, Councillor Mejia. Mister clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on councillor Orell's motion to suspend the rules and pass

suspend

and rule 20 override the Chair. Order to pursuant to Rule 24, we cannot vote on a matter within sixty days without the Chair's consent. So Councillor Gorel is asking to suspend rule 24 and overrule the chair's consent. So Mr Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on the motion to suspend rule 24? We're taking a vote on the motion to suspend rule 24.

And we'll see how that goes. Reject the overruled In order order order to over to rule the consent of the chair, we have to have a vote of nine two thirds majority. Council Meehan.

Thank you, madam president. Before we dive into the little voting situation here, is that I feel like oftentimes we don't really get an opportunity to talk openly and transparently. So if we're going to because most likely this vote is gonna die because you know nobody's gonna wanna have the real conversation. So because of that, at what point will this party start demonstrating our ability to actually speak?

Yeah. Councilor Ming, yeah. First things first. We have to we have to overrule rule 24. No. No. The no. The only thing we're talking about now is rule 24. No. And then we then we have the vote on the on the on the matter.

Because we're we're here protecting No.

This is leaking. No. Mister Clerk Mister Excuse me. I'm calling Please. No. We're not having a reset. You want

us to clarify with our central staff so that we know we're on the same page?

The chair of the Ways and Means Committee has recommended that these dockets stay and remain in committee. Councillor Worrell has proposed that we suspend rule 24 and that we bring the docket number 0733 up for a vote, and we haven't got there yet. The procedure is have to suspend rule 24.

Said that we can speak.

We cannot rule 24.

Yeah, we can.

We reserve the right to Hold on a second. It is my ruling as chair that the motion to suspend rule 24 is proper. We can do it. Rule 24 applies to committee reports, green sheets and votes within sixty days without the consent of the chair, including from matters recently heard. Right. Rule 46 allows for all rules beyond the listed exceptions within that rule to be suspended with a two thirds vote, including rule 24. Right. So I

So the the So let me go back. I I'm gonna need my official translator here to help me out. What I am trying to understand, consul president, is at what point are we allowed to debate why we are supporting the suspension?

When we when that matter actually comes up. Right?

But but the next

No. But we can do it now so everybody that's watching understands why we're taking the vote that we're taking as it relates to this particular motion that is up for

consideration It will right come up.

No, come on Michelle, tell her. Reserve the right to speak.

Okay. Thank you. The motion that we're discussing right now is Rule 24.

That's right. And I'm here to speak on that.

And that's the that's the focus of this conversation.

That's

it. So we can debate that. Yep. And then go on to their to a vote on the rule 24. So, councillor Bahia, have

the Thank you. See, this is why I think it's really important for everybody who's paying attention to understand how procedural tactics prevent people from being fully expressed. And so as it relates to this particular discussion, because what my the chair, has talked about the the dangers of us of of doing anything aside from the amendment process. And I wanna be clear that in 2021, when then mayor Wu was a city councilor, she says, quote and unquote, the administration chooses to run out the clock with impeding fears of layoffs and cuts, and our role first is to tell the truth. Just because some might think it is unlikely or hard to come to a better agreement than moving a provisional budget temporarily does not mean it's acceptable for us to hide that option under a veil of fear mongering with administration officials falsely suggesting to city workers that they will be laid off immediately starting July 1.

While the timing of the vote and the situation she's referring to in this quote is different from today, the overarching themes are still the same. In June 2020, then councilor Wu pointed out that the council should not be afraid to vote down the operating budget just because the narrative being spun by the administration and the fear mongering in that narrative. I say that to say that the vote that we're about to take gives us the power that we fought for, and that is to have a voice in the budget making process. And so therefore, the motion to allow us to reject the budget today allows us to do our job without fear mongering. And therefore, for me, right, I want to stand up in support of councilor Morell's motion, and I think we should let democracy play out.

We only need nine votes for us to be able to to do the people's work in this chamber, and therefore, is why I'm raising up to speak freely and making sure that we do our jobs and people pay attention to how narratives get hijacked.

Thank you, councilor Mahia. Councilor Murphy, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. I do wanna rise to say I support this going forward, and I also reject the notion from the chair that this is the easy way out or in any way this is not wanting to do our work, our job. I see that as the complete opposite. The purpose of the budget hearings, we've gone through more than half of them, is to hear from the departments directly. We've heard also from the community and those who have been impacted from the cuts and already are worried about what's going to happen to their neighbors themselves, their community, and their family.

So I believe this body needs to use the power that we do have. The amendment process did not take away power. It's just an extra added level, and we can always we have time. We're not a vote today is not gonna say we may not come back. But do we wanna support our seniors? Do we want youth jobs? Do we want our firefighters, our first responders to have the tools that they need, or do we want to have to pull from other departments? Because the only thing we'll be able to do if we only use our amendment power is take from other departments. And we already know, because we've heard from most of them already, they've already been asked to take cuts. So I want to make sure the public understands that if we only use the amendment process, it means we're going to have to ask for certain departments.

And as of today, I'm still not confident that the chair isn't gonna allow us to choose which departments it comes from. So I believe that we should take that vote, ask the mayor to do what we know she can do, give us a better budget that we can actually work with, and then we will work on amendments. So I am standing in support of that vote. Thank you.

Thank you. Chair recognizes councilor, Durkin. Councilor, you have the floor.

Thank you so much. If I'm believing my ears, right now, there are folks advocating for fiscal responsibility. And I they're also advocating, in my opinion, for us to not really harness the power of the twenty one twenty twenty one charter amendment. Boston voters I mean, were approved question one, amending the city's charter and granting the city council the authority to amend the mayor's proposed annual budget. What I'm hearing today is that people don't wanna make hard decisions, and it's the historic expansion of this body's powers should be fully utilized.

I'm also hearing there is some disrespect for the chair. I wanna thank the chair for all of his work. It is not easy work. We know we I've this is my third budget, and this is not easy work. I will obviously be voting no, today, and I think, it's really important, that we stick together, that we have, we had a working session this morning. I I think it's hard for us to get into a productive space when these are the narratives that are being thrown. And I think it's really important. I think that Boston residents are asking us to lead with fiscal responsibility. They're asking us to make decisions. I I can see places for cuts, and I can see places for restoration.

I'm just asking my colleagues to come to the table with that in mind, and I wanna thank, chair Weber. I'll be voting no to suspend rule 24. Thank you.

The chair recognizes consular Flynn. Consular, you have the floor. Thank you, madam chair.

During these challenging times in our city, in our country, we must demonstrate fiscal discipline, fiscal responsibility, accountability, and transparency. Additionally, I believe that we can't balance the budget on the back of veterans, military families, cutting services for veterans of military families, cutting health and wellness programs for firefighters, or cuts to our seniors. People often say a budget is about your values. It's a reflection of your values. And I don't disagree with them, but I but then I say, let me see the budget, and then I'll tell you what your values are.

But I have to go on record and continue to advocate for veterans and military families against cuts and services for our veterans against cuts for health and wellness, cancer screening for firefighters and seniors and other programs that support persons with disabilities as well. Yes. We're here in a very difficult situation. Every city councilor has to make up their own mind on what they think is best for the residents of Boston. But the bottom line for me is I'm going to continue to do everything I can in this city to ensure that people that help build the city, whether it's our first responders, our veterans, our our seniors, working class residents, that they are treated with respect.

And I think that's important that's an important part of government is listening to residents, hearing them, and trying to make your vote based on what you hear in the community. What you hear at I was in Roxbury over the weekend at a veterans event, Gaudin Park, listened to residents. The other night, was at West Roxbury at an event listening to residents in in the South End all weekend, five events. I was in Boston Common last night at a walk through. Residents want basic city services.

They want neighborhood services. They want us to address quality of life issues. They want us to deal with the bread and butter issues of city government, fixing potholes, supporting our students, fighting for veterans, fighting for those without a voice in government. I'm gonna base my vote on what I have heard directly from the residents of Boston. Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you. Councillor Flynn, Councillor Fitzgerald, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. I'll reiterate what I said earlier at the working session this morning. The city of Boston is on shaky fiscal ground and the projections that we see, not just this current year or upcoming fiscal year, but even in fiscal years ahead of us, show even less and less growth and less and less revenue, only making the decisions we're talking about today whether we amend and what do we pull from from even harder and harder in the future. One reason I will support taking this vote to the floor is because it is our duty to apply pressure to the administration when we see that the city of Boston is trending in the wrong direction on a lot of statistical data. And so I think it's important for us to understand that it's our job to see that, and we have a moment right now before things actually turn to get really bad because otherwise, all we're left with, guys, is that next year, we'll have $50,000,000 less than what we're fighting over today.

And the year after that, it could be 50,000,000 less. And so we're gonna have this argument about amendments about what to pull from what when every single department is gonna be feeling the strain of these overall less revenue going on. I don't see a plan to change what has got us to this point, and that's what concerns me. Whether it's how to create new growth and development policies, whether it's to cut from bloated middle management or overlapping departments that were created or were filled in more. I think there's efficiencies that could be had in the private sector. When revenue is down, you right size the company. And I think that's what has to happen.

And that will that if

that falls on us, that's our job. But our duty is to look out for the city that I love and grew up in and to make sure we continue to be fiscally responsible in the future. And I think right now, with the way it's trending, we're not doing that, And it is our job to apply pressure to hopefully make some changes where we can change that, where we will have growth and we will have money. And the arguments we can have is how much money do we wanna give to each department, not how much money do we have to take for each department. So with that, I welcome the vote on the floor, and and I hope to work with the administration to find better places to cut than the budget we were handed because I think the budget we were handed, is not the best work and where to cut from as we should see. Thank you.

Thank you, councilor Fitzgerald. The chair recognizes councilor Pepin. You have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. And I hate to reiterate everything that has been said on the floor already by all my colleagues, and it's that we are in a very tough financial situation. We are gonna have to become very fiscally conservative moving forward, not only because of what's happening in the city but across the country. We've already know the priorities of the federal government. We already see that our residents have had their tax increased, and our spending and our cost of materials and everything in across the city, including health care, is only increasing.

And we also have to notice that in this very same meeting earlier today, the mayor's budget proposal that we have to request to spend almost $70,000,000 out of reserves for snow management and BPS health care costs. Two two things that can possibly come again in years to come. Today, I don't think we should vote to reject this budget because that is not a proper solution. The solution for us to find ways that we can restore youth jobs, restore the MOAC grants, restore if it's housing vouchers, it is truly through the amendment process, and that is something that we haven't even started. I wanna be able to work with my colleagues to say, where do we wanna pull our money from?

Where do we wanna make sure that we are reallocating budget? Because our people, they're hurting. We're all hearing from all of our districts. And if we reject the budget, if we reject what's right now from the mayor, what's gonna happen is send it back to the mayor. She can literally respond in an hour and says, here's the same exact budget.

Do something with it. She doesn't have She only has seven days. So for us to say, we are just not gonna start amending the process now, that looks irresponsible on our behalf. We need to start truly doing our jobs. I call on chair Weber to and central staff and all of our offices to work together to come up with an amendment package so that we can have an actual tangible solution without kicking the can down the road and saying we're gonna apply pressure when we have already literally gotten a response from the marriage administration saying that she's not gonna change this budget.

So I call on all of our colleagues and our offices to work together because that is what our residents deserve. We are in a very tough situation and if we truly wanna restore youth jobs, if we truly care about housing vouchers, we need to stop finger pointing. We need to stop saying, oh, you gotta figure it out. No. We need to figure it out. We need to start working on amendments. We need to start making some tough decisions because tough decisions have to be made this year. Thank you.

Thank you, councilor Pepin. Chair recognizes councilor Culpepper. Councilor, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam chair. Madam chair, amending rule 24 to reject this budget is not about rejecting government. It's about demanding a budget that does not force us to choose between vulnerable groups, neighborhoods, or essential services. It is about saying clearly that the public spoke. We heard from them, and we are willing to act accordingly.

This does not take away our power to amend the budget. We cannot be afraid in this moment. We cannot accept the budget that undermines the livelihoods of our most vulnerable residents. Over the course of these budget hearings, have heard directly from residents, advocates, service providers, workers, family, seniors, youth, small businesses, and community organizations across the city. People took time out of their lives to come to city hall because they believed their voices mattered and because they believed that this body would listen.

And what we heard consistently is that this budget is forcing impossible choices between vulnerable communities and essential services. We're being asked to cut senior programming while older adults are living longer and facing rising costs. We're being asked to accept reduction in immigrant services, women's advancement, youth programming, violence prevention, and equity initiatives at the same time that residents are telling us they demand those services need to be increased, not decreased. This is not a position this council should be comfortable accepting. Our responsibility is not simply to move a budget forward because it arrived before us.

Our responsibility is to evaluate whether this budget reflects the needs and priorities of the people that we represent, and I represent the people of District 7. And when residents repeatedly come before us to say they are worried about losing childcare, senior services, community grants, housing assistance, youth opportunities, public health resources, we have an obligation to take those concerns seriously. If we do not, then what message are we sending to the public? Are we telling residents that participating in government changes nothing? That showing up to hearings, testifying, organizing, and speaking out has no impact on the decision made in this chamber.

And one final point, madam president, that bothers me, and councilor Peppin referenced in referenced at $70,000,000. I just wanna read this to you. The expenses related to this appropriation are considered extraordinarily one time in nature as nonrecurring cost of the city. And this is what bothers me. Are we saying that snowstorms are one time in nature non recurring costs? Certainly not. We know it's gonna snow next year. How can we say that nonrecurring costs one time in nature knowing that next year it's going to snow?

The chair recognizes Councillor Santana. Councillor Santana, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. I first wanna just start off by thanking our chair ways and means, councillor Weber, for the process that he's been running. I know this is not an easy position. I will not be supporting this motion. Simple because I think all of us have heard from community.

I think everyone has said how much we've heard from community. We've heard the testimony. I know I've been very vocal, about our youth jobs, and year round jobs, for our youth, and how I cannot support a budget, that defunds, $5,900,000 from youth jobs. With that being said, I think we have a job to do. I think there are many counselors here who weren't here back when this amendment power was given to the council who fought for this fought for this responsibility.

And I think it is our job right now to listen to the residents, the people as councilor Culpepper mentioned, who took the time to come to City Hall to meet us in our neighborhoods, and we should use our amendment powers. And I know I've been working closely with the chair to make sure that youth jobs and near run jobs are gonna be of a part of a package that we we that we put together. So I encourage my colleagues to not vote in support of this. I think an amending a package or amending a budget is a form of rejection. We're saying that this budget as is doesn't meet the needs of our city.

And I am also as I said, youth jobs, the grant funding, housing, those are all things that if we get nine of us together, we can put a package together that we can send back to the mayor that reflects the values of our city. So I know that's what I've been elected to do. I know that's what I'm hearing from my residents. I'm hearing from the youth that they wanna see amend they wanna see some of these cuts restored. And I think it's on us, especially if you get nine of our colleagues to work together, to put a package together that we can send back to the mayor.

I think there are political games being played here, and I'm tired of it. I think we are all politicians. I get it. We get it. But rejecting the budget does not make money money money just appear. Right? We have a job to do. I know I work with all of y'all very closely. I know how much we all care about our residents. I know how much we care about our families and our youth. And I really wish that we can put the political games aside and really work together and have nine people who can work with the chair to put amendment package together that we can send back to the mayor. Thank you, madam president.

Thank you, consular Santana. The chair recognizes consular Mejia.

Yes. Thank you, madam president. And I just wanna note that for the record, you know, the globe had an opinion piece from community stating and asking us to actually reject Mayor Wu's budget. Therefore, if we are doing our jobs of listening to the people that put us in these chairs, then what we are ultimately doing is listening to the people that we serve and doing just that. And I wanna be really clear about our job because there's been a lot of rhetoric about us kicking it down the can.

But what we're trying to do is demonstrate that we have political courage and will to actually do our jobs without fear of retaliation. And making sure that the narrative does not get hijacked. Because for those folks who are paying attention, we're not losing our ability to amend the budget. What we're doing is strengthening the integrity of this body by demonstrating that we can reject the mayor's budget, continue the amendment process, and fight to restore those jobs because what we're not going to do is continue to subsidize youth jobs with private partnerships and think that we gotta pass on that. Just be I just want everyone to start really paying attention to how business is being done because that's how they get you.

So I think people need to start being really honest about the politics that are being played and the tactics that people are using to spin the truth.

Thank you, councilor Mahia. Councilor Murphy, you have the floor.

Thank you. I just wanna end this false narrative that we're not doing our job if we take a vote today. We are all ready and know that we don't have a meeting next week. We wouldn't be voting on this until June anyway, and there's plenty of time. And I I can only speak for myself, but what I heard from my colleagues earlier is all of us are ready to roll up our sleeves, put forth amendments, which are due at the end of today, and continue to work for those things.

But how do we find $5,900,000 to restore youth jobs? Where are we gonna take that from? Police? Where are we gonna take it from when we wanna fully fund veterans if we don't ask for the mayor to say, give us a budget we can work with? Where it seems like we're more concerned about a high credit rating than we are about serving the people of Austin. So I think it is just a false narrative to say that we are not doing our job.

We are. Thank you, councillor Murphy. The chair recognizes councillor, Worrell.

Thank you, madam president. And ten ten of my colleagues have got up and spoke, and not one of them said this was a good budget. So what do we lose if we reject it? We still we still have the No crosstalk, please. We still have the amendment process where the work in sessions start on May 28.

That's when the working sessions for the amendments start. So we don't lose anything by rejecting this budget. The other thing we don't know what we gain. The other thing is if we can't reject the budget that we all do not think is a good budget, how do we get the nine votes to override the mayor? No.

We can't get to seven on a budget that we do not agree with. No one no one has got up and said this is a good budget, but we can't get to nine to reject what everyone has said. Every every 10 count all 10 councilors said this was not a good budget, and we cannot get to nine to vote down what we all consider not a good budget. Budget. How do we get to nine for overriding?

When it comes to cuts, we see a lot of cuts whether it's our food justice ecosystem not only experiencing cuts now on the city, but also we've seen places actually closing our neighborhood because of federal cuts. So I just wanna like we we need to put ourselves in the best position. And I don't know what the mayor will do, but there's an opportunity to all of us working together to make this budget better. And the only way that the mayor can help out in that process is if we send it back. And we lose we do not lose anything.

Thank you, councilor Weil. The chair recognizes councilor Weber. Councilor, you have the floor. Councilor Luigian? Councilor Luigian, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. I've started every hearing that I've attended, how disappointed I am on the cuts, especially the cuts that we've seen for our grants. I want full restoration of the cuts that we've seen, and I wanna work with the chair and with this body to make that happen. Disappointment after disappointment for youth jobs, for arts, for Moya, and we do have the ability to amend the budget. What is hard and why everything is being lost in conversation here is that in order for us to amend the budget, the power that the people gave us in 2021, the power that the people overwhelmingly gave us was amend the budget.

But in order to amend the budget, you also have to make sure you provide a balanced budget and cut from somewhere. That is hard work. The reason why it is hard to either get to seven or to get to nine is because you will see, and I'm I'm you know, hopefully, everyone stays along for the process because what happens is it is hard to get consensus on where to pull the money from. And I have always been a team player in the process of saying, alright. These are hard decisions, but if this is something you want, if we can rally the seven votes, if we can rally the nine votes to make this happen so that such that we don't have to care what the mayor that there's a word in which we don't have to care what the mayor thinks or what she does because we have nine votes to override her veto.

And the reason why and the but this is the tool that the people gave us. The tool that the people gave us was, yes, amend the budget. Here's your power on the budget, but there has to be a cut from somewhere. And so I you know, before I knew that this budget would be this had this many cuts to our our communities, to our neighborhoods, I was working in partnership with philanthropy. Before I knew that there would even be these cuts to support our communities, our immigrant communities, especially in the devastation that you've seen with ICE that all of us have seen, And I think that is also an avenue.

Government is important. It's because we need to do to do the work together and find the ways that we are working collectively together. But it's not through government alone, and I believe that this is the time for us to think about how we as collectively as a city solve hard problems. My first hearing on this body was about the city's authority to lean into its triple a bond rating to do the work of borrowing more money to get the schools that our kids deserve. And I'm never going to stop working on that.

I do think that there are ways for us to use the fiscal strength in our city to help our most vulnerable residents. And there have been there there are mechanisms of doing that without jeopardizing the strength of our city. I think that there are other cities that do dip into reserves in this way, and then you see them take a hit, and it makes it much more expensive for them to do business. We have this mechanism. I believe the chair, know, he stated it.

He's found more money than I thought we would be able to find to restore maybe to restore these cuts. And so what the hard work is going to be in the amendment process is whether seven or nine of us can do the hard work that the people of Boston gave us to do to amend this budget, and I am eager to have those conversations. I want us to have those conversations because that is where the hard work is and where the trade offs are and is the hard work that we have to do as a body. So thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go to councilor Weber. You're in the next light on. Councilor Weber, you have the floor.

Sure. Okay. Thank you again. I really I mean, I feel like we're all here just trying to figure out how to make a better budget and there's different ways to do it. You know, in terms of just voting to reject now, like, you know, I can't say for I can't speak for other people.

I tell people what what I can gain from this. What I gained by standing against rejection of the budget is that I can tell my constituents that I'm standing up for fiscally responsible positions that I can stand by. I'm not calling on the mayor to do something I would not want her to do, and that I am taking this job that I've and the duties we've been handed seriously, and I'm not using the budget as a tool to increase my popularity. Okay? So we all have tough choices to make.

You make a cut from somewhere, people aren't gonna be approval of that. But if you can use that cut and fund youth jobs, I really hope nine of us can come together and do make the sacrifices. We have the chance to make that sacrifice, you know, figure out how to do that and fund the things that we all care about. So, you know, it's I I I think when we we have to explain what we're doing, I wouldn't want them if the mayor on her own was trying to increase revenues artificially and spend down the reserves, I I hope we would do everything we could to stop her from doing that. I just asking her to do that is not what I want to see in our city. I want $4,900,000,000 to use it to provide the benefits our residents are asking for.

Thank you. Chair recognizes Councillor Durkin and then we'll go to Councillor Fitzgerald.

I just wanted to see if we had consensus to move

to a vote. Do we have a second? No. Let's continue. Councillor Fitzgerald.

Thank you. I just wanted to clarify. There's a difference. I want to do the amendment work. Right? I want to roll the sleeves up. I want to get into the amendments. However, I'm taking a long term view here and saying that if we don't put the pressure to change the underlying things, we will continue to deal with this. The amendment process is only gonna get harder in years to come because every department's gonna be on life support, And pulling from one might actually kill it, and and that's what this body is tasked to do. We have to pull from one to give back to another.

And so I I I just wanna clarify that I also think it's not fiscally responsible to chair Weber, and he's doing a great job. To it's not fiscally responsible to start off a fiscal year saying we're gonna pull from reserves. I understand at the end of a fiscal year, do we have to pull from reserves for unforeseen things? Sure. But to start off and say the so rejection is not to say, hey, raise revenue or pull from reserves, essentially.

It's really to say, fix the policies that got us into this place so we're not continuing to fall further down because otherwise, you know, we're shuffling the deck chairs and I just, I I don't wanna be continuing going on this ship if that's all due. These amendments actually this year and every year subsequent year after are actually gonna be very minor compared to the overall damage done. So, just wanna throw out that clarification. Thank you, madam president.

Thank you. Chair recognizes consular Flynn. Consular Flynn, you have the floor.

Thank thank you. And long before this debate started, I have consistently worked and advocated for fiscal discipline, fiscal responsibility, transparency, accountability. I informed the administration four years ago of the tough economic situation Boston is currently face is currently facing. That was four years ago. I kept I kept that lobbying effort.

I continued that because I know how important Boston's economy is to the residents of Boston. We have to, as councilor Fitzgerald mentioned, we have to make some difficult decisions in policy so we can get Boston back on strong financial ground again. But let me highlight one issue as it relates to the amendment process. And yes, we'll all participate in the amendment process. But when we pass the amendment at the city council, it goes to the mayor.

It doesn't necessarily mean the mayor is going to include that. We've had a debate now several years of the amendments that were passed. Do they actually get funded in in particular departments? We still don't have an answer to that. People know I called for amendment money that went into the crime lab.

Other people called for other amendments, but we don't have a specific answer. Did the amendment money actually go into this the the budget or was it ignored? I do believe the mayor has the ability to ignore our request even if we voted on it to put to put money in a certain department. Madam madam chair, I would like to respectfully ask Councillor Weber, does when we pass the amendments here

Councillor Fynn, with all due respect, I've given a lot of we're really having a very wide conversation. I don't want to get into a question And really the matter in front of us now is whether we vote suspend rule 24. Respect that. Like to out of respect for it, want everybody to have their say and then we'll move to a vote. Thank you.

I respect the process, But my my point is I'm uncertain if we pass the amendment here at the city council. Does the mayor is is the mayor guaranteed to put it in a in a particular city department? I think the answer is no. She has the right to ignore it or place it in there. That's another factor.

I just wanted to add that factor in there for our colleagues to consider. But the bottom line, people will vote here. They'll vote yes or they'll vote no. I think you're making your vote based on what you think is best for the residents. I do think, regardless of how you vote, I think colleagues should not be criticizing and calling out others for saying you're playing politics or you're or you're or you're doing this for for the media.

Let people vote yes or vote no based on what they think is best for the city. But we don't have to question people's reasoning. Everyone has their own reason. You don't know what their reasons reasons are. So I I would like to respectfully ask my colleagues not to cast out on someone that might disagree with you based because you think it's based on politics. That's probably inaccurate. Thank you, ma'am Jill.

Thank you, councilor Flynn. Councillor Mejia and then councilor Culpepper.

Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. You know, in the whole popularity situation, I used to work at MTV, so I've been popular. Anyways, so, you know, I I and this will be the last thing that I say, and y'all should be happy about that. Is that and I'm I'm so glad. I'm hoping that people are really paying attention to all the things that people are saying but not really saying because at the end of the day, the bottom line is is that this is our job. Our job is to demonstrate political power, political will, and courage when it comes time to take difficult votes. No one is kicking the can down the road. What we are doing is affirming the integrity of this body by demonstrating that we can actually push back, period.

We need to reject the budget in order to receive a resubmitted budget that is an appropriate starting place for our amendment process. It is unreasonable to expect that we can fix all the harms caused by the proposed budget through amendments, especially when there are approximately 20,000,000 in cuts. And chair Weber's memo states that he expects to realistically find, maybe if we're lucky, 11,000,000 in funding that, that the council can build consensus to pull from. And we also know that there's been some conversations that have been had with the mayor about what she might feel comfortable with that we still have yet to, learn about because that information was a private conversation. But anyways, that is not enough for us to restore the cuts and look for additional amendments the council could make.

And we cannot fix a budget that is broken at its core through band aid amendments. We're calling of the administration to more accurately project revenue and restore approximately 20,000,000 in cuts that will deeply impact communities in a resubmitted operating budget. And I really do call on my colleagues to reject this budget in order for that to be be able to happen. And that is not kicking the can down the line. That is us doing our jobs.

And that is to be the checks and balances administration. And while people may hide under other guises, the fact of the matter is the reason why this vote some folks don't wanna take it is because they don't wanna get called out for it.

Consulor Culpepper, you have the floor.

You, madam chair. As one who

Thank you. Thanks for drawing my attention.

Thank you, madam chair. As one who has experienced their first budget discussion, discussion. Listening to what's been said over time, one of the major concerns that I have is, what are we doing with this budget that has to do with the future fiscal health of the city? What are we doing with this budget? We've heard discussion around revenue.

All I heard is amendment, amendment, amendment. How are we amending this budget to deal with the future fiscal health of the city from a real perspective? And so when I look at the discussion, hear the discussion, look at what we're dealing with, when we pick and choose the issues and the communities that get this investment, that get their amendment, then we all lose. We choose children over seniors, housing over black boys and black men. When we look at these amendments, someone's gonna lose.

And we still haven't looked at the future fiscal health of the city. And I think, madam chairman, to all of my colleagues, hopefully, we can come together and look at fiscal policies that will deal with the future, and look at revenues that will deal with the future, and come together and look at this budget, one that will represent a brighter and healthier future. Thank you, madam president.

Thank you. Chair recognizes councilor O'Real.

Thank you, madam president. The tool that we received through our charter amendment never took any of our other powers away. They gave us amendment power. They did not take away the power for us to reject. Also, when we are pulling from line items or departments that we are mandated by law to pay, whether it's public safety overtime or execution of courts, we are technically raising revenue.

So if we pull $4,000,000 and we have to pay legal settlements, we are raising we have to find another way to get that money to pay those legal settlements. On top of that, this process this year has turned into us just plugging the holes for all the work that this body has done for the last four years. And I can't imagine that that was the intent or the powers that the legislate the the council at the time thought that we would be just plugging back the holes of the cuts that are being proposed after four years of hard work of this body to get more funding into youth jobs, to get more money into city vouchers, to get more money into our food justice system. We are supposed to be building on the work. So just wanna reiterate, one, we do not get our powers taken away because we receive new powers.

Two, when you're cutting from a line item where we are mandatory or by law have to spend, we are then raising that revenue. And this process just can't be about us plugging holes.

Thank you Councillor Weirald. Councillor Weber? And then I would like to move to a vote if

Yes, no, thank you. Just in terms of I think Councillor Weirald's highlighted an issue in terms of execution of courts police over time. If we increase the revenue that on the on the revenue side, that's where the money is going to go and we'll have to amend the budget to fund things like youth jobs and what we care about. I'd also, know, it just we've talked about this. I think, you know, what we're hearing, we've we've been told by the mayor, we reject, we get the same budget.

Well and and and I think for the fiscal reasons, I don't wanna see a larger budget. So, you know, rejecting it is to me is is would just be for show. And while that may feel good, I don't think that's not why I'm here. And I want us to work together to find that money and support those programs and I, you know, look forward to working with everyone after this vote. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

You just referred to me,

so I just wanna

Pardon?

He said my name, so I

just wanna he said councilor Worrell. Councilor Worrell seeks suspension of rule

No. No. No. He I I'm saying because he referred to me. I just wanna

Oh, beg your pardon. I didn't see your light on. Your your light's on.

My light's on. Yeah. Again, I just wanna see if I can say what I said a little bit more clearly. I think that council Webb, the chair, might have misinterpreted what I said. So if we take away from execution of courts, right, we are technically increasing the budget.

So revenue will have to go up for us to cover the cost in a department or a line item Not too bad. Has gone over every every year. Right? The $4,000,000. So that is technically when you're pulling from there because we overspend in that department or in that line item, we are we are increasing the revenue or increasing the budget through that cut or that amendment. Thank you.

Thank you. Councillor Worrell seeks suspension of rule 24, and what we're asking, a yes vote means you're in favor of suspending rule 24 to allow the council to move forward with a vote. You are not voting on the budget docket number. We're not voting on the budget question yet. We're just asking, do yes vote means that you are in favor of suspending rule 24 to allow the council to move forward with the vote.

So, mister Clerk, could you please conduct a a roll call vote? Yes. Yes vote means you're in in in in favor of suspending rule 24.

Consul of Raiden? No. Consul of Raiden? No. Consul Kalata Zapata? Consul Culpepper? Yes. Consul Culpepper. Yes. Consul Durkin. Consul Durkin. No. Consul Fitzgerald. Yes. Consul Fitzgerald. Yes. Consul Flint. Yes. Consul Flind. Yes. Consul Lujan. No. Consul Lujan. Lujan? No. Councilor Councilor Mihir? Yes. Councilor Mihir? Yes. Councilor Murphy? Yes. Councilor Yes. Councilor Pippen? No. Councilor Pippen? No. Councilor Santana? No. Councilor Councilor Santana, no. Councilor Weber? No. Councilor Weber, no. And Councilor Worrell?

Yes.

Councilor Worrell, yes. Six votes in affirmative and six votes in the negative. The motion fails.

The motion fails. Thank you. Dockets 7,733 through seven forty seven will remain in committee. Can you please read docket five ninety one and six ninety six?

Docket five ninety one, order for a hearing to review funding, reimbursement and accountability for police overtime details in the city of Boston. Docket number six ninety six, order for a hearing to discuss Boston Police Department staffing levels.

Thank you. The chair recognizes councillor Centano, the chair of public safety and criminal justice. You have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. The committee on public safety and criminal justice held a hearing yesterday on these two dockets. The matters were sponsored by councillor Murphy, Councillor Flynn, and Councillor Fitzgerald. We're joined by my colleagues, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Weber, and Councillor Fitzgerald. The committee heard testimony on behalf of the administration, from Lisa O'Brien, Bureau of Administration and Technology Chief, who answered questions regarding police overtime and staffing levels.

I wanna thank the panelists and my colleagues for their participation in yesterday's hearing. I know that not all the panelists that the lead sponsors wanted there were there, so I'd be I will continue to work with the lead sponsors to try to see if there's another date that we can get for this hearing. Thank you, madam president.

Thank you. Dockets 0591 and 0696 will remain in committee.

Thanks, Vamor. As the

sponsor, can I speak?

As the lead sponsor, councilor Murphy, you have the floor.

Thank you. I just wanna rise to make it clear that it took us a long time to get these scheduled, and the lead sponsors agreed that we could hold both of them together to make it easier, and the commissioner did not show up. So commissioner Cox did not show up to our hearing yesterday, And I just wanna thank Lisa O'Brien who was here and we was put in a very, I would say, uncomfortable position expecting to answer questions that she shouldn't have. And when the administration said, well, he was here last week, that is the job. And this just echoes that the amendment process where we're still waiting for answers of if any of our amendments over these past four years have ever even been implemented.

So it's important to just make sure the reason why we have to have this hearing again is because the police department decided to not show up and answer important questions about spending, revenue, money. And so if we're gonna be ready to pull from a department where we can't even have the department come and defend why they're spending it, I think we're in for a few tough conversations coming on.

Thank you. Chair recognizes I'm to your Councillor Flynn, you're next. Councillor you have the floor.

Thank you madam chair. I want to say thank you to councillor Santana for sharing this meeting. Councillor Santana did a a very good job. It was very professional. It was disappointing that the police commissioner did not show up.

A lot of my questions were specifically for the police commissioner or someone from the command staff. Lisa O'Brien showed up. She did an outstanding job. But I could not ask all the questions I needed to ask based on the fact that there wasn't a sworn officer there that would help us help this body make better decisions on the city budget. Councilor Culpepper and maybe it was councilor Ruell also had a similar issue when the police commissioner didn't show up.

They wanted to use and I and I supported them, wanted to use the summons process. But I I do think residents deserve to hear from the police commissioner or someone from the senior leadership team about what is happening at the police department as it relates to manning levels, as it relates to overtime. Doesn't overtime related issues have an impact on what we're talking about here today in the city budget. And here we had an opportunity yesterday to ask the police commissioner about about funding, about overtime, and there wasn't a there wasn't a representative here. This is coming from a person that supports the police department.

I support the police department, but I am disappointed that the police commissioner of the city of Boston did not show up or have someone that could speak on issues that are important to city councilors. I do wanna say, as I mentioned before, Lisa O'Brien did an outstanding job. I agree with councilor Murphy. She was placed in a lousy position to answer on behalf of the entire police department. I would not have done that.

I would not do that to someone that works. I mean, throw them throw them out there and be the be the spokesman on on critical issues before the city council that's looking for answers on a city budget. But I do think we have to have this meeting, councilor Santana, rescheduled and and have the police commissioner here. I I I do think it's respectful to the this body to have the police commissioner come to answer questions. I think the residents want that. Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you, councilor Flynn. Chair recognizes councilor Mihiel. You have the floor.

Madam president, yeah. So I had my light on for something else, but since still trying to gather my thoughts on that one, I'll just wait. But while I'm up, I I do wanna know for the record that it's hard for us to make any type of decisions when we don't have all of the information in front of us. And I think, councilor Murphy's call out of the fact that the commissioner wasn't here. There have been times when I've asked questions that have gone unanswered. And and I think that if people are going to trust us to do our jobs,

then we need all the proper tools and information to make better informed decisions. Just wanna rise to note that. Thank you. So dockets zero five nine one and zero six nine six will remain in committee. We're now on to motions, orders and resolutions. A reminder that under rule 39 remarks on new matters not up for a vote today shall be limited to three minutes for the lead sponsor and two minutes for the co sponsors. Mister Clerk, could you please read docket one zero five three?

Docket number one zero five three, councilor Culpepper offer the following. Petition for a special law regarding an age waiver for the maximum age requirement for Jorge Enriquez to join the Boston Police Department.

Thank you, mister Turk. Chair recognizes councilor Culpepper. You have the floor.

Madam president, I respectfully request suspension of the rules to vote on the passage of this docket. Yes. Thank you. Today, I'm filing this home rule petition on behalf of my constituent and fellow Roxbury resident, Jorge Enriquez, to waive the maximum age requirement for original appointment to the Boston Police Department. Mister Enriquez is a lifelong Boston resident, born and raised in Roxbury, who has dedicated much of his life to public service and protecting others.

From 02/00/2007 to 02/00/1535, he served the one hundred and eighty second Infantry Regiment, including a deployment to Afghanistan in 2011, where he operated in high risk environments protecting civilian personnel and military engineers working on infrastructure projects. In addition to his military service overseas, mister Enriquez has continued serving his community here at home. He was activated during the Boston Marathon bombing response, has worked in corrections, and has supported public safety efforts to Boston Medical Center's round roundhouse program in the Madison Cass area. Mister Enriquez brings exactly the type of leadership, maturity, and lived experience that can strengthen community policing and public trust. His deep roots in Boston, combined with years of military and public safety service, position him to be an asset to the department and to the residents he will serve.

I respectfully ask my colleague's support on this Home Route petition and for the opportunity to help mister Enriquez continue his long standing commitment to the people of Boston. Thank you, madam president.

Thank you, councilor Culpepper. Chair recognizes councilor Flynn. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to say thank you to Councillor Culpepper for going going to bat for mister Enriquez. Councillor Culpepper highlighted his exceptional record, his work record. But I also want to acknowledge mister Enrique's his commitment to our nation, the United States military. We have to be a city that gives an opportunity to our veterans, to our military families.

We need to support them. They've been there for the residents of this city. They've been there for the for this country as well. I'm I'm supporting this proposal, and I know we have to give every opportunity we possibly can in this city to veterans and military families, especially during these challenging times. Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you, councillor Flynn. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Flynn, councillor Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald, Councillor Luigiene, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Weber, Councillor Warrell, Councillor Murphy, and please add the chair. Councillor, councillor Culpepper seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket one zero five three. All in favor, say aye. Aye. All of all opposed say nay. The vote mister Clark, could you please take a roll call vote on docket one zero five four?

Councilor Braden?

Yes.

Councilor Braden, yes. Councilor Coletta Zapata? Councilor Culpepper? Yes. Councilor Culpepper? Yes. Councilor Durkin? Councilor Fitzgerald? Councilor Fitzgerald. Yes. Councilor Flynn. Yes. Councilor Flynn. Yes. Council Lujan. Yes. Council Lujan. Yes. Councilor Mihir. Councilor Mihir. Yes. Councilor Murphy. Yes. Councilor Murphy. Yes. Councilor Pippen. Yes. Councilor Councillor Santana? Pippen. Councillor Weber? Yes. Councillor Weber, yes. And Councillor Worrell?

Yes.

Councillor Worrell, yes. Docket number one zero five three has received 10 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you. Docket one zero five three has passed. Mister Clerk, could you please read docket one zero five four?

Docket number one zero five four. Counselor Flynn offer the following petition for a special law regarding an act relative to 17 f reform.

Chair recognizes councilor Flynn. Councilor, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam chair. Transparency is a critical piece of maintaining both public trust, civic engagement by displaying values of good government, accountability, openness. Pursuant to rule 17 on the council, a formal request for information may be submitted by a member of the council. These requests are used to obtain records, reports, data, or other information from the administration, city departments in order to support the council's oversight and legislative responsibilities. Rule 17 f has not been amended since 1982.

According to the city charter, the administration is responsible to answer written questions relating to adding meeting to be held not earlier than one week from the date of the receipt of said questions. There is no timeline that currently exists or deadline for the mayor to provide a response, only that they can be summoned after seven days. At the time of writing this home rule petition, twelve seventeen f requests have been gone have unanswered with the earliest 17 order filed on January 28 01/28/2026 over a hundred days ago. While the city charter indicates that the administration needs to answer a 17 request within seven days, there were no parameters enforcing this rule because of the possibility of summonses. Council has filed 17 f request to seek information relevant to their constituents they serve.

It's critical that councilors and their constituents receive the relevant information they have requested to address quality of life issues, public safety, public health. Currently, the city council can request the presence of the mayor to answer a 17 f in person at a council meeting if the order was not answered within seven days, an enforcement measure of which there is no known modern precedent. Concerns remain that a 17 f now only carries the same weight as a public records request. A 17 f may, in some cases, facilitate a more direct or expediated exchange of information than a public records request, particularly when the matter involves active city council oversight. In the final analysis, for values of democracy to hold, they must consistently be held despite who is in power or any political relationships.

Whether it's in Washington DC or the city of Boston, we must always promote values of transparency, good government, accountability, openness to ensure the public trust and facilitate civic engagement. It should not matter who is the mayor or who is the president or who is the governor. Government should be accountable to the residents of the city, of the state, of the country. Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you, councillor Flynn. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Weber, Councillor Worrell, and please add the chair. And Councillor Mejia, beg your pardon. Thank you. Docket number one zero five four will be referred to the committee on government operations. Mister clerk, could you please read docket 1055?

Docket number 1055, counselors Murphy and Flynn offer the following, order for a hearing, getting immediate replacement funding for Boston firefighter cancer screenings, health screenings, mental health supports, and safety, health, and wellness programming before the fiscal year twenty seven budget vote.

Thank you. Chair recognizes councillor Murphy. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. I'd like to suspend the rules and add councillor Fitzgerald, please.

Hearing and seeing of no objection, councillor Fitzgerald is added as a third.

So last week after we had a hearing, on Monday at about 11AM after the agenda was printed, the fire commissioner and the fire department were here and their budget office, and they spoke to us about a concerning grant that they have gotten in the past, and that has funded the firefighter cancer screenings, health screenings, mental health supports, and safety, health, and wellness programming. That grant is for $1,200,000 that they did not receive this year, so they were, concerned that these obviously, we have to make sure we're advocating. Myself and councilor Flynn and councilor Fitzgerald have have been saying, and I'm not sure because we didn't get to speak about it last week, but I do know that some of this money we did see yesterday that a 150,000 of the 1,200,000 is going to make sure that our firefighters do have cancer screenings, is vitally important. We saw the data, and we do know that, unfortunately, after our firefighters give their life and their service as first responders to the city. They have a five year life expectancy after retirement.

So it's important, I believe, that we do everything we can as a council to make sure these important screenings are funded. That being said, we're still short $980,000 from the grant. So health screenings and other mental health support, safety, and wellness programs are still not funded. Unfortunately, we did not vote today to ask the mayor to put more money in to the budget, but I will be putting forth an amendment to make sure the other parts of this grant are funded. But I am going to pull this hearing now, knowing that some of it was, but I know myself, Councillor Flynn and Councillor Fischeril will be advocating through, I guess, our only tool now, the amendment process to make sure the firefighters have the other health screenings that they need.

So thank you, madam president.

Thank you. Docket ten fifty five has been withdrawn. Mr. Clerk, could you please read docket ten fifty six?

Docket ten fifty six, councilor Worrell and Culpepper offer the following. Order for a hearing to examine fiscal year twenty six snow winter management costs.

Chair recognizes councilor Worrell. Councilor, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. In the last ten years, the most the city has spent in one year on snow and winter management has been $28,500,000, and that was back when we saw 51.1 inches of snow in 2022, one of the biggest snowstorms of the century. In FY '26, the city spent more than $28,000,000 on snow and winter management just through the end of January. That $28,000,000 does not include the second major snowstorm we saw this year in February. So we know this number will be much higher.

In fact, we just saw earlier this week that the mayor, is looking well, added $47,000,000 to snow and winter management through a one time, free cash payment. If we are indeed seeing the cost of snow and winter management rise to levels even beyond what we spent in 2015, we had a winter with nearly double the amount of snow, then we need to figure out a far more creative and innovative way to approach snow and winter management in our city, and I believe some of my colleagues have presented some ideas already. There has to be a better way to reduce costs and increase results for our residents, and I hope this hearing can dive into those ways. Snow and winter management is one of the three items that the mayor can run run over by any amount and not have to come back to the council for approval. So we so just as we are looking for looking at public safety and overtime cost, we need to also look at winter and snow management cost.

If we are paying more than a million dollars per inch of snow removed, we have some roof room for improvement. Thank you and looking forward to the hearing.

Thank you. The chair recognizes councilor Culpepper. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Consul Verwell, for adding me as an original cosponsor and for your leadership on this issue. At a time when the city is facing broader fiscal pressures and anticipated budget cuts budget deficits, it's critical that we fully understand the drivers behind these costs, evaluate whether current snow removal strategies are operating as efficiently as possible, and identify opportunities for saving without compromising public safety or service delivery. This hearing is not about questioning the importance of snow removal or the hard work of our public employees. It is about transparency, accountability, and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are being used effectively and responsibly. Residents deserve to understand how these costs are calculated, how contracts and operations are managed, and whether reforms or efficiencies should be considered moving forward.

Thank you, madam president.

Thank you. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Luigian, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Murphy, councillor councillor Weber, and please add the chair. Thank you docket number 1056 will be repaired referred to the committee on post audit. Mister clerk, could you please read docket 1057?

Docket number 1057, councilor Culpepper of the following. Order for a hearing regarding cancer causing chemicals in Boston Fire Department turn turnout gear and the transition to phase three replacement uniforms.

Thank you. The chair recognizes councilor Culpepper. You have the floor.

Madam president, I would like to add councilor Murphy. Murphy is the second original cosponsor and requests suspension of the rules to add Councillor Flynn as the third original cosponsor.

Councillor Murphy is added as a second and seeing and hearing no objections, Councillor Flynn is added as a third.

I would also like to acknowledge the work that councilor Fitzgerald has done in the work on this issue also, madam president.

So notice.

Every day, Boston firefighters put their lives on the line to protect our residents from immediate danger. But increasingly, we are learning that many firefighters also face long term dangers from the very equipment designed to keep them safe. Studies have consistently shown that firefighters experience disproportionately high rates of cancer, and PFAS chemicals have been identified as a significant concern in turnout gear and protective uniforms. Massachusetts has already taken important steps toward phasing out PFAS and firefighter protective gear, and departments across the country are beginning the transition to safer alternatives. Occupational safety experts and firefighter organizations have made it clear that PFAS free turnout gear becomes available, departments should move aggressively toward replacing legacy equipment containing harmful chemicals.

This hearing is about ensuring that the city of Boston is doing everything possible to protect the health and safety of all firefighters, not just in the moment of a fire emergency, but for decades afterward. All firefighters should never have to choose between protection from immediate danger and protection from long term illness. Madam president, they deserve equipment that keeps them safe in every sense of the word. Thank you.

Thank you. The chair recognizes councilor Murphy. Councilor Murphy. Councilor, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president, and thank you, counsel Culpepper, for adding me. I know we also spoke last week about being added to the funding for the cancer screenings, and we both and many of us care deeply about making sure that we don't just fund our departments, but we're making sure as technology changes, and we're finding out that there is better equipment that we're investing in it. So looking forward to this hearing, finding out what more we can do and if there's equipment. We know that we have tried to replace, and some of our firehouses still have kitchens that aren't in the proper place, and cancer causing chemicals are near our firefighters while they're sleeping and eating. So whatever we can do to make sure that our firefighters are safe, it is the least we can do for them.

So looking forward to learning more and advocating. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Murphy. Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn. You have the floor.

Thank you Madam Chair. Just want to say thank you to Councilor Culpepper for adding me and for leading on this important issue. Boston firefighters face significantly elevated risk of occupational cancer, cardiovascular disease, traumatic stress, and early death due to repeated exposure to hazardous condition, including my uncle Dennis who died at a young age. He was a Boston fire fighter, decorated Vietnam veteran, and he died at a young age. Critical health programs funded through the federal assistance to firefighters grant including cancer screenings, body scans, wellness services have already identified hundreds of high risk cases and potentially life threatening conditions through early detection.

But this body needs to be committed to ensuring that funding is in the city budget, not just this year, but going forward for firefighters and their families, for health and wellness program, mental health counseling, cancer screening. We must identify how we're going to support firefighters with a consistent budget option that doesn't change due to who the mayor is or who the governor is or the president is. We need to ensure that this funding is always in the budget. I wanna say thank you to councilor Culpepper. I wanna say thank you to councilor Fitzgerald, councilor Murphy for the incredible work they did as well.

They worked with local seven eighteen firefighters union. They worked with the professional firefighters of Massachusetts and the National Association as well with Ed Kelly. But they advocated to ensure that money was in the budget and that there would be programs. I want to acknowledge Dana Farber as well for their commitment to Boston firefighters. I want to say thank you to the union for their incredible role. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Luigiene, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Weber, Councillor Worrell, please add the chair. Thank you, docket. Docket ten fifty seven refer to the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice. Mister Clerk, could you please read docket one one zero five eight.

Docket number 1058, counselors Worrell and Culpepper offer the following. Order for a hearing to examine fiscal year twenty seven property tax rates.

Chair recognizes councilor Worrell. You have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. I like to suspend the rules and add councilor, Mihir as a third original cosponsor.

Seeing and hearing no objection, councilor Mihir is added as a third.

Thank you. We feel the calls from homeowners every November and December when the council exercises the maximum power it has to set the highest residential factor and the highest residential exemption for property taxes. The voices we hear are cut the budget so I don't have to pay so much in taxes. I think it's important to begin to link these two conversations in the spring when we're talking about the budget. This is when we're locking in the revenue, Property taxes account for 73% of the city's projected revenue in FY '26.

That 73% of revenue pie is expected to rise 2.5% in FY twenty seven. And considering the drop in commercial property values, the average residential homeowner can again see a big hike in their bill. It's been about a double digit tax hike two years in a row and more than a five percent eight years in a row. From what I see, nothing in the FY twenty seven budget is going to stop that from happening again. So despite the fact that 11% of the budget, which is state aid, is forecast to go up 3%, and despite the fact that 73 of the budget, which is property taxes, is forecast to go up 2.5%, The overall budget is only going up 2.1%.

So the average homeowner might still see a big hike in their property tax bill, but under the proposed budget, the child might not have a youth job or the absolute tutor might be cut. And on top of that, you're gonna be hit again with the big property tax bill. We know the city in 2024 had already made spring projections to the average residential property tax bill, forecasting them to be between 10 to 17% higher. That number ended up at 10.5%. So let's have this conversation all at once.

I know there might be some folks hoping that this budget is gonna result in a property tax cut for them. I'm here to tell them it likely won't happen, and I'd love to have a hearing discuss it further. Thank you.

Thank you. The chair recognizes councilor Culpepper. Councilor, you have the floor.

Thank you, councilor Wawel, for adding me as an original cosponsor on this hearing order and for your leadership on this issue. As discussions continue around the proposed fiscal year twenty seven operating budget increase of approximately 2.1%, residents are understandably concerned that overall tax impacts are rising at a similarly modest rate modest rate. But the broader revenue picture is more complicated, particularly when property taxes make up the vast majority of the city's revenue base and are still expected to grow at the maximum level permitted under state law. Residents deserve a clear explanation of how those numbers interact and what they might ultimately mean for homeowners and taxpayers. This conversation is especially important given that the current version of the fiscal year twenty seven budget proposes more than 20,000,000 in reduction to programs and services relied upon by non profits, vulnerable residents, and under communities.

The council and the public should have a full understanding of the assumptions and protect projections driving those choices. This is about transparency, accountability, and ensuring that residents have a clear and honest understanding of the city's financial position and the policy decisions flowing from it. Thank you, madam president.

Thank you. The chair recognizes councilor Mahia. Councilor, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. And I wanna thank, councilor Rorel and Culpepper for filing this important hearing order and, adding me, as an original cosponsor. Residents across Boston are continuing to feel the pressure of rising property taxes while also hearing that there's not enough revenue to fully fund critical services and avoid cuts. We need a real conversation about why homeowners are continuing to shoulder so much of this burden. Part of that conversation also has to include pilot, payment lieu of taxes.

More than half of Boston's land is tax exempt, including some of the wealthiest universities, hospitals, and institutions in this country. While residents and small businesses continue paying higher taxes, many of these large institutions are still not meeting their full pilot request. And much of that is counted, comes through community benefits rather than direct cash contributions to support city services. If we are serious about affordability and preventing displacement, we need greater transparency around the f y twenty seven property tax projections and a broader discussion about how large tax exempt institutions can contribute more fairly to the city that they benefit from every day. And I I think that all of these discussions are happening in good timing because what we need to do is get ahead of next year's budget and making sure that we are all rowing in the same direction if we really want to restore trust in this body.

Thank you.

Thank you. Councilor Flynn, I see your lights on, but it's only the lead sponsors who speak on this docket. Is that okay? Anyone like to add their name? Councillor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louis Jenne, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Pepin, Santana, Councillor Weber, and please add the chair. Thank you docket 1058 will be referred to the committee on ways and means. Mister clerk, could you please read docket one zero five nine?

Docket number 1059. Councilor Murphy offer the following. Order requesting certain information under section 17 f regarding new city positions created since 01/15/2025.

Thank you. Chair recognizes councilor Murphy.

Thank you, madam president. I filed a very similar 17 f back in 2024. It did take several months and a refile to get the answers back in 01/15/2025. So I'm asking for the same information, but just starting from the point of when we last found out that there were over 300 new positions created as of 01/15/2025. So we'd like that information from that date to today. So thank Would

anyone like to add their name? Consular Flynn, Consular Culpepper, Consular Fitzgerald, Consular Louis Jenne, Consular Mejia, Consular Peppin, Consular Santana, Councillor Weber, Councillor Morell, and please add the chair. Councillor Murphy seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket ten fifty nine. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. You. Docket ten fifty nine has passed. Mister Clerk, could you please read docket one zero six zero?

Docket number one zero six zero. Councillors Pepin and Flynn offer the following. Resolution recognizing National Emergency Medical Services Week twenty twenty six.

Chair recognizes councilor Pepin. You have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. I would like to also suspend the rules and add councilor Murphy as a third original cosponsor.

Hearing and seeing no objection, counselor Murphy is added as a third.

Thank you. This week, we recognize National Emergency Medical Services Week, known as EMS, and honor the extraordinary dedication of Boston EMS professionals who work tirelessly every day to protect and care for our residents in moments of crisis. Day in and day out, they show courage, compassion, and professionalism under pressure, and we thank them for their sacrifice and unwavering commitment to keeping the people of Boston safe and healthy twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. I was able to join EMS last fall for a ride along with them and actually respond to some calls. And when I tell you that I was holding tight to my seat belt and not knowing what I was gonna walk into into the into it was either a house, an apartment building, The adrenaline was up there.

And that the fact that these EMS professionals do that every single day in our city, I just don't know how they do it. They're they're heroes in the city. And just on Friday, May 8, I want to thank a specific person. His name is lieutenant Ed McCarthy, who immediately responded to a fire in my district on Cummins Highway in Matapan, saving families from a fire right on scene. Mind you, he's on the scene before the fire department even shows up.

And he runs into the building, he starts knocking on doors, and what happens is that he's alerting families that weren't aware yet, and families and kids were able to come out, and he was able to save them, and then the fire department comes and puts out the fire and does their job as well. So these people are literal heroes working for the city of Boston, wearing the uniforms of the VMS, and they are our neighbors. So to the EMS and everyone of that department, to chief Hewley and his entire staff, thank you so much. And this week, we honor you and every single day in the city of Boston. Thank you.

Thank you, councilor, Peppin. The chair recognizes, councilor Flynn. You have the floor.

Thank you, madam chair. Thank you councilor Pepin for including me as an original co sponsor. National EMS week is from May 17 to May 23. This is a week where we recognize and celebrate our EMS personnel for their hard work, service, commitment to public health, safety for our residents. Our emergency service personnel including paramedics, EMTs work on the front line.

They witness firsthand in response to accidents, violence, trauma, major incidents. They are dedicated working workers, sometimes taking overnight shifts, shifts, remaining calm, assuring high under highly intense stressful situations which can take a toll on their mental health. We saw this especially during the COVID nineteen pandemic where a lot of our EMS workers and first responders provided exceptional care to Boston residents even at the risk of their own health. As the cost of living increases, it is difficult for many of our EMS personnel to stay in the city. I know the residential requirement for our EMS personnel is temporarily suspended for three years.

Although I'm not sure if this is the year when the suspension is up for reconsideration. But I do believe it is critical that we pay our EMS personnel a good wage, a family wage so that they can continue to live in the city and raise their families, be part of the community, continue to help people. Last year, we celebrated the groundbreaking for a new EMS station in the South Boston Waterfront, something that myself, Councilor Flaherty, then Councilor Wu, Congressman Lynch, Senator Collins, we've advocated for this with residents in the South Boston Waterfront, in the Fort Point neighborhood, and South Boston for years. On National EMS Week, I want to honor and say thank you to our EMS personnel. Personnel.

We welcome Chief Hooley today and his outstanding team as well for their professionalism and commitment to public health and safety for all. Councilor Pepin mentioned that they're unsung heroes. I agree with them. I also wanna acknowledge the incredible work that the EMS affiliate affiliation with the Boston Police Patrolman Association, but these union workers do a tremendous job for the residents of Boston. They deserve our respect. Thank you.

Thank you, councilor Flynn. Chair recognizes councilor Murphy. Have the councilor, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. Thank you to councilor Pepin and Flynn for letting me join you on this important resolution honoring our EMS. Just last month, we honored our dispatch callers who are our EMS firefighter and police who take the calls. And then, obviously, it's important. And I, myself, have gone on a ride along with EMS, also with police and fire, and definitely left realizing how our EMS workers are there and stay with the families and show such care and love and respect to get after the police and after the fire oftentimes have gone.

They help families pack up their belongings, get them into the ambulance, and if needed to get them to the hospital. And it's often, almost always in their, you know, worst days. So any chance we can to thank our first responders, our EMS workers, but also do wanna call out Jason, the president of the union, and Miles and all of his team who advocate and try hard to get the pay and the respect they deserve. Thank you.

Thank you. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Mihilla, Councillor Luigene, Councillor Santana, Councillor Weber, Councillor Rowell, please add the chair. Councillors Pepin, Flynn and Murphy seek suspension of the rules and adoption of docket ten sixty. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Mister Clerk, could you please read docket one zero six one?

Docket number one zero six one. Councillor Pepin offer the following. Resolution recognizing May as bike month.

Chair recognizes Councillor Pepin. Consular, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. May I add councilor Durkin as the second original co sponsor? And

Consular Durkin still added?

May I suspend the rules and add, yourself, councilor Braden as the third original co sponsor.

Seeing and hearing no objections, I councilor Braden's added.

Thank you. This month, I am proud to recognize May as bike month and celebrate many benefits that bicycling brings to our city, including healthier lifestyles, cleaner air, and stronger, more connected communities. We also recognize the continued growth and expansion of the Blue Bikes rideshare program, increasing accessibility to bicycles for residents and commuters across Boston and surrounding municipalities through the addition of new stations across my district and citywide, making it easier for families to travel to school and work while helping reduce traffic and number of cars on our roads. This past I think it was last week, it was ride to work day, and we had a we had dozens upon dozens, hundreds of bicyclists riding from all different parts of the city into City Hall. It was a beautiful occasion.

Also, at my at my daughter's school, they do a Friday bike to school day, and I was able to participate. Shout out to Alan Wright from my district for always being a huge bicyclist advocate. It's just it's a beautiful way of living. I'm glad that our residents are having the opportunity to potentially see more blue bikes across the city, and I just wanted to thank all the advocates who do the work in this field. Thank you, madam president.

Chair recognizes councilor Durkin. Councilor, you have the floor.

Thank you. I wanna thank councilor Pippen for his leadership. As someone who gets around sometimes on a bike, I know that it can be difficult sometimes with double parking and other things. And just this morning, I saw some bike advocates outside of city hall advocating for safety. And so this fight continues, and there's a lot more work to be done.

I think that as a city, it's clear that the blue bikes program is really popular, but we need to ensure that folks that are getting on a bike for the first time have a safe route to get to where they're going, and that requires work and political leadership. So I'm grateful to be that political leadership in my district and also to continue up to continue to talk about how we can continue to make our streets more accessible. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Durkan. And thank you Councillor Pepin for including me as the third co sponsor. I come from a district, I represent a district that has a very high level of bicycle infrastructure, but also we need more. But also many many people who don't own a car, they rely on public transit on bicycles for getting around. So I I really want to celebrate all those who use bicycles, reduce our carbon footprint, and improve physical and mental health as well.

I I had as a young person growing up, one of my roommates was was hit in a by a car well it was a catastrophic injury. She had a very severe brain injury and did recover, but was very, very disabled for the remainder of her life. So I'm really pleased to see that the Blue Blank program is offering opportunities for folks to ride a bicycle, but also with the introduction of the e bikes, those of us who maybe are not as fit as we used to be can actually still continue to be bicyclists in the city. It's really I've heard from other folks who have sort of given up on being bicycle riders and have said that it's really transformative that they're able to use the e bikes to get around for recreation and for necessary travel in neighborhoods. So thank you, Councillor Pepin.

Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louise Chen, Councillor Culpepper, Mejia, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Santana, Councillor Weber. Councillors Peppen, Durkin and Braden seek suspension of the rules adoption of docket ten sixty one. All in favour say aye. Aye. Mr. Clark, could you please take a roll call vote on docket one zero six one?

Councillor Braden?

Yes.

Councillor Braden, yes. Councillor Caletta Zapata? Councilor Culpepper. Yes. Councilor Culpepper. Yes. Councilor Durkin. Yes. Councilor Durkin. Yes. Councilor Fitzgerald. Yes. Councilor Fitzgerald. Councilor Flynn. Yes. Councilor Flynn. Councilor Lujan. Yes. Councilor Lujan. Councilor Mihir.

Lujan.

Yes. Councilor Pefan. Yes. Councilor Penn. Council Santana. Yes. Council Santana. Yes. Council Weber. Yes. Council Weber. Yes. And Councilor Worrell. Docket number 1061 has received 11 votes and they affirm it.

Thank you. Docket number 1061 has been adopted. Mister Clerk, could you please read docket one zero six two?

Docket number one zero six two, council Santana for the following. Resolution recognizing June 2026 as immigrant heritage month in the city of Boston.

Thank you. Council chair recognizes councilor Santana. You have the floor.

Thank you Madam President. Madam President, I would like to add Councillor Mejia as an original co sponsor.

Councillor Mejia is so added.

I would also like to suspend the rules and add Councillor Pepatten as an original co sponsor.

Hearing and seeing no objections, councilor Pepin is added as a third.

Thank you, madam president. As a black Latino man who immigrated to this country from Dominican Republic at just two years old, immigrant heritage month is deeply personal to me. Growing up, my parents always reminded me, never forget where you came from. This month is incredibly meaningful to them and to so many families just like mine. It's time to honor the resilience, the grit, and the incredible achievements of our immigrant communities.

Too often, when people talk about immigrants, they only talk about what we do. They talk about the essential jobs we fill, the businesses we open, and the ways we drive the economy. And, yes, we are a backbone of Boston's growth, but this city doesn't just need our hands, it needs our hearts. We need our stories, our perspective, our traditions, and our cultures. We don't just make Boston work.

We make Boston, Boston. Yet, despite everything we pour into this city, too many of our neighbors, especially our LGBTQIA two s plus and immigrant siblings, are forced to live in fear. They face intimidation, marginalization, and political climate that tries to to make them feel invisible. Some voices want to dismiss our value and say immigrants don't belong. But let me be absolutely clear, we belong here.

This resolution is more is about more than just looking back at our history. It's about supporting our communities today and securing our our future tomorrow. It's a reminder that we must cherish and stand up for our diversity every single day. I also, wanna thank, Vorhan from III Labs for their invaluable help in making sure that the voices of of of our residents and our neighbors are uplifted in this in this resolution. And I wanna thank my co sponsors for joining me in this resolution. I would also like to suspend and pass this today. Thank you, madam president.

Thank you. Chair recognizes councilor Mejia. Councilor, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. I wanna thank councilor Santana for bringing this resolution, and I rise in strong support of recognizing June 2026 as immigrant heritage month here in the city of Boston. Boston is a city shaped by immigrants. So many families, including my own, came here searching for opportunity, stability, and a better future for their children. Growing up with a mom who was undocumented from most of my childhood, I saw firsthand the sacrifices immigrant families make every single day just to survive, work, and provide.

That is why this recognition matters, but it also has to be matched with action. At a time when immigrant communities across the country are under attack and living with fear and uncertainty, we are also discussing cuts here in Boston, including roughly $1,800,000 impacting immigrant grants and legal services. These services are lifeline for families navigating housing, employment, immigration proceedings, and basic stability. If we're serious about honoring immigrant communities, we must also be serious about protecting the resources and the supports they rely on. Immigrant communities are part of our city.

They contribute to our economy, culture, schools, and neighborhoods every single day, and they deserve to be supported, not just in words, but through policy and investments. And I look forward to not only restoring the city cuts, and and while I do appreciate the efforts that we're making on relying on philanthropy, it is not lost on me that our our budget is a value statement, and our immigrants need to hear that we're going to fight to re fully restore that line item to make sure that we're protecting them. Thank you.

Thank you. The chair recognizes consulate Pepe. Consulate, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. And I just wanna say thank you to the sponsors of this resolution. Thank you, counselor Santana, mayor of Academy as a third. You know, the beautiful thing about this month is that it isn't one specific group. It's a story of The United States, the story of Boston.

It's a story of the fact that here, just in this chamber, we have descendants of Jewish immigrants, of Irish immigrants, of Italian immigrants, of and we have Haitian immigrants, the Dominican immigrants just in this chamber. And that's what I truly love about the work of protecting immigrants because it isn't just about one specific group. And that's something that I love to remind myself and remind others that when we're advocating for a group of immigrants, right now to right now, it's one group, but next, we don't know who it is. And we have to make sure that when we make policy decisions, when we stand on our on our on our two feet and we say we're gonna advocate for those that need support and resources, that we're doing that knowing that that was once our families before, and we don't know whose family it's gonna be in the future. And that's why I am I always stand proud with the immigrant community because those were my parents.

My parents who decided to leave their country and start a home here in the city of Boston. And what I always say, I am very blessed that they chose the city of Boston to start a new home. And that's why I I stand here in solidarity always with my immigrant community no matter where you're from, knowing that I stand here advocating for you every single day. Thank you, council president.

Thank you. Chair recognizes councilor Luigiennes. Councilor, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam chair, and thank you to the makers. Happy immigrant heritage month. I just wanna thank all of the incredible folks who work to make sure that our city remains one that is inclusive and one that uplifts all of our residents. We have a good number of folks, unfortunately, not as many as we should, but who are indigenous to this land, who are not part of the immigrant story. We have a deep we have a good number of folks who are descendants of folks who were brought here via chattel slavery, African Americans.

They are not part of the immigrant story. If you don't fall in those two categories, you have an immigrant story to this country regardless of regardless of you're you're white or or or or black and not a descendant from from chattel slavery. It is important for us to remember that because the xenophobia that we see, the hatred, the racism is so hypocritical. It is completely hypocritical. It's one of the reasons why I really enjoy the flag raisings that we have from other countries.

Did it on Friday for Haiti because it reminds us of that story, and I I just wanna make sure that Boston remains that beacon as we fight these multilevel fights to protect our people and our residents, that we remember our stories and and that they're rooted in making room and making place for those who are escaping all sorts of of of harm, who want to find economic prosperity for their families. Those who want to go home, and I I know a number of immigrants who would love to be in their home countries, but political violence, abuse against women, rape, gender based violence, domestic violence prevent them from calling their home country home. And so I think it's important for us to continue doing everything we can to uplift and support our immigrant communities. Happy Abraham Heritage Month.

Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Lujan. Councillor Flynn, you have the floor.

Thank you. Thank you, madam chair. And I rise to support the support and resolution and also want to acknowledge the dedicated city employees that are immigrants, but also that support immigrants across Boston, across Greater Boston as well. Do wanna highlight the immigrants that have served in the US military and fought for our country, came back and really weren't treated with respect as citizens as well. So immigrants played a critical role in in Boston and in our nation, helping build helping build this city, helping build this country.

I I also want to acknowledge former mayor Ray Flynn that started the official office here in the city of Boston in support of immigrants. It was it was a different name back then, but it's it was the office of immigrant assistance, I believe it was. But I just want to acknowledge that aspect as well. Thank you Madam Chair.

Thank you. As an immigrant, I am very pleased to celebrate and join you all in celebrating Immigrant Heritage Month. I came here thirty one years ago and it was such an amazing experience coming from a very yeah coming from a coming to a very diverse city and experiencing more freedom as a LGBT woman and just really getting into the into the mix with everyone here. Boston is an amazing city, it's a welcoming city, it's a diverse city, and that's one of its strengths. I'm very happy to join us join you all in this Immigrant Heritage Month resolution.

Thank you to the makers for this. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louis Jenne, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Weber, and please oh, I'm on there already. Thank you. Where are we?

Councillors Santana, Mejia and Pepin seek suspension of the rules and adoption of docket ten sixty six. All those in favour say aye. One ten sixty two. Councillors Santana, Mahia and Peppin seek suspension of the rules and adoption of docket ten sixty two. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Thank you. Docket one zero six two has been adopted. Mr Clerk, could you please read docket 1063?

Docket number 1063, Councillors Flynn and Murphy offer the following. Resolution commemorating Memorial Day in honoring our Gold Star families and those who have made the supreme sacrifice for our country.

Chair recognizes consular Flynn. Consular, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam chair. Thank you to councilor Murphy for joining me. Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May. It's a solemn day to one of those that made the supreme sacrifice while serving in the US military. After the civil war, major general John Logan, the head of a union veterans organization, established Decoration Day.

By the late eighteen sixties, many different locations around the country were holding their own springtime tributes to fallen soldiers in the war dead, decorating their graves with flowers. The first large observance of Decoration Day was held in 1868 at Arlington National Cemetery. Decoration Day continued to be observed on the local level and in 1968, the US Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday. That change went into effect 1971. But on Memorial Day, we honor the more than 1,100,000 American military personnel who made the supreme sacrifice for our nation while serving in uniform, that their bravery and sacrifice shall never be forgotten.

We especially honor our Gold Star families, Gold Star wives, whose family members have paid the supreme sacrifice while serving in the military and recognize the sacrifice that Gold Star families have made for our country. On Memorial Day, we try to, as a nation, share some of that pain that Gold Star families experience every day. Imagine three hundred and sixty five days a year experiencing that pain of a loved one that was killed serving our nation. And as Americans, we only share in that pain one day. We have to stand with our Gold Star families, not just on Memorial Day, in my opinion, but every day.

Boston has a number of events on Memorial Day. I wanted to try to list as many as I as I could so people could attend. But one of them is the William e Cotter post, the American Legion post, which is the first charted African American post in Massachusetts on Bull Hill Avenue. I'm I'm a proud member of that post. Other Memorial Day events include a wreath laying ceremony at the South Boston Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which is Medal Of Honor Park.

And at the Puerto Rican Veterans Memorial in the South End. The city of Boston's Veterans Services and Veterans organizations throughout the city are still safely and individually placing flags at our military cemeteries in honor of those that made the supreme sacrifice for our country. Again, this is not about cookouts. It's not about parties. It's not about a day off.

It's about remembering, sharing the pain, understanding that families that have lost a loved one are never the are never the same, but the country is better. The country, through that sacrifice, we have a better country. And we need to acknowledge our Gold Star families and understand and share that pain on Memorial Day and stop and say a prayer, even if it's a silent prayer, to our Gold Star families and our ward dead as well. Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you, councilor, Flynn. The chair recognizes councilor Murphy. Councilor, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president, and thank you, councilor Flynn, for your service, but also for your history there of why we celebrate. It has definitely become a weekend that people think of mainly of the kickoff to summer, about cookouts, being with family, and, commissioner Santiago always reminds us at many of the citywide Memorial Day events that I'll be attending this weekend and have every year since I've been on the council that this is a day to remember those who did not just sign up to serve our country, but then paid the ultimate sacrifice and their families. So it's important that we do that. I do want to also shout out all of the posts and all of the volunteers who put flags at the graves. I visited my dad's grave.

He is buried down at one National Cemetery, and my son, a former student of Mass Maritime, they do go over and put flags throughout that whole cemetery. And I know they'll be down at Cedar Grove and all of the cemeteries around the city also. So thank you to the volunteers who go out and pay respect to those who lost their life and to our Gold Star families. Know that we'll continue to advocate. Our veteran budget, which is one of the smallest in the city, still has a $750,000 cut at this moment, and I'll continue also to advocate that we fully fund. And, hopefully, someone will even put in an amendment to put even more money than just level funding our veterans department. So thank you.

Thank you, councilor Murphy. Chair recognizes councilor Durkin. Councilor, you have the floor.

Thank you so much. I wanna thank the lead sponsor for both his military service and also, for bringing this forward today. One of the first things I did on the city council was, to, establish a Hero Square at the intersection of Fenwood Road and and Huntington Ave and Mission Hill in recognition of Nelson Edward Young, who was a private. He I I sponsored this with councilor Flynn. And I know, the Mission Hill Post, we honor him every year, at Brigham Circle.

But it's that particularly, that ceremony was incredibly moving for me, because it was one of the first things I filed on the city council. And to see this, this person's family come forward so so many years later, his he began active duty on 11/19/1948. To see the generations that followed him show up for this Hero Square dedication was incredibly moving to me, and it was not a surprise that the folks that were at that ceremony were fire and police and folks who are also serving our city in different ways. So so I think this, he also enlisted when he was very, very young. So but to have, you know, so many years later, so many family members come forward and this was so meaningful and moving for them, it just reminds us that we have to continue to honor those who fought for our country, and they're the reason that we have this act you know, that we have the rights, that we do today to serve and to be in a democratic society.

And so, so I'm just going back to that because I think three years later, that was still such a moving ceremony. And since then, we've rededicated Hero Squares and Beacon Hill, and there's been there's more to do. I look forward to hanging out with my friends at the Mission Hill Post tomorrow and on Monday and, including our our wonderful leader in general Woody Woodhouse. So thank you.

Thank you, councilor Durkin. And just give a shout out to the folks, from the Brighton Elks who will be decorating the graves at Evergreen Cemetery in preparation for the the Memorial Day remembrances at Evergreen Cemetery in Brighton on Monday morning. Anyone like to add their three. Anyone like to add their names? Names?

Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Luigian, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Pepe, Councillor Weber, Councillor Rowell, please add the chair. Councillors Flynn and Murphy seek suspension of the rules and passage of an adoption of docket one zero six three. All in favor say aye.

Aye. Aye.

Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket one zero six three?

Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Coletta Zapata. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Durkin. Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald. Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald. Yes. Council Flynn. Yes. Council Flynn. Council Lujan. Yes. Council Lujan. Yes. Council Mihir. Yes. Council Mihir. Yes. Council Murphy. Yes. Council Murphy. Yes. Councilor Bippen.

Yes.

Councilor Bippen? Yes. Councilor Santana? Councilor Weber? Yes. Councilor Weber? Yes. And Councilor Worrell?

Yes.

Councilor Worrell, yes. Docket number one zero six three has received 11 votes in affirmative.

Thank you. Docket one zero six three has been adopted. Mister Dlerk, could you please read docket one zero six four?

Docket number one zero six four. Councillors Murphy and Flynn offer the following. Resolution calling for the rescission of elected official salary increases and the redirection of savings to essential city services.

The chair recognizes consular Murphy. Consular Murphy, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. I'm filing this resolution today with councilor Flynn and calling for the rescission. In 2022, the Boston City Council approved a salary increase package for elected officials, which raised the mayor's salary from $2.00 207,000 to 250,000 and raised the city council salaries in three increments and ended at the final one at $1,125,000. We gave ourselves a 20.8% raise. We've had all of the contracts come before us in all of departments across the city, and I'm going to repeat what councilor Flynn says at every contract hearing with the budget department.

Is this the best we can do? And what we always see is we're only giving them 1.52% raises, and we gave ourselves a 20% raise. And also back in 2022, my myself and councilor Flynn were the only two currently serving councilors who voted against that package, raise package back then. These salary increases are now fully in effect at a time when the city of Boston is facing difficult budgetary decisions impacting essential city services, frontline workers, and vulnerable residents. Proposed reductions, funding gaps, and service impacts affecting veteran services, public education, classroom support, services for our students with disabilities, our firefighters, first responders, arts and culture, the list goes on and on.

The resident should not be asked to accept reductions to critical services while elected officials' salaries increase. During periods of fiscal uncertainty, elected officials have a responsibility to demonstrate shared sacrifice, fiscal discipline, and accountability to the people they serve. Rescinding the salary increases for elected officials would send a clear message that the city's priority must be preserving essential services, supporting our frontline workers, protecting vulnerable residents, and investing in the people and programs that serve Boston neighborhoods. Neighborhoods. Any savings associated with this salary rescindent would increase should be redirected towards preserving and strengthening essential city services.

So I'm asking that my colleagues join us today in voting in support of this resolution. Thank you.

Thank you. I call on Councillor Flynn, you're the second cosponsor?

Thank madam chair. This city was built on the back of military veterans, military families, and first responders. Boston cut the veteran services department by 15%. Boston cut cancer screening the firefighters' health and wellness programs. I think that was an embarrassment.

If that's how we balance a budget, we've abandoned our shared values and simply lost our way. The people don't want petty politics or scapegoating. They want positive leadership. I know this funding would not close our budget gap nor would it address the outrageous cuts to veterans and firefighters. But what it does, it sends a message to our constituents that we put the residents of the city of Boston before ourselves.

The city must come first. I know each and every one of us believe we work hard. It's not about us as individuals, It's about us as a body. Can we do anything else to try to save and support programs for special needs children, for firefighters health and wellness, for helping the elderly. Is that a lot to ask for?

To give up a little bit of something to let the residents know that we feel their pain and we're gonna do everything we possibly can to support residents and neighbors in need. I'd rather you vote no against this than saying this is politics because this is about the last thing about politics. This is about going to bat for residents of the city during difficult and challenging times. Vote no if you wanna vote no, but don't block it. Give the residents an opportunity to be heard, to be respected, and this this this is part of the solution.

Residents want to know that we understand that they're going through difficult times, and they don't want a city council just ignoring them and thinking that they don't matter. Residents of Boston matter. They're important. They deserve a little bit of respect. Thank you.

Chair recognizes consular Mejia. Consular, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. God. You know, this is a really good example of what it looks like when we start pitting each other against the constituents that we serve. And I don't want that to be the narrative. Boston Herul, if you're listening to me, know that that is not the case.

So I just wanna be really clear. You know, I'm all for being fiscally responsible, and I think that it's really important for us to recognize that if I'm gonna support something like this, then I want to ask the makers if they'd be willing to I I don't mind reducing my salary as long as that salary goes to supporting youth jobs. That 380 whatever thousand dollars we're gonna make that y'all make a commitment that it goes to youth restoring youth jobs. If we're gonna be there, let's just go all in. And I think it's really important for us to have that conversation.

If we're asking working families and vulnerable communities to absorb cuts, then elected leaders must be prepared to make meaningful sacrifices too. Any reduction in our pay should not become something that is symbolic and or theatrical political poetry here. It should be a direct investment in Boston's young people. And let's be clear, salary reductions alone are not enough. If this council is serious about protecting youth, working families, immigrants, LGBTQ communities, black and brown communities, elders, veterans, and our most vulnerable residents, then we must be willing to explore also moving at least 20,000,000 from public safety spending.

If we're really serious about making these decisions, then we need to go a little bit harder than just filing resolutions. We need to be honest about the political courage that it takes to say, we're gonna take from this to give to that. Because everybody's has to be at the chopping table, not just some.

Thank you, councilor Mahia. The chair recognizes councilor Culpepper. Councilor, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam president. I understand and respect the sentiment from the original sponsors of this resolution. At a time when the city is facing difficult fiscal decisions, many residents are struggling with affordability challenges. It's entirely reasonable for people to ask elected officials to demonstrate shared sacrifice and accountability. However, I can only support this resolution if any savings resulting from rescinding salaries salary increases for elected officials are truly and directly redirected toward restoring the very programs and services currently facing reductions in the proposed budget.

This cannot simply be symbolic. We are asking elected officials to forego raises. Those savings should be used to protect the residents and communities most impacted by these cuts. That includes restoring reductions to youth jobs, workforce development for the young people. While, of course, we all want the cut to be restored and they shouldn't have been cut in the first place, my priority with reducing my salary is to make sure young people in the city have jobs. These programs are not luxuries. They are essential services that young residents in this city rely on every single day.

Thank you,

madam president.

The chair recognizes consular Louisian. Consular, you have the floor.

Thank you. Just for the record, back when this came before the body, it passed unanimously 13 to zero. The mayor overrode it, and then the two pro two pro the two proponents of this resolution sided with the mayor in her overriding. But still, this council, nine of us, came together to override the mayor's veto. And I'd love to see us continue to see how we can build and gain nine councilors to continue doing that. Thank you. Thank you.

That's it. As It's not facts. No. No. No cross talk, please. Councillor Durkin, you have

the floor. Thank you so much. I do believe if we reverted back to the old pay, that's like what I started with, right, when I came onto the council because I served for six months. I do think we reverted back to that pay. I could I could probably survive that, and I could probably do that. But I just feel like this is I don't have a family. I have a cat, and I live alone. And I just think that this is an anti family measure. I want families to be able to serve on this city council. And I think that, we have, you know, folks that are just bringing people into the world.

We have people who just brought people into the world in the last year. We have a lot of colleagues that are living very different lives than I am. And so I just wanna acknowledge I'm a single person that might not have the same and might be able to cut back in ways that families cannot in terms of their savings. So I'm gonna be voting against this. Not it really isn't about me, because I definitely have transferable skills.

If I needed to get a side job, I would try to do it. But for me, it's about making sure that people on the council, when they when they run, that this is like a competitive job that people want to serve in. The second thing, is we had a council colleague that there was some corruption that took place on this body. I do not want anyone, that serves in this body to not be able to afford their life and to go towards something that's really dark and negative. It depends.

So I know I I I should say that a little more clearly. But, essentially, we absolutely have we we serve the city. I know for me, I'm up you know, I'm do I'm working for the city, like, from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed. And I think that we we all work that hard, every single one of us. And so I'm not saying that we I'm not saying that we couldn't do this or we shouldn't do this.

I do wanna announce that I will be giving back a portion of my city council budget this time in order I'm not going to use it all, and so I'm gonna be giving back at least $25,000 to the city of Boston. And, hopefully, that goes into the reserve funds or goes where goes towards snow or whatever, wherever it needs to go. But I'm going to vote against this because I don't think it actually accomplishes what we're trying to accomplish here. And I do wanna thank my colleagues who serve the city every single day. We might have differences of opinion, but I think we all work hard. And I think we all deserve the pay that we get.

Thank you. Councilor Weber, did did I are you okay? Councilor Louis Jenne?

Yes. I just accuracy and facts are important for me, so I just wanna make sure that I said it accurately. This passed the city council unanimously in 2022 originally. The mayor vetoed it, and then nine nine city councilors Overrode. Over overrode the mayor's veto. Just wanted to get that correctly. Thank you. I think also it's important

to have some context here. I'm just looking up some cost of cost of living findings. A single adult needs to make around $125,000 annually to live in sustainable comfort. And households require upwards of 162,000 to afford a typical starter home in Boston area. So we live in a very high cost city.

Many of us are heads of households with a dependence and I think I obviously respect people's sentiments on this, but one size does not fit all when it comes to thinking about the salary of a city councillor. Councillor Flynn, I think you were next and then back to councillor Mahalia.

Thank you. I I wasn't planning to rise a second time, but madam madam chair, I wanna be clear that during the pay raise, I don't really wanna get into this. The pay raise situation, I voted against the pay raise that increased the city council salary significantly. Excuse me?

No, no back talk please. Please continue

Okay. Councillor voted against the City Council pay increase that was before before the body. My my main point, madam chair, is I was at Gordie Park over the weekend in Roxbury. And black residents, black veterans, and then I was at South Boston at Medal Of Honor Park as well over the weekend. But they asked me they said, hey, Ed.

Why are you cutting the veterans budget? What are you gonna do about it? Well, I I think I think businesses need to get involved and support support the budget and put money in there for veterans. I'm working on that. But then one gentleman said to me, but Ed, you you you guys just gave yourself a pay raise.

What about veterans that are looking at a at a camp a a can of soup that need to eat and they're they had their funding cut at the federal government. What are you doing about them? My point here is can we demonstrate and can we show residents that we care about them? We care about what is happening in their lives. Will this $5,000 pay decrease make a meaningful impact?

Probably not. But it sets an example that we're willing to do everything we possibly can to support people in need, including our veterans, our seniors, persons with disabilities. They are in that respect. Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you, councilor Flynn. Councilor Mahia, you have the floor. Thank you, madam president. Yes.

I want everyone that's tuning in to know that we deeply care about all of our most vulnerable populations. And so I just don't want people to think that this resolution demonstrates that the city councilors are unwilling to give up their pay because that is what the news headlines will be, and I am not here for any of that. So I'm going to reclaim my narrative and be honest about the the the situation that we're seeing here. Two things. One, I've always had two to three jobs my entire life.

So work is not something that I am immune to. I am actually used to it. Right? I have two households now that I'm literally helping to support my own, and my mom, as you already know, has been really sick, and I've had to step up. And so financially, this is not just about me. This is about the life of everyone here in the city of Boston because everyone is going through it. So I just want to acknowledge that. And I do appreciate councilor Durkin uplifting that this is anti family because as a single mom who doesn't get a lick of child support, I don't get a dime. I do it all by myself. Right?

I want to acknowledge what it says to people who are tuning in about how I view my my service deliverables. See, I earn every single penny that I get. So let's just be honest. And I think that I want the I did ask a question. If my colleagues want me to support their resolution and if I'm going to give up my salary, I want to make sure that those dollars get reallocated to youth jobs. And so if we're ready to make that commitment, then you can get my vote. But if you can't make that commitment, then I'm gonna have to say no.

Thank you, councillor Mahia. Would anyone I'm gonna call anyone like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper. Councillors Flynn and Murphy seek suspension of the rules and adoption of Docket one zero six four. All in favor say aye. Aye. Mr. Clerk, could you please

not heard yet to vote. Before I take

a vote Consentor, no. Consentor Mahia?

Yeah. So my question was to the makers, before I take this vote, if they are willing to ensure that every single dollar that we're giving up of our salaries is going to be put into youth jobs. If they're willing to make that commitment, then I need to know that because I'm not gonna take on a vote without understanding what I get in return.

Consort Flynn consort consort Murphy, would you like to answer that question?

Yes. I I did my light on.

I wasn't Let's not Consulor Murphy Consulor Flynn, just one of you. I don't need both of you to answer the question. Consulor Flynn? Weber's light

is on. Yes, it's open.

Okay. Well, well, Consulor Flynn Consulor Weber, you you you had your light on earlier, but you can't 't find some.