BURNING. >> UM. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS BEN WEBER. I'M THE DISTRICT SIX CITY COUNCILOR AND THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL ON WAYS AND MEANS.
TODAY IS APRIL 14TH, 2026. THE EXACT TIME IS 1005. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED AND IS ALSO BEING LIVE STREAMED AT BOSTON.GOV/CITY COUNCIL DASH
TV AND BROADCASTED IT ON XFINITY CHANNEL EIGHT, RCN CHANNEL 82 AND FIOS CHANNEL 964. THE CITY'S BUDGET REVIEW PROCESS UH WHICH UH OFFICIALLY
STARTS NOW ALTHOUGH WE'VE HAD SEVERAL PRE-BUDGET HEARINGS AND A LISTENING SESSION UH ACTUALLY TO UH HERE UM UH WILL ENCOMPASS A SERIES OF PUBLIC HEARINGS UH,
BEGINNING NOW AND RUNNING THROUGH JUNE. WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ENGAGE IN THIS PROCESS BY GIVING TESTIMONY ON THE RECORD.
UH, YOU CAN DO SO, UM, SORRY. YOU CAN YOU CAN DO THIS IN SEVERAL WAYS. UH, FIRST YOU CAN ATTEND ONE OF OUR HEARINGS AND GIVE PUBLIC TESTIMONY. YOU WILL WE WILL TAKE PUBLIC TESTIMONY AT THE END OF EACH
DEPARTMENTAL HEARING. UH, AND ALSO AT TWO HEARINGS DEDICATED TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY. THE FULL HEARING SCHEDULE CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE AT
BOSTON.GOV/COUNCIL-BUDGET. OUR SCHEDULED HEARINGS DEDICATED UH TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY ARE IN PERSON HERE IN CITY HALL ON TUESDAY APRIL 28TH
AT 6 P.M. AND AGAIN HERE IN CITY HALL IN PERSON ON THURSDAY ,MAY 26TH AT 6 P.M. YOU CAN GIVE TESTIMONY IN PERSON HERE IN THE CHAMBER OR VIRTUALLY VIA
ZOOM AT ALL OF OUR HEARINGS FOR IN-PERSON TESTIMONY. PLEASE COME TO THE CHAMBER AND SIGN UP UH, ON THE SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE FOR VIRTUAL TESTIMONY. YOU CAN SIGN UP USING OUR
ONLINE FORM ON OUR COUNCIL BUDGET REVIEW WEBSITE OR BY EMAILING THE COMMITTEE AT SQUIRM@BOSTON.GOV OR BY EMAILING UH, CHRIS MITCHELL ON
IT. CHRISTMAS CAR IS H M A TAXI. OH YOU HAND AT BOSTON DECK
OF UM WHEN YOU ARE CALLED TO TESTIFY PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION. RESIDENTS AND UH, LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS, UH, TO A FEW MINUTES OR TWO MINUTES UH UH FOR EACH
UH, PERSON GIVING PUBLIC TESTIMONY. UM, AND JUST MAKE SURE YOU'RE PREPARED FOR THAT TIME LIMIT SO YOU CAN YOU HAVE ALL YOUR CONCERNS HEARD BY US EMAIL YOUR WRITTEN TESTIMONY UH, IF YOU
HAVE IT TO THE COMMITTEE AT 6 A.M. AT BOSTON.GOV. UM YOU CAN ALSO SUBMIT A TWO MINUTE VIDEO OF YOUR TESTIMONY THROUGH THE FORM ON OUR WEBSITE.
UH FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CITY COUNCIL BUDGET PROCESS AND HOW TO TESTIFY, PLEASE VISIT THE CITY COUNCIL'S BUDGET WEBSITE AT BOSTON.GOV/COUNCIL-BUDGET IN
PERSON PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS HEARING FOLLOWING THE PANELIST PRESENTATION, INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY WERE SIGNED UP. UM AND WE'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES
TO TESTIFY IF YOU WISH TO SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY. YOU'VE NOT DONE SO ALREADY. UH, PLEASE UH, EITHER SIGN IN ON THE SHEET THAT'S UH OVER THERE NOW OR UH UH, EMAIL UH,
OUR STAFF LIAISON AT YOU KNOW CHRISTMAS AND IT'S CRY SAHM A. OKECHUKWU H AND@BOSTON.GOV FOR THE ZOOM LINK AND YOUR NAME
WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET NUMBERS 073320740. AN OVERVIEW OF THE FY 27
OPERATING BUDGET. THIS IS ONE IN A SERIES OF HEARINGS WE'LL BE CONDUCTING ON THE FOIA FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET. THESE MATTERS WORSE SPONSORED BY UH MAYOR MICHELLE WU AND
WERE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON APRIL 8TH, 2026. UH, TODAY I'M JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL COUNCILOR MURPHY, COUNCIL PRESIDENT BREADON AND
COUNCILOR FLYNN. WE'VE RECEIVED A LETTER OF ABSENCE FROM COUNCILOR COLLETTA ZAPATA. UH, I YOU KNOW, I SO WE'RE BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK
AHEAD OF US AND A LOT OF HEARINGS WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE DOING OPENING STATEMENTS AT THESE HEARINGS BUT BECAUSE TODAY'S THE FIRST AND BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY THREE OF YOU IF ANYONE WANTS UH, ONE MINUTE EACH TO SAY ANYTHING, UH,
COUNCILOR MURPHY. THANK YOU. >> CHAIR COULD COULD YOU EXPLAIN? UH, ARE YOU GOING TO WE ALREADY? UH, WELL YEAH. SO BUT. BUT MY MY MIND. >> YOU KNOW. OH. >> SO SO YEAH. UM. >> THANK YOU.
COULD YOU JUST CLARIFY BEFORE WE START SEEING THOUGH THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF MANY WHAT YOU MEANT BY THERE WILL NOT BE OPENING STATEMENTS. YEAH. >> SO, UH, SOMETIMES IN SOME HEARINGS EVERY COUNCILOR GETS AN OPENING. STEVE. YEAH.
BEFORE WE. BEFORE WE GO TO GO TO THE PANEL AND GO TO QUESTIONS, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO BE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME I YOU YOU CAN GIVE AN OPENING STATEMENT AS PART OF YOUR
QUESTIONS BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THAT PART. I THINK UH, COUNCILOR EARLE DID THAT LAST YEAR AND AND I THINK IT WAS EFFECTIVE IN MAKING THE HEARINGS MORE EFFICIENT. BUT BECAUSE TODAY IS THE FIRST
ONE IF YOU WANT TO SAY. OR JUST SOMETHING. >> SURE. I ALWAYS WANT TO SAY SOMETHING . UM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE.
HAVE SOME OBVIOUSLY QUESTIONS AND SOME CONCERNS KNOWING THAT YOU KNOW, WE GOT THE BUDGET I GUESS WAS FORMALLY SHARED LAST
WEDNESDAY AND SINCE THEN HAVE BEEN HEARING DIRECTLY FROM ORGANIZATIONS FROM STUDENTS. SO LOOKING FOR SOME CLARIFICATION AND I HOPE THROUGH THE SLIDES AND YOUR
PRESENTATION AND THEN JUST QUESTIONS ANSWERED. BUT ONE EMAIL THAT WAS FORWARDED TO ME FROM THE EIGHT STRONG COMMISSION YESTERDAY WAS NOTIFYING A NONPROFIT PROVIDER
THAT CERTAIN GRANTS WOULD NO LONGER BE FUNDED AND SINCE THEN ,UM, I'VE RECEIVED OUTREACH FROM STUDENTS THAT THEIR JOBS ARE BEING CUT AND OTHER YOUTH
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE TIED TO COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS. SO I HEARD IT'S JUST A RUMOR THOUGH THAT MAYBE THE CITY STARTED SENDING OUT EMAILS ON
FRIDAY AND ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFITS, INDIVIDUALS ARE FINDING OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES OR JOBS THEY HAD OR GRANTS THEY WERE FUNDING ARE NO LONGER BEING FUNDED.
AND IT DOES TIE TO THE QUESTION THAT I THINK FOUR TIMES NOW, CHRIS, UM, I'VE PUT ON THE RECORD AND WHEN I HAD MY ONE ON ONE WITH MICHELLE WITH MAYOR WU, IT WAS THE ONLY QUESTION I
ASKED TO SEE LIKE BACK IN WAS IT DECEMBER JANUARY WHEN WE REACHED OUT TO EACH DEPARTMENT SAYING WE NEED TO MAKE SOME CUTS? WHAT WAS THAT COMMUNICATION TO EACH DEPARTMENT AND WHAT DID
THEY SEND BACK? AND NOW SEEING THAT WE DO HAVE THE BUDGET IN FRONT OF US, I THINK IT'S STILL IMPORTANT TO SEE THAT BECAUSE I DO WANT TO LINE UP WHERE THE CUTS WERE MADE AND HOW ARE WE COMMUNICATING AND WHAT ARE WE
GOING TO DO ABOUT IT. THANK YOU. OKAY. >> THANK YOU, COUNCILOR MURPHY. COUNCILOR UH, BREADON, DO YOU HAVE UH. UM NO, I THINK OKAY, I HAVE MY TIME FOR SURE. UH, COUNCILOR FLYNN ONE MINUTE. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR.
I'LL BE ONE MINUTE. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CHAIR ADMINISTRATION TEAM THAT IS HERE. OVER THE LAST SEVERAL. YEARS I'VE FOCUSED. AND ADVOCATED FOR US TO BE MORE
FISCALLY DISCIPLINE AND FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE TO THE TAXPAYERS OF THE CITY. I PROPOSED SEVERAL WAYS TO GET OUR ECONOMY MOVING AGAIN
INCLUDING A CITY CITY COUNCIL BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION THAT WAS APPROVED TWICE WHICH WOULD ENCOURAGE UM AND SUPPORT BUSINESSES IN DOWNTOWN BOSTON.
I KNOW OUR ECONOMY IS STRUGGLING, ESPECIALLY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND I PROPOSE REDUCING THE IDP. I PROPOSE REDUCING THE REGULATIONS THAT WE HAVE ON
BERTO. I WANT TO SEE. CITY WORKERS AND. BUSINESSES BACK TO WORK. I DO BELIEVE THE RENT CONTROL DEBATE. IS HURTING. FINANCIAL INVESTORS THAT WANT
TO COME TO BOSTON. BUT I WANT TO SUPPORT A PRO-BUSINESS CLIMATE IN THE CITY SO BUSINESSES UNDERSTAND THAT BOSTON IS OPEN AND AND WELCOMING TO BUSINESSES.
WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE PERCEPTION THAT UM THAT WE ARE ANTI-BUSINESS BUSINESSES HELP PAY FOR OUR SCHOOLTEACHERS, FOR OUR ROADS, FOR OUR BRIDGES SUPPORTING OUR ELDERLY.
UH, MR CHAIR, THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'RE JOINED BY COUNCILOR SHARON DURKAN. UH, I YOU KNOW, I'M JUST WE'RE GENERALLY WE'RE WAVING OPENING STATEMENTS. UH, PEOPLE CAN GIVE STATEMENTS
DURING THEIR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. >> WELL, I'M EXCITED TO DIG IN THEN. OKAY. >> OKAY. DO. UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST, UH, A BRIEF STATEMENT FOR ME, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK WHAT WE'RE
SEEING IS A BUDGET WHERE WE'RE HAVING TO WE HAVE BUDGET DEFICITS THIS YEAR. UH, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK HOW THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT NEXT YEAR. UH, FOR ME, A QUESTION I'D LIKE TO ANSWER OVER THE COURSE
OF THESE HEARINGS IS, YOU KNOW, IS THIS, UH, SORT OF A CONDITION. THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE ON INTO THE FUTURE IS NOT LIKE ONE THING THAT WE CAN POINT TO LIKE A HOUSING CRISIS OR A.COM
BUBBLE OR OR SOMETHING WE JUST SORT OF HAVE THE COSTS INCREASE AND THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT WE CAN RAISE DOESN'T INCREASE AS FAST, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GOING TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE UM.
YOU KNOW. UH RIGHT NOW IT'S IT'S UH IT'S HARD IT'S HARD TO DO ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WANT AS A CITY. UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHETHER THIS. IS GOING TO. CONTINUE ON INTO THE FUTURE.
SO WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER ASHLEY GRIFFIN BURGER AND BUDGET DIRECTOR JIM WILLIAMSON. UM, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE UH, A PRESENTATION. SO I'M. >> GOING.
TO HAND THIS OFF TO YOU. IT'S UM THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. COUNCILORS. THANKS FOR HAVING US. UM, EXCITED TO KICK OFF THIS VERY IMPORTANT PHASE OF THE BUDGET PROCESS FOR THIS YEAR.
SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING, UH, A LOT OF TIME WITH US TODAY. UM, WE'LL WALK THROUGH A COUPLE OF SLIDES RELATED TO THE BUDGET AND THEN LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR QUESTIONS.
UH, SO THE FY 27 RECOMMENDED BUDGET UH, IS $4.9 BILLION AND IS A THOUGHTFUL, RESPONSIBLE FINANCIAL PLAN THAT HONORS THE CITY'S COMMITMENTS, PRIORITIZES MEETING OUR LONG TERM
OBLIGATIONS, UH, AND PROTECTING CORE CITY SERVICES WHILE SETTING BOSTON UP FOR THE FUTURE. THE RECOMMENDED OPERATING BUDGET IS PROJECTED TO GROW BY JUST 2.1% OR 99.4 MILLION, THE
LOWEST RATE OF GROWTH IN RECENT YEARS. REVENUES CONTINUE TO GROW BUT ARE OUTPACED BY SIGNIFICANT COST INCREASES, PARTICULARLY IN HEALTH INSURANCE AND PUBLIC
EDUCATION COSTS, WHICH NECESSITATED DIFFICULT CHOICES IN ORDER TO DELIVER THIS BALANCED BUDGET. AS A RESULT OF THIS SLOWER GROWTH, CITY DEPARTMENT BUDGETS OVERALL DECREASED BY 1.3% OR
20.4 MILLION. THESE REDUCTIONS WERE NOT TAKEN LIGHTLY NOR WERE THEY EASY BUT WERE NECESSARY IN ORDER TO PRESERVE SERVICES AND FILLED
POSITIONS IN THE CITY. THE FY 27 BUDGET IS COMING AT A TIME OF STRAIN FOR MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH, DRIVEN BY COSTS THAT OUTPACE THE GROWTH ALLOWED
UNDER MUNICIPALITY'S MAIN REVENUE SOURCE UH PROPERTY TAX UH CONSTRAINED BY PROP TWO AND A HALF. DESPITE THIS CONSTRAINT AND CHALLENGE, THE CITY MAINTAINS ITS COMMITMENT TO RESPONSIBLE
BUDGET MANAGEMENT AND UNLIKE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH THIS YEAR THIS RECOMMENDED BUDGET DOES NOT RELY ON ADDITIONAL TAX REVENUE IN THE FORM OF A PROP TWO AND A HALF OVERRIDE.
NOR DOES IT INCREASE ITS USE OF RESERVES TO SUPPORT ONGOING EXPENDITURES, ENSURING THAT WE DO NOT CREATE A FISCAL CLIFF FOR OURSELVES IN FY 28 AND BEYOND. RATHER, THIS BUDGET
APPROPRIATELY ALIGNS SPENDING WITH EXPECTED REVENUE GROWTH. WE CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR IMPACTS OF FEDERAL POLICIES WHETHER DIRECTLY ON THE CITY OR IN THE OVERALL LOCAL ECONOMY.
AND WE BELIEVE THAT THE FY 27 RECOMMENDED BUDGET IS THOUGHTFUL AND RESPONSIBLE AND PUTS US IN THE BEST POSITION TO MANAGE THROUGH THE CURRENT ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT.
SO I'LL WALK THROUGH TWO CHARTS REAL QUICK TO PROVIDE KIND OF CONTEXT FOR REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE GROWTH. UH, SO UM AND WE HAVE A LOT MORE ON THIS I'LL I'LL BREEZE THROUGH THIS BUT REVENUE GROWTH
IS PRIMARILY DRIVEN BY PROPERTY TAX AND THIS BUDGET WHICH WHILE CONSTRAINED REPRESENTS A STABLE AND GROWING SOURCE OF REVENUE. THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET ASSUMES THAT WE WILL MAXIMIZE UP TO THE LEVY LIMIT AND MAKES AN
ASSUMPTION FOR NEW GROWTH UH, AT $40 MILLION WE HAVE ALSO ASSUMED INCREASE USE OF WHAT'S KNOWN AS AVAILABLE FUNDS THROUGH AN INCREASE USE IN THE PARKING METER FUND TO SUPPORTS
TO SUPPORT STREET OPERATIONS IN THIS BUDGET AND STATE AID WHILE OUR SECOND LARGEST SOURCE OF REVENUE IS ONLY PROJECTED TO GROW BY 14 MILLION CONSISTENT WITH THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET FROM
JANUARY 2026. UH, WE ARE CONTINUING TO PROJECT MODEST GROWTH IN EXCISES BUT THAT REMAINS RELATIVELY STABLE AND THEN CONSISTENT WITH THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, WE ARE PROJECTING
MODEST REDUCTIONS IN REVENUE FROM DEPARTMENTS AND LICENSES AND BUILDING PERMITS. AND UH LASTLY, WE CONTINUE TO ASSUME A REDUCTION IN INTEREST INCOME DUE TO EXPECTED RATE
CUTS DURING THE YEAR. UH, ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, THAT REVENUE GROWTH IS ENTIRELY CONSUMED BY PROJECTED GROWTH IN HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS AND PUBLIC EDUCATION.
UH THE HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS ALONE REPRESENT AN INCREASE OF JUST OVER 97 MILLION OVER FY 26. UM THIS IS DUE TO THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO YOU ALL ABOUT FOR UM, YOU KNOW, THE
LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, UM, THE NEED TO INCREASE EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS TO HEALTH INSURANCE, UM, AS A RESULT OF INCREASED COST OF HEALTH CARE, THE RISE IN GLP ONE USAGE
AND THE NEED TO REBUILD OUR UM HEALTH INSURANCE TRUST FUND. UM, AND I JUST WANT TO OH, SORRY I DIDN'T MOVE. UH, I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THE, UM, UH, 97.3 MILLION IN
HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE UM, SAVINGS ASSOCIATED WITH UTILIZATION MANAGEMENT, WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE WITH OUR UNION PARTNERS. UM, JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, UH,
PUBLIC EDUCATION COSTS WHICH REPRESENT THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH EXCLUDING HEALTH INSURANCE AS WELL AS OUR CHARTER SCHOOL, UH, CONTRIBUTION REPRESENTS $50
MILLION IN GROWTH WITH DPS UH REPRESENTING ABOUT 40 MILLION OF THAT AND THE BALANCE THE 10 MILLION FROM CHARTER SCHOOLS UM THE 40 MILLION UH ASSUMED GROWTH IN DPS UH, LIKE I SAID
IS THE NON-HEALTH INSURANCE COMPONENT OF THEIR BUDGET GROWTH UM AND REPRESENTS INCREASED COSTS FROM WAGES, UM AND OTHER CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS UH AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM LASTLY, WE'RE PROJECTING MODEST GROWTH IN FIXED COSTS AND OTHER CENTRAL APPROPRIATIONS UH NOTABLY ASSUMED UH INCREASES IN OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RESERVES,
OUR STATE ASSESSMENTS AND UM THE RESERVE FOR EXECUTION OF COURTS IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THIS GROWTH. THE BUDGET MAKES A NUMBER OF TARGETED REDUCTIONS.
UM, CENTRALLY WE ARE ASSUMING UM, REDUCTIONS FROM BOTH UH, OUR PENSION SCHEDULE AS WELL AS UM DEBT SERVICE. UH, SO ON THE PENSION SIDE, THE
RETIREMENT BOARD IN MARCH VOTED TO ADOPT A REVISED CONTRIBUTION SCHEDULE WHICH WOULD UM WE'RE CALLING IT THE GLIDE PATH APPROACH WHICH WOULD STEP DOWN OUR CONTRIBUTION.
UM, AND UH, THIS YEAR AND GOING FORWARD, UH, WHILE STILL MAINTAINING OUR UH, DATE OF FULL FUNDING THE SYSTEM BY 2028. UM, THIS APPROACH NOT ONLY
PROVIDES SOME SHORT TERM BUDGET RELIEF BUT ALSO UM, RESULTS IN A SYSTEM THAT IS UH OVERFUNDED 105% FUNDED BY 2031, WHICH IS
ULTIMATELY WILL ALLOW US TO UM, PROTECT THE SYSTEM AND ITS FUNDING STATUS AGAINST MARKET VOLATILITY. AND ON THE DEBT SERVICE SIDE, WE ASSUME SOME UH, MODEST SAVINGS FROM UH A RESTRUCTURING
AND A REFUNDING UM OF PRIOR DEBT ISSUANCES. AND THEN AS WE MENTIONED, CITY DEPARTMENTS REPRESENT THE UH REMAINDER OF THE SAVINGS ABOUT
$20.4 MILLION. OKAY. UH, WE'LL DIG IN A LITTLE MORE TO THE REVENUE. UM, SO AS I MENTIONED, UM, YOU
KNOW, PROPERTY TAX CONTINUES TO BE A DEPENDABLE SOURCE OF REVENUE IN THIS BUDGET. THE OVERALL PROPERTY TAX REPRESENTS ABOUT 73% OF OUR TOTAL REVENUES. UM, AND ACCOUNTS FOR, YOU KNOW,
ALMOST ENTIRELY ALL OF THE GROWTH IN OUR IN OUR BUDGET BUDGETED REVENUE. UM, WE'RE ASSUMING MODEST INCREASES IN EXCISE REDUCTIONS IN INTEREST ON INVESTMENTS PERMITTING AND DEPARTMENTAL
REVENUE. UM, BUT OVERALL WE BELIEVE THIS IS A RESPONSIBLE REVENUE FORECAST, UM, THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF OUR CURRENT
ECONOMIC SITUATION. UH, WE COULDN'T COME BEFORE YOU WITHOUT A PIE CHART. SO THIS IS JUST A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF OUR REVENUES AGAIN, PROPERTY TAX REPRESENTING, UH, THE LION'S
SHARE OF OUR TOTAL REVENUE. UH, HERE WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF REVENUE SOURCES A SHARE OF TOTAL BUDGET AS WELL AS CHANGES BETWEEN FY 26 AND 27.
UM, SO QUICKLY IN FY 27, LIKE I MENTIONED, UH, PROPERTY TAX WILL REPRESENT UM THE GREATEST SHARE OF OUR REVENUE AT 73.1% FOLLOWED BY STATE AID AT 10.9% .
UH DEPARTMENTAL AND OTHER LOCAL REVENUES INCLUDING INTEREST IS UH IN TOTAL 7.9% OF OUR BUDGET AND EXCISE REPRESENTS 6.4%
OF OUR BUDGETED REVENUE. UH, TO DRILL IN A LITTLE BIT MORE ON PROPERTY TAX. SO UM, LIKE I MENTIONED, PROJECTED TO GROW UM REPRESENTS
ABOUT 73% OF OUR REVENUE. UM, IN FY 27 THE COMBINATION OF THE 2.5% ALLOWABLE LEVY INCREASE AND A CONSERVATIVE ASSUMPTION FOR NEW GROWTH UH, A
40 MILLION UH AND AN ADJUSTMENT TO COVER PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENTS ARE PROJECTED TO INCREASE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE BY 126 MILLION OR 3.6% OVER F Y 26.
UH PROPERTY TAX HAS CONSISTENTLY GROWN OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS AS YOU CAN SEE UH PROVING TO BE A VERY RELIABLE AND STABLE UH SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR THE CITY DESPITE BEING CONSTRAINED.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE HERE AGAIN, UM, THAT PROPERTY VALUES DO NOT IMPACT THIS REVENUE PICTURE. UM, THE BUDGET ASSUMES GROWTH CONSISTENT WITHIN THE LIMITS OF PROP TWO AND A HALF AND DOES
NOT MAKE ANY ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT CHANGES IN VALUES OR TAX RATES. UH, ON THE STATE AID SIDE, UH STATE AID REPRESENTS JUST ABOUT 11% OF OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE
. UM, AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NUMBERS THAT WERE IN THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET IN JANUARY. I BELIEVE THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS BUDGET COMES OUT SOON. UM, SO WE WILL REVIEW THAT WHEN
THAT COMES OUT. UM, BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW THIS IS REFLECTIVE OF THE GOVERNOR'S ASSUMPTION. UH, WHILE THE OVERALL AMOUNT OF REVENUE FROM STATE AID IS PROJECTED TO SLIGHTLY INCREASE BY 14 MILLION, THE CITY
EVALUATES STATE AID ON A NET BASIS, UH, MEANING AID REMAINING AFTER SUBTRACTING ASSESSMENTS THAT WE HAVE TO PAY BACK TO THE STATE UH, WHEN MATCHED UP AGAINST OUR VARIOUS STATE ASSESSMENTS, THIS AMOUNTS
TO $1 MILLION INCREASE IN OUR STATE AID NET STATE AID COMPARED TO FY 26. UH, ADDITIONALLY, NET EDUCATION AID CONTINUES TO BE NEGATIVE. UH NET EDUCATION AID IS OUR
CHAPTER 70 UH AMOUNT PLUS OUR CHARTER REIMBURSEMENT MINUS OUR CHARTER ASSESSMENT. AND SO THAT CONTINUES TO BE NEGATIVE AS IT WAS LAST YEAR. UM BUT IN THE BIGGER PICTURE
STATE AID HAS FALLEN SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, UH, WHEN IT MADE UP ALMOST ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND UH, WHICH HAS SINCE INCREASED RELIANCE ON PROPERTY TAXES AND OTHER
REVENUE SOURCES. UM, JUST QUICKLY ON THE EXCISE PICTURE. SO TOTAL EXCISE TAXES ARE PROJECTED TO BE 315 MILLION OR 6.4% OF GENERAL FUND REVENUE IN
27. UM, AS YOU CAN SEE THIS HAS BEEN A PRETTY CONSISTENT SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR US HOVERING AROUND THAT AMOUNT. UM, SO WE'RE BUDGETING ACCORDINGLY. UM, AND JUST AS A REMINDER, UH,
EXCISE IS COMPRISED OF MOTOR VEHICLE ROOMS AND MEALS AND OTHER SUCH AS UH JET FUEL MARIJUANA UM AND SHORT TERM RENTAL.
UH AND LASTLY FOR ME, UM JUST A VISUAL REPRESENTATION HERE OF THE UM INTEREST ON INVESTMENTS. UM, SO THIS SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR US REALLY PEAKED IN FY 24
AND WE'VE BEEN UM, SLOWLY RAMPING THAT DOWN UH, KIND OF CONSISTENT WITH THE ASSUMED RATE CUTS UH, FROM THE FED. UM, IN THIS BUDGET WE ARE ASSUMING $40 MILLION IN
INTEREST INCOME, WHICH IS A UH 50% REDUCTION FROM FY 26. UH, AND WE ARE UH ASSUMING IN HERE AT LEAST TWO RATE CUTS UM,
UH WHICH IS DRIVING THE UH DOWNWARD ADJUSTMENT IN THIS REVENUE SOURCE. BUT I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS PRIOR TO THIS HIGH INFLATIONARY ENVIRONMENT WE WERE UM, GENERATING MUCH LESS
MONEY, UH, FROM INTEREST INCOME. SO WANT TO HAVE IT REFLECT MORE, UH, NORMAL HISTORIC LEVELS OF FUNDING. OKAY. >> SO WITH THAT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JIM. GREAT. >> THANK YOU.
ASHLEY. SO UM, ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE ,UH, HERE IS A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF HOW THE, UH, ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET IS DIVIDED UH, SORT OF THE
COMPLEMENT TO THE THE REVENUE DIVISION. SO THE LARGEST COMPONENT OF UM IF YOU HAVE FY 27 ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET, IT HAS AS IT HAS BEEN FOR MANY YEARS IS PUBLIC EDUCATION.
UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS INCLUDES BOTH THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS WELL AS THE CHARTER SCHOOL ASSESSMENT, UH, THEN FOLLOWED BY PUBLIC SAFETY, UH AGENCIES,
UM, UH FIXED COSTS WHICH ARE ARE OFTEN THE OPERATIONAL COMPONENTS OF UH DELIVERING SERVICE AS WELL. SO UH THAT'S WHERE THE DEBT SERVICE IS PAID TO SUPPORT THE
CONSTRUCTION OF CITY ASSETS THAT BASICALLY ARE THE TOOLS TO DELIVER UH, CITY SERVICES AS WELL AS UM THE PENSION SUPPORTS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE LARGEST ASSET UH, THE CITY OWNS
WHICH IS A HUMAN CAPITAL ASSET THAT'S THE CITY EMPLOYEES WHO PROVIDE THE SERVICES EVERY DAY . UH, AND THEN THE SMALLER SLICES AS THEY GO DOWN CITY
DEPARTMENTS, UM, UH, WAGES AND BENEFITS, WHICH IS A COMPONENT OF HEALTH INSURANCE, UH, THE OPEB APPROPRIATION, UH, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RESERVE, UH, AND MEDICARE ALL THOSE ARE
SORT OF BUNDLED IN THAT IN THAT PIE. MOVING INTO A COMPLIMENTARY SORT OF UH, CHART OF UM HOW THE
BUDGET IS IS DIVIDED IN TERMS OF APPROPRIATIONS VERSUS FIXED COSTS. SO ON THE APPROPRIATION SIDE, UM, WE'VE UM SORT OF COMMUNICATED UH, THE BUDGET BRIEFING ON WEDNESDAY MORNING
WE TALKED ABOUT HOW CITY DEPARTMENTS IT'S ALSO UH CAPTURED IN UM THE THE GROWTH CHART THAT ACTUALLY RECEIVED DEPARTMENTS ARE UH REDUCING BY
$20 MILLION OR 1.3%. UH PUBLIC HEALTH IS GROWING UH MAINLY UH UH CENTERED AROUND UM HEALTH AND HEALTH BENEFITS. UH THERE'S A PENSION COMPONENT
AS WELL THAT SITS IN ITS PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION UH BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS ALTHOUGH IT SAYS UH 88,000,055.4% BUT WHEN YOU ADJUST FOR FOR UM FOR HEALTH
INSURANCE IT'S IT'S MORE IN THE 40 MILLION OR 2.7% INCREASE. UM, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IS SORT OF JUST THAT AMOUNT THAT'S RESERVED FOR OPEN CONTRACTS TO SETTLE.
AND THE OPEB HAS BEEN HELD UH, CONSTANT WITH THE ALIGNMENT IN THIS CASE TO UH IT'S UH UM NOT RECURRING REVENUE OF UH FREE CASH THAT SUPPORTS UH AND OTHER
OTHER CENTRAL FUNDS ARE INCLUDED THINGS LIKE HEALTH INSURANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, MEDICARE WORKERS COMP SOME CENTRAL FUNDS THAT SUPPORT ALL OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS.
MOVING INTO THE FIXED COST UH, CATEGORY. UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PENSION SO UH, ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT HOW WE WE TOOK THE THE OPPORTUNITY TO UM LOOK AT OUR
LONG TERM LIABILITIES, SEE WHERE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TO MAKE MAKE SOME CHANGES TO SORT OF UM, RELIEVE SOME PRESSURE ON UH, NEEDED CHANGES THAT MAY BE NEEDED TO HAVE HAPPENED AT THE DEPARTMENT
LEVEL. SO WITH PENSIONS, UM, UNDER THE NEW SCHEDULE WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE, UH, $25 MILLION. UH, THE APPROPRIATION IS GOING DOWN 5.3% DEBT SERVICE UH, DOWN
$13 MILLION. UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS THE THE COMPLIMENT THAT GOES INTO PUBLIC EDUCATION. THIS IS THE GROWTH IN UH, THE CHARTER SCHOOL ASSESSMENT UH UH
,THE CITY BOSTON IS ALSO ASSESSED FOR ITS UM UH IT'S ONE OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT BENEFIT FROM HAVING THE MBTA AND UM AND UM CITY BOUNDARIES. SO THAT WENT UP BY $3 MILLION.
UH, AND THE OTHER ASSESSMENTS WERE ROUGHLY THE SAME AND WE'RE WE'RE ALSO UH, STILL WORKING OFF THE SORT OF UH, UNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITY OF THE FORMER UH, CITY AGENCY OF SUFFOLK
COUNTY SHERIFF AND THE RESERVE IS A COMPONENT OF UH, UM STATE LAW THAT REQUIRES US TO MAINTAIN UM, UH, ON OUR BALANCE SHEET RESERVE, UH, CALLED THE TRIGGER RESERVE.
UH, IT WAS NOT A REQUIREMENT THIS YEAR BASED ON, UH, PAYMENTS MADE IN, UH, THE PRIOR YEAR. UH.
SO, UM, UH, WE'LL START TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THAT COMPONENT OF THE THE DEPARTMENTAL REDUCTIONS UH, TARGETED REDUCTIONS THAT UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT UM, AS WE APPROACH
UH, DEPARTMENTAL HEARINGS IN THE COMING WEEKS, YOU'LL YOU'LL PROBABLY GET MORE UM UH MORE NUANCE IN UH UM YOU KNOW, UH COLOR ON THOSE BUT IT INCLUDES
UH, VACANT POSITION REDUCTIONS AND SALARY SAVINGS EQUIVALENT TO UH 785 POSITIONS. SO THAT'S LIKE INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF SALARY SAVINGS OVER UM, WHAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE 26
BUDGET? UH, IT'S A COMBINATION OF REDUCTION OF LONG TERM VACANCIES. SO WE'RE ALWAYS TRACKING WHERE POSITIONS UH, WHEN'S THE LAST TIME THEY WERE FILLED? UH, AND THEN ALSO JUST THROUGH
THIS CONTROLLED HIRING PROCESS THAT WE'VE SORT OF FIRST ROLLED OUT AND IN DECEMBER SORT OF CONTINUED ON IN THE MARCH SORT OF UM UH SPENDING UH
CONTROL CONTINUATION UH IT'S SORT OF A MORE MODERATED APPROACH TO FILLING VACANCIES. UH BUT UH, WE DID WE DID BECAUSE UH, CITY EMPLOYEES ARE THE ARE THE PRIMARY DELIVERY
OF CITY PROGRAMING SERVICES. THERE ARE NO CITY, UH, LAYOFFS UH, CONTEMPLATED IN THIS BUDGET. UH, AGAIN UH, IT WAS THE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF THOSE LONG TERM LIABILITIES THAT
ACHIEVED THAT SAVINGS IN IN SPIRIT AND YOU KNOW, FURTHER MORE PAINFUL OR CHALLENGING CUTS TO TWO DEPARTMENTS. UM, IT MAKES THESE TARGETED REDUCTIONS TO CITY DEPARTMENTS WHILE PROTECTING THE CORE
SERVICES. UH, THERE'S A LOT OF GENERAL BELT TIGHTENING IN AREAS SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, UH, BUILDING AND EQUIPMENT REPAIR. THESE ARE THE CONTRACTED SERVICES CATEGORY OTHER OF THE MORE GENERAL CONTRACTED
SERVICES SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT AND THESE ARE JUST UH, DEPARTMENTS GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF SORT OF LOOKING WHERE THEY HAVE UM SOME FLEXIBILITY TO REDUCE SPENDING IN THAT UM, IN IN THE SORT
OF THE MORE UH THE UH THE AREA WHERE WE UM SORT OF OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF INVESTMENT IN CERTAIN GRANTMAKING PROGRAMS THAT UH,
WE NEEDED TO UH, REEVALUATE GOING INTO THIS FAIRLY CONSTRICTED UM, UH, BUDGET YEAR. SO THERE'S 12 MILLION ROUGHLY HALF OF THE TOTAL CONTRACTED SERVICE REDUCTIONS COME FROM REDUCING OR REMOVING FUNDING
FROM DISCRETIONARY UH, GRANT PROGRAMS IN THIS ALSO UM, UH REDUCTION FOR SCHOOL YEAR JOBS. SO THIS WAS UH SORT OF INITIALLY OFFERED IT'S SORT
OF THE THE THE THE THEORY IS IS THAT UH SCHOOL UH SUMMER JOBS ARE SORT OF THE FLAGSHIP UH SORT OF UM CORE MOST CORE UM UH YOUTH JOB PROGRAM THAT NEEDED
TO BE PROTECTED. UM, AND IT'S SORT OF ALSO WHERE YOUTH ARE SORT OF ON UH, NOT IN SCHOOL DON'T HAVE THAT SORT OF UM BENEFIT OF BEING IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AT THAT TIME
DURING DURING THE SUMMER. SO THAT'S SORT OF WHERE THAT APPROACH CAME FROM. AND THEN UM AGAIN SO THESE WILL
COVER IN THE NEXT SLIDE SORT OF UM SORT OF TOP LINE OVERVIEWS. UH I KNOW YOU'LL YOU'LL SPEND A LOT OF TIME AS YOU HAVE DEPARTMENTAL HEARINGS, UH, TO MEET WITH CABINET OFFICIALS AND
DEPARTMENT HEADS IN THE COMING WEEKS TO SORT OF DELVE INTO THIS, UH, DEEPLY. BUT WHAT WE WANT TO TAKE AWAY WE WANT EVERYBODY TO TAKE AWAY FROM FROM THIS HEARING IS THIS THIS BUDGET DOES DELIVER A LOT
OF SERVICES, A LOT OF UM CORE CRITICAL SERVICES THAT WE'RE ALL UM, UH, EXPECTING AND AND AND WILL BE DELIVERED.
SO UM, IT'S WE'RE SORT OF VERY FOCUSED ON THE BASIC CITY SERVICES I THINK UH, THROUGH YOU KNOW, A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD WITH THE COUNCIL LEADING UP TO THE
UH, UH, BUDGET SUBMISSION UH, IT SEEMS TO BE UH, ALMOST UNIVERSALLY ACROSS THAT PROTECTING CITY SERVICES UH, CORE CITY SERVICES IS SORT OF THE PARAMOUNT. SO WE'VE HAD SOME UH YOU KNOW,
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UH, ROADWAYS RESURFACED, UH, POTHOLES FILLED SOME OF THIS STRADDLES THE CAPITAL BUDGET. SO POTHOLES UH MAYBE UH MAYBE FILLED IN THE UM IN IN THE UH,
OPERATING BUDGET BUT UH, THE CAPITAL PLAN MIGHT BE DELIVERING A RESURFACING COMPONENT TO IT. UH, BUT IT'S IT'S CITY STAFF, UH, WHO BASICALLY PLAN, ORGANIZE AND HELP MANAGE THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF ALL THOSE SERVICES. UH, SO UH, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO CONTINUE TO SORT OF MEET THAT REQUIREMENT TO GET UM, THE QUALITY THE SORT OF STATE OF GOOD REPAIR OF OUR
ROADWAYS UP TO. UH, BUT IT'S THIS IS UM WE'LL GET INTO IT MORE IN SORT OF THE UH THE CAPITAL HEARING THIS AFTERNOON BUT THIS IS SORT OF FOCUSING ON WHERE UH, THE
CITY AS A PUBLIC ENTITY IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE UM MOBILITY AND ACCESS FOR ITS RESIDENTS. AND THIS IS WHERE UM THE OPERATIONS SORT OF UH THE
INVESTMENTS WERE MAINTAINED IN THAT CATEGORY. SO YOUTH DEVELOPMENT EMPLOYMENT SO SUMMER JOBS YOU KNOW, IT'S THE CORNERSTONE SORT OF UH
FLAGSHIP OF THE ADMINISTRATION UH, TO TO FUND NEARLY 11,000 STUDENTS UH, FOR THE FOR THE PAST TWO SUMMERS. AND THE UM PLAN IS TO CONTINUE
TO MAINTAIN THAT UM TO TO DURING THOSE THOSE UH SUMMER MONTHS WHERE STUDENTS AREN'T IN SCHOOL TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UH UM THEY HAVE, YOU
KNOW, CONSTRUCTIVE UM, UM WORK THAT HELPS THEM YOU KNOW, GROW IS UH, RESIDENTS AND PEOPLE CONTRIBUTORS TO UH, BOSTON IN THE FUTURE. UM, IT IT RETAINS THAT
GUARANTEE THAT EVERY STUDENT, UH, WILL HAVE ACCESS TO A SUMMER JOB. UH, ONE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SORT OF OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS WHERE UM IN THERE WAS MOVEMENT WITH YOUTH JOBS WAS MOVE INTO
THE WORKER EMPOWERMENT CABINET UH, SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WERE UH, FOCUSED ON NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT MAY HAVE SAT IN THE UH UH YOUTH EMPLOYMENT AND OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM HAS SORT OF BEEN DISPERSED INTO THE
HUMAN SERVICES COUNTER, UH, CABINET AND IT'S TO CREATE A MORE DIVERSE, STABLE FUNDING STRUCTURE INCLUDING OFFERING UH OPPORTUNITIES TO SORT OF UH,
MOVE UM, UH, THOSE RESOURCES FOR YOUTH SORT OF UH, ENRICHMENT. UM, PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY.
SO UM THE GOAL IS TO KEEP BOSTON THE SAFEST MAJOR CITY IN AMERICA. AND SO I THINK ALL EVERYBODY WHEN THEY FIRST THINK OF A CITY, THE ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTION IS IS IT A SAFE CITY? HOW WILL MY EXPERIENCE BE WHEN
I COME TO THE CITY? AND I THINK BOSTON DOES BENEFIT FROM THAT UH, REPUTATION UH, BORNE OUT IN AND DATA THAT IT IS A SAFE ONE OF THE SAFEST MAJOR CITIES IN AMERICA.
SO UH, WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD THAT THIS BUDGET UH, MAINTAINS UH, UM, REPLACEMENT CLASSES SO AND UM, UH, THE CADET PROGRAM FOR ALL THREE SORT OF PUBLIC
SAFETY UH, AGENCIES FOR FOR EMS ,FOR FIRE, FOR POLICE TO TO BOTH UM UH DEVELOP UM UH YOUTH
UH BOSTON AREA YOUTH TO UH TO BE READY AS A PIPELINE FOR RECRUIT CLASSES AS THEY AS THEY COME ONLINE AND THE GOAL IS TO MAINTAIN THOSE STAFFING LEVELS. UH, SO UH, WE'RE RETAINING
SERVICE LEVELS EVEN THOUGH WE'VE MADE SOME OF THESE, UH, TARGETED REDUCTIONS IN CIVILIANS. BUT UH, WE'RE ALSO FUNDING HAS BEEN PRESERVED FOR ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE CAPACITY INCLUDING
PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING, YOU KNOW, TRAUMA, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, UH, FAMILY INSTABILITY THAT OFTEN UH HAVE UH POLICE UH, CONNECTION AND THEN SORT OF UH,
THERE IS THIS SORT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CENTERED APPROACH TO SAFETY. THE COMMUNITY SAFETY UH PROGRAM HAS NOW BEEN FULLY DEPLOYED FROM THE TOP HUMAN SERVICES
COMPANY INTO THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION AS SORT OF A UH A PUBLIC HEALTH CENTERED APPROACH TO ADDRESSING COMMUNITY VIOLENCE AND UM, UH, IN AREAS
OF COMMUNITY SAFETY GENERALLY AND THEN. MOVING INTO HUMAN SERVICES, UH ,AGAIN, ANOTHER UH POINT
PROBABLY IS THE PRESERVATION OF OF OF SERVICES THAT ARE UNIVERSALLY UM UH RECEIVED ACROSS THE CITY UH IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD UH MAINTAINING
THOSE EVENING AND WEEKEND HOURS AT THE LIBRARY THAT HAVE BEEN ROLLED OUT OVER THE LAST UH, A FEW YEARS AND UM, AS WELL AS MAINTAINING UH, OPERABILITY AT
PCF CENTERS AND IN CLASSES FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE THAT WILL BE UH TAUGHT AT THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ALL THE RESIDENTS. UH, AND UH THERE'S A NOTE MADE
UH, THAT THERE WAS ABLE TO SECURE $1 MILLION FOR UM, YOU KNOW, MARK TO SUPPORT TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR UH, HELPING OLDER RESIDENTS MOVE AROUND THE CITY AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, VETERAN SERVICES
UH, WILL CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN THAT UH, NEED BASED SWIFT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT OUR VETERANS. AND THIS IS UH IT'S THE LAST
SLIDE UH, SORT OF TALKING ABOUT TWO HUGE UH, PUBLIC POLICY AREAS THAT UH, THAT THE BUDGET WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, UH, WHICH IS THE BOSTON PUBLIC
SCHOOLS, UH, WITH A FOCUS ON INCLUSIVE EDUCATION, UH, HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, MULTILINGUAL UH PROGRAMING, UH AND EXPANDED COLLEGE AND CAREER PATHWAYS,
UH, IN MAINTAINING A UH TEACHER TO STUDENT RATIO OF 1 TO 10. UM SO THAT IS THAT IS A KEY UH COMPONENT OF THE DELIVERY OF OF THE BUDGET IS TO MAINTAIN THAT
COMMITMENT TO UH, PUBLIC EDUCATION AND ON THE HOUSING UH ,SO ALTHOUGH THE ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET ISN'T THE EXCLUSIVE SOURCE OF OF REVENUE FOR UM THE HOUSING PROGRAM, UH
,THEY DO HAVE THE BENEFIT OF HOUSING TRUST IDP, UH, CPA AND OTHER OTHER PROGRAMS SUPPORTIVE BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT UM THROUGH THE ANNUAL OPERATING
BUDGET A PROGRAM SUPPORTING HOMEOWNERSHIP ASSISTANCE, SUPPORT OF HOUSING STATEMENT UH TENANT STABILIZATION AND IN THE HOUSING VOUCHER WHICH IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH UH THE BOSTON
HOUSING AUTHORITY WITH THAT UH. THANK YOU AND UH FOR QUESTIONS. OKAY. >> UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH UH WE UH WE HAVE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR PET PEN,
COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE COUNCILOR CULPEPER COUNCILOR EARL AND COUNCILOR FITZGERALD UH, BY YOURS THE SASH COUNCILOR CULPEPER LOOKS LIKE YOU ATTENDED A 100TH BIRTHDAY
PARTY. WELL, TO ME IF OH, TODAY'S YOUR HUNDREDTH DAY. OKAY. WELL, GREAT. UH, CONGRATULATIONS. >> AND, UH, LIKE. THAT EXTRA TIME, UH, I.
WE'RE PUTTING THAT TO A VOTE AND, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEEN REJECTED. WELL, OKAY. IT'S UM. YEAH. >> UM PROBABLY UH. OKAY. SO WE'RE IT'S ALL OF MY
COLLEAGUES, YOU KNOW, BEFORE. DWIGHT BEING WITH THE COUNCIL AND SO THE 100TH DAY TO ME I HADN'T PLANNED ANYTHING THE STAFF PLANNED ON WITH THIS STUFF.
BUT I REALLY WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE GIVEN ME AND THE WAY YOU'VE REALLY EMBRACED ME LIKE A BROTHER AND PART OF THE COUNCIL FAMILY. SO JUST APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UH, IT'S NOT WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS. IT'S EVEN BETTER THAN WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS. I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. DON'T STOP SUPPORTING ME THE
WAY YOU HAVE. YOU SET A STANDARD. THANK YOU. OKAY. >> WAIT. WHEN YOU WHEN YOU DISAGREE WITH ME, I'M GOING TO SAY. BUT YOU SAID THIS WAS BETTER THAN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS. UH. >> FOR UM. OKAY, SO WE'RE GOING TO GO UH,
BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A FULL HOUSE UH, SIX MINUTES UH, YOU KNOW, UM AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THERE WILL BE SECOND A SECOND ROUND MAYBE THIRD IF IF. IF WE NEED IT.
SO, UH, COUNCILOR MURPHY EUROPE UH, FIRST. YES. >> THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. UM, I DO JUST WANT TO MAKE ONE STATEMENT LIKE.
A CORE. FACT BELIEF. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT. NOT CUTTING CITY JOBS THAT TEACHERS AND PARENTS ARE CITY EMPLOYEES. AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLARIFICATION.
I KNOW IT'S A DIFFERENT BUDGET AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE A DIFFERENT VOTE. BUT WE CAN'T NOT LOOK AT OUR TEACHERS AND PARENTS AND STAFF WHO SHOW UP WHEN WE KNOW THERE'S HUNDREDS OF ACTUAL BODIES, YOU KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE
IN FRONT OF CHILDREN WHO WILL BE CUT. SO JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT UM. AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NOTICED I STEPPED. OUT UM, MY MOM CALLED SO OF COURSE I TOOK IT THINKING IT WAS IMPORTANT AND IT WAS
IMPORTANT BUT IT TIED. DIRECTLY INTO AND. >> I HAD NO IDEA THIS IS WHAT SHE WAS CALLING ABOUT. BUT I WAS ASKING. >> BECAUSE I DID SEND AN EMAIL OFF TO STRONG YESTERDAY AFTER RECEIVING SOME CONCERNED EMAILS AND.
CALLS FROM ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE PROVIDING SERVICES THROUGH SOME OF THE GRANTS THAT I GUESS WERE CUT BUT WANT TO KNOW ALL GRANTS ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS
THAT ARE BEING REDUCED OR ELIMINATED IN THE LIST OF ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED, BUT ALSO A LIST OF ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS WHOSE FUNDING WILL.
REMAIN LEVEL OR INCREASE. >> IF I COULD GET THAT. UM, BUT WHAT MY MOM CALLED FOR IS MONDAY NIGHT SHE HAS BEEN GOING TO CHESS. CLUB AT THE LOWER MILLS LIBRARY AND SHE WAS CALLING ON BEHALF
OF HER AND HER CHESS CLUB FRIENDS TO TRY TO. ADVOCATE BECAUSE. >> THEY WERE TOLD LAST NIGHT THAT THEY WILL. NO LONGER FUNDING THAT AND I'M NOT SURE I WILL CALL DAVID AFTER THIS TO CHECK IN BUT IS THIS YOU KNOW. >> GOING TO. >> BE THE CONTINUED CALLS WE'RE
GETTING. FROM YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORS IN MY CASE MY MOM AND HER CHESS FRIENDS. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE PROVIDING THESE SERVICES THEY REALLY ARE LIFELINES RIGHT?
SO SOMEONE MIGHT ARGUE WELL IT'S JUST CHESS BUT FOR THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE AND WHEN I GOT I THINK I'M AT SEVEN EMAILS NOW FROM KIDS UM YOUTH STUDENTS CALL THEM WHAT WE WANT BUT THAT
HAVE FOUND OUT YESTERDAY THAT THEY'RE YOU KNOW YEAR LONG JOB IS NO LONGER THERE SO THEY'RE LOSING THEIR EMPLOYMENT. AND SO THESE IMPACTS WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE HEARING
AND FIELDING ON OUR END. SO WE'D LIKE TO JUST GET. AN OVERALL. LIST AND IT DOES TIE IN TO LIKE IN MY OPENING STATEMENT TO WHAT WERE DEPARTMENTS ASKED WHAT DID THEY DECIDE. SO AND I THINK IT'S VERY
IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY THAT WE HAVE AN AMENDMENT PROCESS. SO I IN NO WAY WANT TO START. PULLING FROM DEPARTMENTS TO TRY TO FUND SOMETHING THAT FEELS GOOD AND I FEEL SHOULD BE
FUNDED. IF THEN WE'RE SEEING THAT THAT DEPARTMENT IS ALREADY BEING IMPACTED MY FIRST THROUGH FOUR YEARS THROUGH THE AMENDMENT PROCESS WE WERE IN A MUCH
DIFFERENT SITUATION WHEN WE HAD FUNDING AND WE WERE PROVIDING SERVICES THAT OTHERWISE NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GRANT, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO ALLOW SMALL
BUSINESSES TO GET UP AND RUNNING UM, NO LONGER LOANS BUT MONEY GRANTS FOR. >> DOWN PAYMENTS. >> FOR HOUSES ALL GREAT THINGS THAT WERE HELPING INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS BUT THAT THAT'S JUST NOT IN THIS BUDGET.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THAT LIST OF INFORMATION UM, ON ONE OF THE SLIDES YOU MENTIONED A $20.4 MILLION DECREASE IN THE
CITY BUDGET. IS THAT INCLUDING DISCRETIONARY GRANT CUTS OR IS THAT SEPARATE? SO THAT IS PART OF IT AND HOW MUCH IS THE GRANT CUTS? UH. GRANT ONE GRANT REDUCTIONS IN
THIS BUDGET REPRESENT ABOUT $12 MILLION COMPARED TO FY 26. SO THE 8 MILLION DIFFERENCE 8.4 MILLION. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE ACROSS DEPARTMENTS? YEAH, IT'S REALLY VARIED.
UM IT'S A COMBINATION OF UM INCREASED ASSUMPTIONS AROUND SALARY SAVINGS. SO ASSUMING THAT DEPARTMENTS WILL CONTINUE TO DELAY OR NOT
HIRE UM AND NOT BE ABLE TO FILL UM IT'S ALSO OTHER TYPES OF DISCRETIONARY REDUCTIONS MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES TRAVEL FOOD UM BRINGING CONTRACTED SERVICES DOWN TO LIKE ACTUAL
SPENDING LEVELS. SO IT'S A BIG MIX OKAY. KIND OF LIKE THE LETTER THAT WAS SENT OUT ABOUT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET SHORTFALL THAT'S CONTINUED INTO NEXT YEAR. THOSE EXPECTATIONS UM.
OKAY. UM COULD YOU JUST SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT POSITIONS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN FILLED HISTORICALLY OR DEPARTMENTS WHO
HAD OPEN POSITIONS AND. THEY'RE BEING ELIMINATED AND. WHAT WE'RE CALLING THAT. UH, YEAH. SO THERE IS AN ASSUMPTION IN THIS BUDGET THAT UM, A NUMBER OF LONG TERM VACANT POSITIONS
HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED. UM, SO THOSE ARE VACANCIES, UM, THAT WE HAVE TAKEN OUT OF THE BUDGET. UM, AND THEN IN TERMS OF. UM DO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF HOW. MANY THERE WE ARE I WANT TO SAY
THERE'S MAYBE. 50 LONG TERM VACANCIES THAT WERE. CAN YOU SHARE THAT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY ABOUT EXACTLY WHICH DEPARTMENTS AND WHAT POSITIONS THEY WERE CODED AS. YOU DID.
THIS SORRY YOU WERE GOING TO. UM AND THEN I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD TO UM IN ADDITION TO REMOVING LONG TERM VACANCIES LIKE I SAID, WE ALSO MADE SOME ASSUMPTIONS AROUND INCREASING
THE AMOUNT OF SALARY SAVINGS IN DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS. UM, TO ASSUME YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT TAKING THE POSITION AWAY BUT YOU YOU KNOW, LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY AVAILABLE FOR. YES. WHEN YOU.
IN ONE OF THE SLIDES YOU DESCRIBED THAT FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT WAS PREVIOUSLY MANAGED UNDER OFFICE OF YOUTH EMPLOYMENT AND IT'S BEEN MOVED TO. OTHER CABINETS. COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHICH
CABINETS NOW AND IF THERE'S MORE THAN ONE THAT THEY'VE BEEN PUT UNDER AND HOW THAT'S BEEN A COST SAVING. WELL I THINK UM SOME UH I THINK THE OH YEAH PROGRAM GENERALLY
IT USED TO EXIST UNDER UM IN A DIFFERENT. FORM UM. UH IN UM HAWAII. OH UM UH AS IT WAS HAD. >> DIFFERENT. NAMES OVER THE YEARS. UH UH BUT IT IS NOW IN HUMAN
SERVICES SO I THINK A LOT OF SORT OF YOUTH. UH, SUPPORTS. ARE ACROSS HUMAN SERVICES UH, AND AND WORKER EMPOWERMENT THROUGH THE THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.
MY TIME'S UP OKAY. THANK YOU. >> BEFORE WE. >> MOVE ON IN TERMS OF, UM, THE GRANT RECIPIENTS, THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE. NOT BEING FUNDED NEXT YEAR. CAN YOU JUST PRESS A BUTTON AND.
PRODUCE A REPORT LIKE THAT? UH, BECAUSE I THINK. WE'D ALL BENEFIT. YES, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT. AND JUST A REMINDER I MEAN, THESE ARE ALL COMPETITIVE PROCESSES SO WE CAN, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE.
CAN ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE RECEIVED IN THE PAST BUT OF COURSE THEY'RE ALL COMPETITIVE AND UM, YOU KNOW, NOT GUARANTEED FOR CERTAIN GROUPS IN THE FUTURE. OKAY. >> UM OKAY. I THINK IT'S UH,
COUNCIL PRESIDENT BREADON. THANK YOU. >> UM GOOD MORNING. UM. THE ONE. >> THING GIVEN THE GEOPOLITICAL SITUATION, UM, HAVE WE FACTORED IN, UH, INCREASES IN ENERGY COSTS INTO THE BUDGET?
ENERGY HAS GONE UP. UH, WE PROBABLY, UH, MIGHT HAVE BEEN, UH, WORKING ON THAT PRIOR TO SOME OF THE MOST RECENT GEOPOLITICAL ACTIVITIES BUT UH
,SO IT PROBABLY IT'S ALL IN A CITYWIDE TOTAL UTILITIES ARE UP LIKE $2 MILLION UM, YEAR OVER YEAR. UH, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE RIGHT IT'S SORT OF LIKE WE SEE WITH
THE PRICE OF UH, A BARREL OF OIL IS SO WE CAN EXPECT THAT TO PERMEATE INTO THE DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS. UM, I ALSO YOU KNOW, I I SHARE MY COLLEAGUE'S CONCERN ABOUT THE GRANTS.
UM, IT'D BE REALLY NICE TO KNOW, UH, GET A, UM A CHART WITH WHAT GRANTS ARE, UM, ARE BEING, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD CUTS BUT YOU KNOW, ARE WE CUTTING PROGRAMS THAT ARE
SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS THAT, YOU KNOW, UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE SO THAT'S ALWAYS A CONCERN. UM, AND THEN JUST THINKING ABOUT REVENUE SOURCES I'M
CURIOUS UM, UH, WHAT SORT OF AN IMPACT DOES THE, UH, REVENUE FROM MARIJUANA LIKE TO SALARIES TOUT TOUTED AS A BIG UH, SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR THE CITY? BUT HOW HOW IS THAT GOING?
UM. >> SO WE COLLECT. AROUND THREE IN IT I WANT TO SAY THREE AND A HALF ISH MILLION FROM THAT EVERY YEAR IF
I'M LOOKING AT THIS CORRECTLY. UM, AND THE FY 27 BUDGET ASSUMES A SIMILAR LEVEL UM, OF COLLECTION. THANK YOU. AND THEN. UM. >> I THINK I I DON'T I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF AND NOT FOR MY
COLLEAGUES IN THIS BUT UH I, I THINK IT'S A BIG CONCERN TO ME THAT, UH, I KNOW WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE SCHOOL BUDGET LATER IN THE WEEK BUT THAT THE COST OF UH, RUNNING CENTRAL
OFFICE UM, THE BUDGET FOR CENTRAL OFFICE EXCEEDS THE UM BUDGET FOR SCHOOLS AND CLASSROOM SERVICES. UM, AND I REALLY JUST FROM MY CURSORY LOOK AT ALL THE LAYERS
OF BUREAUCRACY IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE, I. >> THINK THERE'S. DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT AND THE WHOLE LINE OF AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE SAME
LEVEL OF SCRUTINY UH, OF ALL OF THOSE POSITIONS AND WHETHER THEY'RE NECESSARY AND LIKE WHEN WE'RE TAKEN TO TEACHERS AND PART OF AWAY FROM CLASSROOMS
AND PARAS AWAY FROM CLASSROOMS ,THEN WE REALLY HAVE TO SORT OF SHARPEN OUR FOCUS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT, UM, SHORTCHANGING UH, THE THE SORT
OF THE COALFACE SERVICES AT THE IN THE CLASSROOM, UH AND PROTECTING JOBS AND AND AND AND SORT OF WHAT SOME WOULD CALL A BLOATED BUREAUCRACY. SO UH I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE
DETAILED ORG CHARTS OF OF BHP'S CENTRAL OFFICE AND FIGURE OUT UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR THEIR BUDGET GOES UP YEAR ON YEAR ON YEAR AND IT'S IT'S AND THE SCHOOL POPULATION IS DECLINING
. SO AGAIN I THINK IT'S TIME TO REALLY TAKE A SHARP LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON THERE. UM AND THEN.
THE AND THE IN TERMS OF EXPENDITURE CHARTER SCHOOL EXPENDITURE REIMBURSEMENT AND ASSESSMENT UM DO WE GET FULLY REIMBURSED FOR THE SERVICES
THAT WE FROM YOU KNOW, FROM THE ASSESSMENT AND I REALLY FIGURE I CAN'T REALLY NOT CLEAR ON HOW IT ALL THAT WORKS BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE BEING. WE'RE WE'RE NOT GETTING FAIR
RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT. IT'S IT'S TRANSITIONAL UH FUNDING SO IT DOESN'T THE THE REIMBURSEMENT DOES NOT UM SORT OF COVER THE THE FULL ASSESSMENT THAT WE GET CHARGED
BUT IT SORT OF UM BUT WE UH ONE OF THE UH COMMITMENTS IS THAT UH THROUGH THE STUDENT OPPORTUNITY ACT LEGISLATION WAS THAT THEY WOULD MAINTAIN WHAT THEY CONSIDERED SORT OF FULL FUNDING FOR THE FOR THE PROGRAM .
UM. SO AND IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, YEARS AGO UM, WE USED TO PANIC WHEN UM UM THE REVENUE THE
SCHOOL THE CITY BUDGET WAS 53% WAS WAS COVERED BY UH REAL ESTATE TAXES. NOW IT'S 73% SOMETHING. UM WHAT WHAT DROVE THE DECLINE
AND INSTEAD AID LIKE I'M JUST TRYING TO GET LIKE WHAT'S HAPPENED THAT THE STATE AID WENT DOWN SO DRAMATICALLY THAT LEFT US LIKE I THINK WHERE PUTS US ALL ALL MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE STATE ARE IN THE
SAME SORT OF BOAT AS WE ARE. YEAH. >> I THINK THE UH, COMMON UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT NEVER QUITE RECOVERED FROM THE REDUCTIONS IT TOOK DURING THE GREAT RECESSION. UM. >> SO IT WAS CUT SIGNIFICANTLY IN THOSE YEARS AND JUST HASN'T
RECOVERED BACK. UP TO THAT KIND OF OVERALL SHARE OF THE BUDGET. YEAH. >> EVEN THOUGH THE STATE WAS GIVING MONEY BACK TO PEOPLE. UM OKAY.
UM OKAY LOOK INTO THE THE THE POLITICS OF THAT UM AND THEN JUST ASK UH THE SUMMER THE SCHOOLS THE YOUTH JOBS PROGRAM
I THINK WE FOUGHT VERY HARD TO GET AROUND YEAR ROUND JOBS FOR SOME, YOU KNOW, AS A PROPORTION OF OUR STUDENTS, UM, IS THE IS
THE KNOCK ON EFFECT IS IS THERE GOING TO BE A NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCE FOR FAMILIES WHO LOSE INCOME BECAUSE MANY OF THESE FAMILIES IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT POCKET MONEY. IT'S CONTRIBUTING TO THE HOUSEHOLD INCOME.
UM IS A HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT THE KNOCK ON EFFECT OF TAKING AWAY YOUTH YEAR ROUND YOUTH JOBS. YEAH AND I THINK TO TO MITIGATE ANY IMPACTS THERE'S DISCUSSIONS
ABOUT WAYS WE CAN SUPPLEMENT OR YOU KNOW BACKFILL SOME OF THE LOSS OF THOSE FUNDS ON THE CITY SIDE WITH UH PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY. SO THERE IS KIND OF ONGOING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT
BE ABLE TO RESTORE SOME OF THAT SUPPLEMENT SOME OF THAT SO THAT WE MITIGATE ANY NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES LIKE ONES YOU'RE DESCRIBING THERE. >> GOOD. THANK YOU. MY TIME'S UP. THANK YOU. >> UH, OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, COUNCILOR FLYNN. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND JIM, YOU MENTIONED WHEN YOU STARTED THAT THERE WOULD BE NO CUTS TO, UH, BOSTON BOSTON
EMPLOYEES BUT THERE WILL BE CUTS TO EMPLOYEES IN THE IN THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT FOR TEACHERS. IS THAT ACCURATE? I KNOW THERE ARE POSITION ELIMINATIONS. UM, I. >> DON'T KNOW WHAT. WE'LL SORT OF THROUGH THE
PROCESS WILL TURN INTO. >> UH. UH, PEOPLE LOSING THEIR JOBS BUT. OUTSIDE OF ARE THERE ANY UM, PLANS TO ELIMINATE JOBS FOR CITY EMPLOYEES?
UH, LAYOFFS? >> THERE ARE NO LAYOFFS IN THIS IN THE SUN CITY SIDE. I'M JUST TRYING TO I WAS DOING A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH, BUT WASN'T THERE SOME DISCUSSION
THAT THERE WOULD BE POSITIONS ELIMINATED IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY CABINET CIVILIANS. THOSE WOULD. >> HAVE BEEN VACANT POSITIONS. WE DIDN'T ELIMINATE ANY FILLED POSITIONS. SO YOU'RE JUST NOT FILLING THEM? YES.
>> OKAY. HOW MANY POSITIONS WERE THOSE. IN IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT SPECIFICALLY? UM WE'LL HAVE TO GET. BACK TO YOU ON. >> THAT EXACT NUMBER. OKAY. >> AND HOW MANY OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS HOW MANY NEW POSITIONS HAVE THE CITY UM,
CITY BROUGHT ON BOARD? POSITIONS AT CITY HALL? NOT NOT NOT ACTUALLY DELIVERING BASIC CITY SERVICES BUT AT CITY HALL MANAGES OUR ADMINISTRATORS
UH. WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT CUT OF THE, UM. INFORMATION, BUT I DON'T HAVE IT OFF THE TOP. >> OF OUR HEAD. IS A 300. I DON'T. >> DON'T KNOW, JIM. NO, I DON'T KNOW EITHER. WHO WOULD KNOW THAT INFORMATION?
WE WOULD, BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE IT READILY AVAILABLE. SO WE'D HAVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT EXACT SLICING OF THE INFORMATION. OKAY, I THOUGHT IT WAS 300, BUT MAYBE IT'S MAYBE IT'S LESS THAN
THAT. UM, DID WE UNDERESTIMATE UNDERESTIMATE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE WERE SPENDING ON EMPLOYEE HEALTH CARE?
UH, WHEN IN THE CURRENT. YEAR OR. YEAH, OVER THE LAST YEAR OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. UM SO HISTORICALLY NO HISTORICALLY WE HAVE UNDER US UNDER PROJECTED THE AMOUNT
OF SPENDING UM OUT OF OUR HEALTH INSURANCE TRUST FUND. BUT AS WE'VE EXPLAINED UM, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS STARTING IN FISCAL 25 IS WHERE OUR PROJECTIONS UH, DID NOT
MATCH REALITY BECAUSE WE WERE SEEING HIGH COST CLAIMS THAT ARE SORT OF UNPREDICTABLE AND CAN COME AND HIT THE TRUST FUND AT ANY TIME. UM, AND A MUCH HIGHER INCREASE IN THE USAGE OF GLP ONES AND
THEN JUST GREATER HEALTH CARE COSTS IN GENERAL. UM, SO THAT WAS IN FISCAL 25. UH, WE'RE SEEING A SIMILAR TREND IN FISCAL 27 OR 26 AND UM AS A RESULT THAT IS WHY WE'RE
INCREASING HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS SO SIGNIFICANTLY IN THIS BUDGET TOO. BUT ON THE ON THE GLP ONE, WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY SEE THAT BECOMING A MAJOR SPENDING UM IN
THE BUDGET. IT STARTED TO EMERGE AS A PROBLEM FOR US. AND WE'VE BEEN REFLECTING THAT OVER THE LAST COUPLE. OKAY. >> I ASKED FOR SOME INFORMATION ON THE MONTH TO MONTH SPENDING
ON THAT PARTICULAR DRUG. UM, FOR CITY EMPLOYEES. ARE WE STILL ABLE TO GET THAT? YES. >> AND I THINK WE'VE SHARED THE INFORMATION THAT YOU REQUESTED. OKAY. UM, SO THAT THAT SHOULD BE WITH YOU. OKAY. >> UM.
SO HOW MUCH ARE WE SPENDING NOW ON ON GLP ONE? UM, FOR CITY EMPLOYEES. SO, UM, IF YOU JUST GIVE ME ONE SECOND TO. >> LOOK HERE I. SORRY.
>> SO, UH, G.O.P. ONES, UM, WE DIVIDE IT BETWEEN THOSE WHO ARE USING IT FOR DIABETES PURPOSES AND THOSE WHO ARE USING IT FOR WEIGHT LOSS PURPOSES. SO IN FY, UH, IT'S OUR EXCUSE
ME IN CALENDAR YEAR 2025 WE SPENT JUST UNDER $48 MILLION UM, ON GLP ONE MEDICATIONS FOR BOTH CATEGORIES OF UM. USERS AND THEN UH FY 2026 YEAR
TO DATE. UM WHICH I SORRY I'M NOT SURE WHAT MONTH IT'S THROUGH. WE'VE SPENT 16.1 MILLION. UP TO DATE. OKAY YES.
FOR 2026 SO FAR. UM SO THAT'S THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT THAT WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE WANTED IN OUR BUDGET. YES. >> AND UM THE UH UTILIZATION
MANAGEMENT PLAN DESIGN CHANGE THAT WE IMPLEMENT OR ADOPTED WITH. >> OUR UNION PARTNERS. >> TO GO INTO EFFECT AT THE BEGINNING OF UM FY 27 WILL HOPEFULLY MODERATE THAT GROWTH . >> A LITTLE. >> BIT BUT UM, IT'S STILL COVERED IN OUR PLANS.
UM, SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO REPRESENT. >> A LARGE SHARE OF OUR HEALTH CARE. COSTS GOING FORWARD. OKAY. >> UM, I HIGHLIGHTED AT THE BEGINNING MY MY PLAN THAT WAS SUPPORTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL A
BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION TO GET THE ECONOMY WORKING AGAIN. UM, GETTING BACK ON TRACK. UM, IS THERE ANY UPDATE ON THAT BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION THAT I
PROPOSED WHERE WE WORK WITH BUSINESSES TO BRING, UM, BRING A MORE PRO-BUSINESS ATTITUDE TO CITY GOVERNMENT? UM, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY DISCUSSIONS ON THAT PARTICULAR.
PROPOSAL BUT I WILL SAY UM, THE ADMINISTRATION AND OTHERS IN THE ON THE TEAM. ARE REGULARLY SPEAKING TO THE BUSINESS. COMMUNITY AND TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO REVITALIZE DOWNTOWN UM
,AND OTHER METHODS. SO I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE SPECIFICS ON THE COMMISSION BUT I KNOW THAT IS UM COULD. COULD WE CHECK UM, JIM, COULD YOU CHECK TO SEE IF. >> WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, IMPLEMENT THAT BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION? I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IT WAS
SUPPORTED TWICE BY THE CITY COUNCIL. IT'S IMPORTANT WE GET THE ECONOMY BACK ON TRACK SUPPORTING OUR BUSINESSES, WELCOMING BUSINESSES. BUT BOSTON'S OPEN FOR BUSINESS
AND, UH, MAYBE GETTING AWAY FROM SOME OF THE PREVIOUS POLICIES THAT HAVE, UM, HURT US OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. UM, MR CHAIR, THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, COUNCILOR DURKAN, YOU'RE UP NEXT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, COUNCILOR WEBER AND CHAIR, I SHOULD SAY. UM, SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE THE FINANCIAL SITUATION WE ARE IN
AS THE CITY RIGHT NOW? UM, I WOULD SAY. IT'S STRONG. >> BUT. CONSTRAINED AND REQUIRES US. TO MAKE DIFFICULT CHOICES TO LIVE WITHIN THOSE CONSTRAINTS. AND I THINK WHAT I'VE HEARD TODAY FROM MY COLLEAGUES THAT
HAVE GONE BEFORE ME IS THAT WE ARE HEADED FOR A TOUGH PROCESS BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT A BALANCED BUDGET. WE OBVIOUSLY ARE LEGALLY OBLIGATED TO DO A BALANCED
BUDGET AND THEY WANT CUTS. BUT THEN WHEN THOSE CUTS BECOME APPARENT, WHEN THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE TO CUT BECOME APPARENT THEY'RE LIKE. BUT NOT THERE, LET'S NOT CUT
THERE. SO THIS PROCESS WILL NOT BE EASY. UM, I'M SURE THAT. >> WE'LL HEAR. FROM CONSTITUENTS REGARDING THE GRANT MONEY THAT UM, WE ARE LIMITING THIS YEAR.
UM, I DO WANT TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT CUTTING LONG TERM VACANCIES BECAUSE THAT'S NOT REALLY IN A WAY IT'S NOT A BUDGET CUT BECAUSE. THAT MONEY WAS NOT SPENT LAST
YEAR. SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT AND GIVE US SOME MORE DETAILS ABOUT WHAT WHAT THAT MEANS? AND OBVIOUSLY NOT SEEKING TO HIRE THOSE PEOPLE IS A GREAT THING BECAUSE THOSE JOBS HAVE
BEEN VACANT. UM, BUT IN A WAY THE CITY FOUND A WAY TO SPEND THAT MONEY IN ANOTHER WAY BECAUSE THEY PROBABLY THEY LIKELY MOVED UM, THAT MONEY FROM STAFF TO
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES LAST YEAR. SO CAN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND OBVIOUSLY UM, AND JUST PUTTING A LITTLE BIT OF A PIN ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE ACTUAL CUTS AND WHAT ARE.
SORT OF LOOK LIKE CUTS BUT AREN'T NECESSARILY UM. ,GOING TO CHANGE THE BUDGET. VERY MUCH. SURE. >> YEAH. SO UH WITH THE SO PERSONNEL BUDGETS THAT UH, YOU SEE IN THE DEPARTMENT HISTORY TABLE FOR EVERY.
WE DIDN'T GET OUR BUDGET BOOKS THIS YEAR BUT. LOOK AT IT ON LINE. YEP EXACTLY. UH, IS UM, A FUNCTION OF UM, BOTH ELIMINATION OF VACANT
POSITIONS UH, BUT ALSO AN ADJUSTMENT IN SALARY SAVINGS TO BE MORE ACCURATE AND SORT OF THE ASSUMPTIONS ON HIRING. WE'RE WE'RE MEETING WITH DEPARTMENTS REGULARLY TO GET A MORE DETAILED APPROACH TO HIRING.
UH, SO THEY PRIORITIZE THAT TO THE MOST CRITICAL POSITIONS FIRST. UH, SO IT DOES RESULT IN UM, UH, YEAR OVER YEAR BUDGET REDUCTION WITH BOTH THE ELIMINATION OF VACANT POSITIONS
AND UH, IN ADJUSTMENT TO SALARY SAVINGS. UH, SO. >> SO. WOULD YOU. >> CHARACTERIZE THE 1.3 CUT ACROSS DEPARTMENTS, PERCENT CUT ACROSS DEPARTMENTS? WOULD YOU. >> CHARACTERIZE THAT OR I THINK THAT THE AVERAGE. WOULD YOU. >> CHARACTERIZE THAT AS UM AS
GIVING THOSE DEPARTMENTS LESS FLEXIBILITY GIVEN THAT THEY CAN'T, YOU KNOW, MOVE FROM. PERSONNEL TO CONTRACTUAL SERVICES? EXACTLY. >> YEAH. >> OKAY. UM, AND I IT'S ONLY MY THIRD BUDGET SO OR I GUESS YEAH, IT'S
MY ONLY MY THIRD BUDGET. SO, UM, I I ALSO JUST WANT TO ASK SORT OF IN. GENERAL BECAUSE IT'S OUR FIRST BUDGET. HEARING WHAT. ARE THE CORE TRADE OFFS THAT WERE. MADE IN THIS BUDGET AND HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE THOSE?
I WOULD SAY IT. WAS REALLY. A BALANCE BETWEEN PRESERVING THOSE. CORE CITY SERVICES. SO TRASH PICKUP. LIBRARY HOURS, COMMUNITY CENTER HOURS. >> THOSE TYPES OF BASIC UM THINGS THAT. RESIDENTS COUNT.
>> ON. >> UM, AND WANTING TO PRESERVE. FILLED POSITIONS WITH, YOU KNOW, THESE OTHER DISCRETIONARY THINGS THAT WE'VE. EITHER ADDED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. UM, SO. IT REALLY BECAME UNFORTUNATELY
A. TRADE OFF AMONGST THOSE TYPES OF CHOICES. AND I KNOW I AS THE FORMER CHAIR OF THE COVID 19 RECOVERY ARPA COMMITTEE, UM,
I'M CURIOUS WHAT IF THERE WERE ANY PREVIOUSLY FUNDED ARPA PROGRAMS THAT ARE NOW FUNDED THROUGH. THIS YEAR'S OPERATING BUDGET? UM, NONE. THAT WERE NEWLY BROUGHT INTO THE. OPERATING BUDGET THIS YEAR.
I'M NOT. AWARE OF ANY THAT WE HAVE. BROUGHT IN. UM, AS YOU KNOW, THOSE WERE INTENDED TO EXIST ONE TIME ONLY ,YOU KNOW, LIVE AS LONG AS THE
ARPA FUNDS, UH. WERE IN PLACE. THOSE ARE WINDING DOWN AND WE, UH, IN THIS BUDGET HAVE NOT ASSUMED ANY OF THOSE CONTINUING ON THE OPERATING. BUDGET AND GIVEN THAT THE
OPERATING BUDGET, UM, IS BOTH CONSTRAINED AND MOSTLY FUNDED BY PROPERTY TAXES. UM I'M CURIOUS UM, YOU KNOW, AS SOMEONE WHO HAS REALLY BEEN A
CHAMPION FOR TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN GET OUR. CITY TO. GROW AT A SCALE THAT WE NEED. OBVIOUSLY THIS YEAR WE. ARE UH, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TEN YEARS. UM.
THIS IS THE THIS IS THE. UM THAT FISCAL YEAR 27 IS 54% BELOW THE TEN YEAR AVERAGE. I'M CURIOUS HOW MUCH OF THIS IS DRIVEN BY FEWER PERMITS, MARKET
CONDITIONS AND OR. CONSERVATIVE FORECASTING. HOW MUCH IS HOW MUCH OF THE OVERALL. GROWTH IS. >> DRIVEN BY HOW. MUCH YOU WANT TO. BALANCE BETWEEN WHETHER THIS IS US BALANCE BETWEEN
CONSERVATIVE. REVENUE FORECASTING. VERSUS ECONOMIC CONDITIONS? I FEEL LIKE IT'S. MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH. UM, YOU. >> KNOW, CERTAINLY WE'RE SEEING THE REVENUE. UM IN THE CURRENT. FISCAL YEAR BE.
SOMEWHAT CONSTRAINED AS WELL IN THE IN THE LETTER I SHARED. WITH YOU ALL. IN FEBRUARY. IT'S STILL ABOVE TARGET BUT MODESTLY. AT 13.1%. AND SOME OF THE BIGGER DRIVERS
OF THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT UM PERMITS AND. LICENSES OR NOT. YOU KNOW, THE VOLUME OF THOSE IS LOWER. SO WE'RE REFLECTING THAT ALSO IN OUR 27 FORECAST AS WELL.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO ASK YOU TO WEIGH IN I FILED RECENTLY FILED UM, YOU KNOW, A 35 PAGE AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING CODE TO ELIMINATE PARKING MINIMUMS FOR NEW. RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. I'M NOT GOING TO ASK YOU TO
WEIGH IN ON THAT PROPOSAL, BUT I I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IN THIS MOMENT TO BE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN GET PROJECTS OFF THE GROUND. UM, I THINK ANY BIT OF NEW
PROPERTY TAXES ARE GOING TO HELP US MEET THE NEED OF UH OF THE MOMENT AND UM, I THINK THAT WE REALLY I KNOW I KNOW THAT WE'RE. HEADED TOWARDS. >> A. LONG BUDGET PROCESS SO I WILL YIELD BACK TO THE CHAIR.
>> AND. GRATEFUL THANK YOU FOR THE EXTRA TIME. OKAY. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCILOR PEPEN. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, MR CHAIR AND GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. TO BOTH OF YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND I KNOW THAT'S GOING TO BE, UM.
FUN NEXT SIX. WEEKS FOR ALL OF US WITH ALL THE HEARINGS COMING UP. BUT I WANTED TO DIVE RIGHT INTO SOME VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON SOME AREAS THAT I HAVE UM,
PRIORITIES IN AND AND ALSO FOR MY DISTRICT. THERE'S BEEN A POSITION THAT I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING. FOR FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND IT WAS STARTED UNDER THE ARPA FUNDING, BUT IT HAS PLAYED SUCH AN INSTRUMENTAL ROLE INTO SAFE
SCHOOLS. A SAFE STREETS ARE NEAR OUR SCHOOLS. IT'S THE SAFE ROUTE TO SCHOOL PLANNER POSITION. UM I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR THAT POSITION? I KNOW THAT THE I BELIEVE I WAS
TOLD LAST YEAR THAT IT WAS GOING TO MAKE PERMANENT EITHER THIS YEAR OR NEXT FISCAL YEAR. I JUST I WOULDN'T I WOULD LOVE AN UPDATE. IT'S A POSITION THAT THAT HAS BEEN HELPING MANY SCHOOLS AND
IN COLLABORATION WITH THE STREETS DEPARTMENT AND THE AND TO COME UP WITH NEW LAYOUTS FOR SAFER UM ROUTES FOR TO DROP DROP OFF AND PICKUP HOURS FOR
PARENTS. SO I REALLY WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT AND WANTED TO ASK DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY UPDATE ON THAT OR ARE AWARE OF UH BECOMING PERMANENT? NO. >> BEYOND THAT UH THE ARPA
FUNDS COMING THROUGH MIDWAY THROUGH FY 27 AND UH I KNOW THAT UH THE STREETS COMMENTS ARE EVALUATING UM SITUATIONS WHERE YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVE
VACANCIES WITHIN THEIR DEPARTMENT OR IS TO TO MEET TO MEET THAT SORT OF SERVICE UH REQUIREMENT. OKAY. WELL CONSIDER THIS MY ASK TO THE STREETS CABINET AND TO YOU ALL TO MAKE SURE THAT UM BY
NEXT FISCAL YEAR THAT THERE IS PLANS TO KEEP IT THERE AND TO I HAVE OTHER PLANS FOR FOR FOR BTD SO I'LL MAKE SURE TO TALK TO THEM SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT PLAN OR AND SPECIFIC IN THAT
POSITION AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT ROLE. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN JIM IN THE IN THE SPIRIT OF THE STREETS CABINET TOO, I KNOW THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT SOMETIMES ESPECIALLY FOR
FOR ROAD PAVING OR FIXING IN GENERAL THEY ARE ALLOCATED MONEY FROM THE CAPITAL BUDGET BUT SOMETIMES OPERATING BUDGET IS USED FOR THAT. CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO AND HOW DOES THE CITY OF GO AROUND FIXING ROADS WITH THOSE? UH GREAT GREAT QUESTION. IT SORT OF MOSTLY CENTERS AROUND THE SCALE OF THE OF THE
FIX. UH, SO UM YOU KNOW SPRINGTIME THE THE THE THE FROST SORT OF FINALLY SETTLES AND UM, PUBLIC WORKS IS OUT FILLING
POTHOLES WITH COLD PATCH THAT'S AN OPERATING EXPENSE. THAT'S A MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLY, UM, OUT THERE WITH LABOR, YOU KNOW, CITY WORKFORCE FILLING THE POTHOLES.
UH, THEN THERE ARE SORT OF, UH, PAVING CONTRACTORS WHO COME THROUGH AND EXCAVATE AT THEIR OWN PACE. UH, ADDITIONALLY THAT'S TYPICALLY WITH THE CAPITAL DOLLARS EITHER THROUGH ON
DOLLARS OR THROUGH UH WITH THE CONTRACTOR $90, WHICH IS A STATE ALLOCATION FOR UH LOCAL ROAD MAINTENANCE. SO THAT'S PROBABLY THE IT'S THE SCALE OF THE IMPROVEMENT. OKAY.
>> SO LIKE ON THE OPERATING BUDGET WOULD THAT. >> JUST BE LISTED. UNDER LIKE MATERIALS OR PROJECTS OR SOMETHING? YES. >> SO FOR FOR UM THE OPERATIONAL BUDGET IT WOULD BE THE EMPLOYEES OR IT WOULD BE THE THE CRAFTSPEOPLE OR THE
LABORERS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE WORK AROUND THE PRIMARY EMPLOYEE LINE. AND THEN THERE'S MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES WHERE THEY'RE BEHIND COAL PATCH UH, PROBABLY TOOLS THINGS OF THAT NATURE BUT UH UM
BUT THAT THAT'S HOW IT PRESENTS ITSELF IN THE OPERATING BUDGET . I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, JUST BECAUSE I KNOW I BOTHER PUBLIC WORKS QUITE A BIT WITH, UM, FILLING POTHOLES ACROSS MY DISTRICT.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO ADVOCATE FOR THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY'S UM, EMPLOYEES OVER AT THE ROSLINDALE BRANCH OF THE LIBRARY.
I WAS ABLE TO HAVE A MEETING WITH THE WITH THE COMMUNITY BOARD AND MEMBERS OF THAT THAT SUPPORT THAT LIBRARY AS WELL AS ONE OF THEM WHAT I BELIEVE ONE OF THE MOST USE LIBRARIES
ACROSS THE CITY, THEY HAVE GREAT SUPPORT SYSTEM BUT THEY THEY HAVE NOTICED THAT THEY HAVE FALLEN SHORT IN TERMS OF STAFF. THEY THEY'RE VERY TIGHT AND THEY WERE ASKING FOR THE
POSSIBILITY OF ADVOCATING FOR A EXTRA LIBRARIAN. OBVIOUSLY I KNOW WHAT SITUATION WE ARE IN BUT I WOULD JUST LOVE TO PUT THAT IN THERE INTO YOUR EARS IN CASE THERE'S A POSSIBILITY OF MAKING THAT
HAPPEN IN THE NEAR FUTURE. AND THEN UM, FOR. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS BETWEEN. DCF AND BP BUT I HAVE TWO
POOLS. >> IN. THE MATTAPAN AREA THAT UM, THEY ARE AS OF NOW OPERATING AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE OPEN WHICH ARE THE MILDRED POOL, THE
MILDRED OUT COMMUNITY CENTER POOL AND THEN THE HUNT SCHOOL POOL. I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE POSITIONS. AT THOSE. >> POOLS BOTH FOR MAINTENANCE FOR LIFEGUARDS, FOR SWIM INSTRUCTORS THAT THEY'RE SET IN
PLACE AND THAT THEY WON'T BE INTERRUPTED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR BECAUSE I JUST KNOW THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE AND BEFORE I GOT HERE, THE THE TIMING OF OPENING OF THE POOLS HAVE BEEN ON AND.
OFF AND I JUST ATTENDED A MATTAPAN BUDGET TOWN HALL MEETING MAYBE TWO WE CAN TWO WEEKENDS AGO AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE MAJOR ASK FOR. >> THE POOL. SO JUST. PUTTING ANOTHER PLUG IN FOR.
THE SUPPORT TO THOSE TWO POOLS. YEAH BUT. THAT'S IT FOR ME. I KNOW THAT A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES ANSWER SOME OF THE MORE BROAD GENERAL QUESTIONS. SO I WANTED TO DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER INTO MORE SPECIFICS TO
MY AREA. BUT UM. >> I APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU'RE DOING. I'LL SEE YOU GUYS AT THE CAPITAL BUDGET. THANK YOU. >> OKAY. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'VE ENJOYED BY COUNCILOR SANTANA. SO, UH, NEXT UP IS COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE AND COUNCILOR CULPEPER
COUNCILOR EARL COUNCILOR FITZGERALD AND COUNCILOR SANTANA. COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION FOR BEING HERE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT BUDGET.
WE FIND OURSELVES IN A CHALLENGING FISCAL TIME AND WE FIND A LOT OF CUTS TO THINGS THAT WE DEEPLY CARE ABOUT. I KNOW FOR MYSELF WITH THE OFFICE OF RETURNING CITIZENS, THE GRANTS THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO GIVE THAT WAS THAT CAME ON
THIS COUNCIL CHAMPIONING THAT AND SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO AND A LOT TO DELIBERATE ON. BUT I UM WANT TO SAY THAT. UM. >> WHEN WE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT UM, OUR
BUDGET AND WHAT WE VALUE THERE NOT AS MANY OF YOU KNOW AS YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT IN THE ABSTRACT. AND SO, UM. I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT MAKING SURE
THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO, UH, MAINTAIN BASIC CITY SERVICES AND ALSO THAT WE CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH THOSE WHO ARE HELPING US DO THE WORK OF COMMUNITY SAFETY. UM, AND HELPING TO
COMBAT LONELINESS. AND SO I ALSO THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON THIS BODY TO TO TO SEE THE SITUATIONS THAT WE ARE IN AND FOR US THAT WE KNOW AND WE'VE ASKED IT AND I ALMOST DON'T EVEN WANT TO ASK THE
QUESTION ANYMORE BECAUSE IT REALLY TAKES A LOT OF POLITICAL WILL AND CAPITAL FOR US TO DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO GROW REVENUE. UM, AND SOMETIMES IT MAY SEEM UNPOPULAR BUT THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO AS A CITY,
UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO BRING IN UM NECESSARY REVENUE TO TO FUND WHAT WE CARE ABOUT. WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THIS BODY, SOMETHING I ALSO TALKED ABOUT WAS OUR ABILITY.
UM, I'VE BEEN ASKING. UH. >> ABOUT OUR DEBT SERVICE AND IT LOOKS LIKE THAT IN THIS YEAR THAT WE ARE FINALLY CHANGING DEBT SERVICE SLIGHTLY. UH, JIM, I THINK I WAS LATE AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT, BUT WE
COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DEBT SERVICE AND, UH, HOW OUR APPROACH TO DEBT SERVICE HAS CHANGED FROM THIS YEAR FROM LAST YEAR. SO IN. THIS UPCOMING BUDGET WE. MADE AN. >> ASSUMPTION AROUND UM, JUST A
REFUNDING THAT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO IN THE SPRING. UM, AND A LITTLE BIT OF RESTRUCTURING THAT WE'LL DO AS A RESULT OF THAT WHICH ALLOWS US TO RECOGNIZE SOME SAVINGS IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, WE HAVE MADE A MODEST ADJUSTMENT TO OUR DEBT. SERVICE POLICY GOING FORWARD AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS THIS AFTERNOON. BUT UM, WHERE WE'VE SLIGHTLY. EASED THE RATE OF PRINCIPAL RETIREMENT PREVIOUSLY.
>> WE WERE. EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE AND WE'RE. STILL AGGRESSIVE. EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE. WE'RE STILL. >> BEING VERY AGGRESSIVE. BUT UM EASING. THAT SLIGHTLY UM WE'VE MADE NO CHANGE. >> TO THE OVERALL. >> DEBT LIMIT THAT 7% BUT WE'VE MADE A MODEST ADJUSTMENT TO THE
UH PRINCIPAL RETIREMENT POLICY . UM, WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF THE OPERATING BUDGET THAT IS DEBT SERVICE? SO UH, I THINK IN THIS BUDGET IT'S AROUND 6%. WHICH IS A SLIGHT WHICH IS A
SLIGHT DECREASE FROM LAST YEAR. UH. WHERE IT WAS IT WAS 7%. I DON'T KNOW. >> IF. WE'VE I. >> THINK WE. KIND OF MOVES AROUND A LOT AS THE BUDGET RISES AND FALLS. RIGHT.
SO IT'S ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT OF A MOVING TARGET I THINK. WHERE YOU KNOW I YOU'RE PROBABLY. RIGHT YOU PROBABLY. LOOKED THIS UP BEFORE AND. >> YOU REMEMBER. >> THE PRESENTATION FROM LAST YEAR BUT I. JUST REMEMBER THIS I'VE BEEN ASKING THIS QUESTION. YEAH I MEAN IT'S.
IT'S LIKE IT'S KIND OF AROUND IT AND THEN BY THE END OF OUR YOU KNOW, CURRENT. PLAN WHICH AGAIN WE'LL TALK ABOUT WELL THE SLIDE THIS AFTERNOON THAT TALKS ABOUT IT BUT WE WE GET TO THAT SEVEN. YEAH UM SO BUT WE'VE MADE NO
CHANGES TO THAT ASSUMPTION. SO ON THE ONE HAND AND UM AND THE RESTRUCTURING THAT YOU SAY THAT YOU WERE DOING IT'S THE LESS AGGRESSIVE UH. SO THE RESTRUCTURING AS IT RELATES. >> TO THE SAVINGS THAT APPEAR. >> IN THIS BUDGET. >> ARE.
LESS ASSOCIATED WITH UM, THAT. POLICY CHANGE BUT MORE WE'RE. >> DOING A REFUNDING OF A PREVIOUS UM BORROWING WHICH. >> IS WE JUST NORMALIZING. >> IT OVER. YES. >> WHICH IS NORMAL AND WHICH HAS THE ADVERTISING IT OVER. A SLIGHTLY LONG, LONG TIME. >> SO NO LONGER A 20 YEAR BUT. >> STILL 20 YEAR.
IT'S STILL 20 YEARS. YEAH IT'S. >> STILL 20 BUT WITHOUT GETTING OVERLY COMPLICATED THE ONE OF THE REFUNDING WE'RE DOING IS RELATED TO A UM SHORT TERM DIRECT PLACEMENT BORROWING THAT WE DID THAT WAS A I BELIEVE A TEN. YEAR SO. >> WE'RE REFUNDING IT AND THEN
AMORTIZING THAT DEBT OR OVER 20 WOULD HAVE BEEN HAD IT BEEN GEOTAGGED. YEAH. >> UM I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT AND I UNDERSTAND AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT PLAYS INTO OUR TRIPLE A BOND RATING AND I UNDERSTAND THAT BUT UM I
DO BELIEVE THAT. THIS IT IS AN AREA WHERE IF WE'RE IF WE'RE DOING SAVINGS AND IF WE WERE DOING THE READJUSTMENTS WE SHOULD BE DOING IT TO OUR DEBT SERVICE BECAUSE EVEN ON A 20 YEAR SCALE
,UH, LIKE YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY DO IT ON 25 BUT EVEN A 30 WHICH IS THE BASIS ON WHICH REGULAR PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, REPAY THEIR MORTGAGES, THE AGGRESSIVENESS ON UH WITH WHICH
WE OF OUR APPROACH WHEN WE COULD BE USING THE MONEY THE FROM 7% TO THE 6% WHICH I THINK RESULTS IN I THINK IN THIS SITUATION RESULTING IN $13 MILLION YOU SAID. >> THE $30. >> MILLION SAVINGS UM, BUT EVEN
IF IT'S JUST 1%, IF IT'S A CHANGE FROM 7% OF THE OPERATING BUDGET TO 6%, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $48 MILLION WORTH OF SAVINGS THAT WE THEN COULD REALLOCATE TO UM, UM, TO OTHER
EXPENDITURES. SO I JUST WANTED TO CONCLUDE CONTINUE I DON'T WANT IT I WOULD ACTUALLY LOVE TO SEE THAT PLAY OUT IN A SITUATION WHERE WE DON'T HAVE SORT OF THESE CONSTRAINTS THAT YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT BECAUSE I THINK IT UM I THINK IT WILL BE DIFFICULT UH, TO TO SEE IF CAUSATION. RIGHT. BECAUSE I THINK THE FEAR IS ALWAYS LIKE WHAT WILL THIS END UP DOING TO SORT OF HOW WE'RE VIEWED ON THE MARKET? UM, AND I DON'T ACTUALLY THINK
THAT THERE'S GOING THERE'S A BIG IMPACT BECAUSE I THINK BECAUSE OF THE STRENGTH OF OUR PROPERTY TAXES AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. BUT UM, I JUST WANT US TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT AS A AS A WAY FOR US TO GIVE OURSELVES MORE FLEXIBILITY.
UM 20S AND I WANT TO ASK ABOUT FREE CASH AND I WANT TO ASK ABOUT OUR RESERVES. UM, HOW MUCH DO WE HAVE IN FREE CASH AND HOW MUCH DO WE HAVE IN RESERVES? HOW MUCH DO WE TAKE FROM FREE CASH LAST YEAR IN RESERVES? SO WE HAVE.
OUR OVERALL. UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE UM OF 1.2 BILLION AND WE. >> TOOK ONE 110 FROM THAT LAST YEAR. SO WE. START BIG AND. >> THEN WORK OUR WAY DOWN SO THAT 1.2 BILLION.
IS AFTER. WE TOOK THE 110 FOR THE ACCELERATOR FUND. AND THEN THE WAY IT WORKS IS DA BASICALLY TAKES YOUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE. RUNS IT THROUGH. THEIR CALCULATIONS AND THEN
THEY IDENTIFY OF THAT AMOUNT HOW MUCH IS. >> FREE AND CLEAR FOR YOU TO BE. ABLE TO SPEND. SO WE STARTED WITH YOU KNOW. OVER A BILLION THEY RUN IT. >> THROUGH THEIR PROCESS. WE JUST HAD OUR. FREE CASH CERTIFIED I. BELIEVE IT IS 601 MILLION WHICH
IS AN INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR'S. FREE CASH WHICH I. >> THINK WAS 552 MILLION. SO WE'RE SEEING OUR FREE. CASH UM UH INCREASE IT'S NOT ALWAYS. NECESSARILY A FUNCTION OF LIKE
YOU HAVE MORE MONEY GOING AND YOU JUST HAVE LESS UM COMMITMENTS AGAINST THAT FUND BALANCE. SO YOU HAVE MORE OF THAT ONE POINT, YOU KNOW, 2 BILLION AVAILABLE TO SPEND. OKAY AND RESERVES.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE THAT'S KIND OF REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT WE KIND OF THINK OF AS OUR RESERVES. OKAY GREAT. AND SO I WILL ASK MORE QUESTIONS HOPEFULLY THIS AFTERNOON. >> THANK YOU OKAY. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH COUNSELOR CULPEPER SIX. >> MINUTES.
JUST AS A REMINDER. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. UH, GOOD MORNING. SEE YOU AGAIN. >> HAPPY 100 DAYS. THANK YOU. UH. >> A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT
I SEE THAT, UH. THE INTEREST IS IS $40 MILLION INTEREST DOWN FROM 26. HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE IS THAT.
WE'RE ASSUMING. SO INTEREST WAS BUDGETED AT. 80 MILLION. >> IN. THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AND WE'RE ASSUMING IT'LL BE 40 MILLION NEXT YEAR. SO A. 50% REDUCTION FOR. NEXT YEAR AND HOW MUCH WAS IT IN 26. IT WAS BUDGETED.
BUDGETED AT. 80 AND. >> IT'S. ON TRACK TO HIT THAT. AMOUNT THIS YEAR OKAY. SO TO NEXT YEAR WHO ACTUALLY DOES HANDLES ALL OF OUR
INVESTMENT DECISIONS. WITH THE COMPANY. SO WE HAVE. UH SO. >> OUR TREASURY DEPARTMENT MANAGES. OUR INVESTMENTS. UM SO OUR CASH. IS INVESTED IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PLACES.
UM SO IT'S MEANT IS IN-HOUSE. >> YES. AND WE MAKE CHOICES ABOUT INVESTMENTS AND YOU KNOW. TREASURIES AND THOSE THINGS. SO THAT'S THAT'S ALL DONE INTERNALLY IN OUR.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT. AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE OVERALL BUDGET. UM WE LOOK AT THE CUTS I THINK YOU SAID THERE WAS 700 POSITIONS.
UH WE'RE GOING TO BE CUT. UH HOW ARE THE DECISIONS MADE ON WHAT THIS IS? AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE VACANT ONES. I'M TALKING ABOUT UM LET ME LET
ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. SO I'VE BEEN CLAMORING ABOUT THE FAIR HOUSING DIRECTOR. BEING HIRED. THAT'S A VACANT POSITION. WOULD THAT BE A POSITION THAT AND THESE THAT ARE BEING CUT
AND IF NOT, HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHICH ONES ARE IDENTIFIED TO BE CUT OR WHICH ONES HAVE YOU DECIDED NOT TO HIRE SOMEONE FOR THAT GOES INTO THE CUT? YEAH. >> UM SO.
I BELIEVE THE FAIR HOUSING DIRECTOR IS. ACTIVELY BEING. RECRUITED FOR AND GOING THROUGH THE HIRING PROCESS SO THAT ONE IS ALL SET. BUT GENERALLY. SPEAKING, UM. WHEN IT COMES. TO I'LL TALK ABOUT IT TWO
DIFFERENT WAYS WHEN IT COMES TO A LONG TERM VACANT POSITION, WE'LL LOOK AT A DEPARTMENT AND SAY LIKE GOSH, YOU HAVEN'T FILLED THAT POSITION FOR FIVE YEARS AND EVENTUALLY WE SAY OKAY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO AND WE'LL JUST REMOVE THAT POSITION
FROM YOUR BUDGET. AS IT RELATES TO ASSUMPTIONS. AROUND UM, POSITIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THAT ARE VACANT THAT YOU WANT TO HIRE FOR. WE I THINK LIKE THE WAY TO
THINK OF IT IS LIKE A MENU YOU KNOW DEPARTMENTS HAVE A MENU OF POSITIONS THAT THEY CAN HIRE FOR BUT YOU ONLY HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY. SO THE CHOICES ABOUT WHICH POSITIONS YOU CHOOSE TO FILL WITH.
THROUGHOUT THE YEARS ULTIMATELY . >> KIND OF A DEPARTMENTAL DECISION BASED ON HOW MUCH BUDGET YOU HAVE AVAILABLE TO YOU. SO WE HAVE SOME IDEA WHEN. WE'RE PUTTING THE BUDGET. TOGETHER, BUT ULTIMATELY DEPARTMENTS WILL HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY. >> DURING THE YEAR. CAN CAN WE GET A BREAKDOWN
OF WHICH POSITIONS UH ARE BEING CUT THAT WERE VACANT AND FOR HOW LONG? YES. >> SO WE CAN. WE WILL CERTAINLY. FOLLOW UP ON THE LONG TERM VACANCIES THAT HAVE BEEN REMOVED. UM AND THEN IN TERMS OF KIND
OF THE SALARY SAVINGS WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THE OVERALL AMOUNT OF SALARY. SAVINGS IN. DEPARTMENTS AND THEN AGAIN, THAT'S KIND OF LIKE HOW MUCH BUDGET THEY HAVE AVAILABLE TO MAKE CHOICES WITHIN UH, THE POSITIONS DO HAVE.
AND THAT 2% CUT THAT YOU ASKED ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE THAT'S REFLECTED IN THE CUTS THAT WE'RE SEEING NOW. IN SOME CASES. RIGHT. UH, DEPARTMENTS PRESENTED.
US OPTIONS AT THE BEGINNING SOMETIMES MY TEAM REMINDED ME YESTERDAY RIGHT. LIKE SOME DEPARTMENTS ENTERED IN TOO MUCH. RIGHT. IT'S JUST YOU KNOW SO. THERE'S MORE THAN TWO. YES. WHAT WE'RE SAYING AND IT. >> COULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT THEY. ADDED AN EXTRA. ZERO RIGHT.
>> SO WE GET. >> SORT OF A. BASELINE UM SET OF INFORMATION FROM DEPARTMENTS BUT THEN IT'S A YOU KNOW, JIM'S. ENTIRE TEAM SPENDS THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS GOING THROUGH IT WITH THEM. SO IN SOME CASES THE THE CUTS
THAT THEY HAVE PROPOSED WE TOOK IN SOME CASES WE. DIDN'T RIGHT. IT'S A LITTLE YOU KNOW IT. VARIES BY DEPARTMENT. >> AND SO CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT CUTS WOULD YOU HAVE TAKEN AND WHAT CUTS WOULD YOU HAVE SAID. NOT NOW WHAT WAS THAT BASED ON
THE CUTS THAT YOU ACCEPTED AND THE CUTS THAT YOU SAID WELL NOT NOW LET'S HOLD ON TILL NEXT YEAR. YEAH. >> I MEAN. >> I THINK GENERALLY. ANYTHING THAT WOULD HAVE AFFECTED A. >> CORE CITY SERVICE. UH, FILLED POSITION WHERE THINGS THAT WE YOU KNOW, WE'RE
NOT INTERESTED IN TAKING. SO IT WAS REALLY YOU KNOW, WHAT'S DISCRETIONARY AND AVAILABLE AND WOULD NOT IMPACT THOSE BASIC CITY SERVICE LEVELS. AND SO WE KNOW THAT THE
BLACKWELL ADVANCEMENT THEY'VE BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB. EVERYONE'S BEEN. UM EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING ESPECIALLY. WHEN IT. >> TOUCHES COMMUNITIES SAFEST CITY UH IN THE COUNTRY.
UM BUT THAT'S PART OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO AND THE CUT THAT THEY'VE HAD THIS CUT THIS YEAR IS QUITE A CUT AND.
THAT'S OFTEN SAID WE NEED TO BE LEVEL FUNDED. WHAT WAS THE BASIS WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THOSE CUTS THAT YOU MADE THOSE CUTS IN OFFICE LIKE THE BLACKMAIL ADVANCEMENT. YEAH. >> SO GENERALLY WE.
UH YOU KNOW BECAUSE WE ELIMINATED FUNDING FOR A LOT OF. DISCRETIONARY GRANT PROGRAMS DEPARTMENTS. LIKE BLACK. >> MALE ADVANCEMENT OR OTHER DEPARTMENTS. IN THAT CABINET OR IN IN THE ARTS. CABINET FOR EXAMPLE. THAT'S WHERE A LOT.
OF THOSE DISCRETIONARY PROGRAMS LIVE. UM AND SO WHEN YOU'RE MAKING A CHOICE TO TO REMOVE FUNDING FOR THOSE TYPES. >> OF PROGRAMS. THAT IMPACT MANIFESTS ITSELF IN THE DEPARTMENT LIKE BLACK MALE ADVANCEMENT MORE THAN THE
POLICE. DEPARTMENT, FOR EXAMPLE. AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THE RECRUITING CLASSES EARLIER AND THE DIFFERENT. FINISHES QUESTION ON YOUR FOR
YOUR 100TH DAY. DISCUSSION TOMORROW. YOU CAN'T. SO YOU YOU TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE IN THESE CUTS WHEN
WHEN YOU LOOK AT UM CABINET BY CABINET BREAKDOWN FTE FISCAL SEVEN AND COMPARE THEM TO STAFFING LEVELS OVER PREVIOUS
YEARS UH EXCLUDING BPA, HOW DID YOU COME TO THE CONCLUSION WITH THE DECISION OF THE CUTS THAT YOU MADE. TO STAFFING SPECIFICALLY. OR JUST IN. GENERAL IN GENERAL? UH.
SO AGAIN IT WAS. REALLY A FUNCTION OF THOSE. CORE TRADE OFFS WHERE IT'S PRESERVING CITY SERVICES. FILLED POSITIONS UM, AND TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, FIT WITHIN THIS
CONSTRAINED PART. SO LIKE I WAS JUST SAYING. CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS HAVE MORE. DISCRETIONARY FUNDS AVAILABLE TO THEM. WHETHER IT'S THROUGH A GRANT PROGRAM OR. >> SOME. OTHER CONTRACTED. SERVICE VERSUS UH. PERSONNEL HEAVY. DEPARTMENT LIKE THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT. SO IT'S REALLY. KIND OF STRIKING A BALANCE BETWEEN THOSE UM, COMPONENTS. MR CHAIR, WAS THERE MY OTHER QUESTION TO THIS AFTERNOON.
THANK YOU. OKAY, I THINK WE MAY WE HAVE A SECOND ROUND UH. FOR FOR THIS PANEL. YEAH. >> UH, BUT UM SO. STICK AROUND IF YOU CAN. UH, COUNCIL WILL. THANK YOU. >> CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM. PIGGYBACKING OFF A COUNCIL CALL. PEPPERS QUESTION. UM, I KNOW WE A LOT OF. SMALLER DEPARTMENT. YOU KNOW, A. BIG MAJORITY OF THEIR.
BUDGET ARE GRANTS, RIGHT? UM. >> SO IN THE CASE THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR ENTIRE OR LET'S SAY LIKE 75 OR 90% OF THEIR GRANT MONEY WAS UM REMOVED.
DID THEY EXPERIENCE CUTS ON TOP OF THAT? UM, I WISH I HAD THE NUMBERS FOR YOU KNOW, UH, LET'S SAY UH UH, MAYOR'S OFFICE OF WOMEN
ADVANCEMENT UM, WHERE WHERE I BELIEVE THERE'S A GOOD CHUNK OF THEIR FUNDING THAT WOULD GRANT ON TOP OF THAT REMOVAL
OF GRANT, WOULD THEY STILL CUT OTHERWISE OR ANY DEPARTMENT NOT JUST UM, SPECIFICALLY? YEAH. >> I THINK IT WAS A VERY HOLISTIC APPROACH TO SORT OF UM BUDGET REDUCTIONS AND SOMETIMES
UH WOULD. UH DEPARTMENTS WILL OFTEN OFFER UP THINGS THAT PROBABLY YOU'VE SEEN IN THE NUMBERS YOU SEE FROM THE STATUS REPORTS PLACES THAT ARE SEEING RECURRING SURPLUSES. SO THERE'S. >> A POSSIBILITY THAT ON TOP
OF THE GRANT. BEING PULLED OKAY. UM AND THEN WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A LIST OF DEPARTMENT ,YOU KNOW, PERCENTAGE WISE
THAT HAVE HAD THE HIGHEST CUT? YES. >> WE CAN PROVIDE UH, REDUCTIONS. OVER OR. >> PERCENT CHANGE. FROM LAST YEAR BY DEPARTMENT. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING? YES. >> YEAH OKAY. YEAH, THAT WOULD WORK.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS AROUND THE DEBT POLICY. UM, UH, I LOVE THE FACT THAT WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT, YOU
KNOW, COST SAVINGS STRATEGIES THAT ARE NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, UM, REMOVING MONEY FROM DEPARTMENTS. UM, HAVE WE IDENTIFIED, UH, YOU
SAID YOU SAVED 13 MILLION IN SAVINGS, UM, CHANGING THE DEBT POLICY TO DO 110 YEAR OLD BOND . UH, IS THAT POSSIBLE? UM, FOR HAVE WE IDENTIFIED MORE
BONDS THAT WE CAN DO THIS TO AND IF SO, HOW MANY MORE CAN WE EXPLORE THIS? YEAH. SO SO WE'RE. WE'RE ANTICIPATING UM, A REFUNDING THIS SPRING. THAT IS UH, UM MULTIPLE UM, YOU
KNOW, MULTIPLE ISSUANCES FROM THE PAST. THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT I WAS JUST DESCRIBING TO COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE IT WAS. IT WAS. >> UNIQUE IN THAT. WE HAD PREVIOUSLY ASSUMED THAT WE HAD TO PAY IT BACK OVER TEN
YEARS, BUT NOW WE'RE STRETCHING OUT THAT, UM, AMORTIZATION. ALL OF OUR OTHER ONES. EXCUSE ME. UM, WOULD HAVE THE SAME AMORTIZATION SCHEDULE. SO IT WAS KIND OF JUST LIKE THIS UNIQUE. COMPETITION WITH THIS ONE PARTICULAR BOND.
AWESOME. >> UM. >> BUT ALL OF THE REFUNDING SAVINGS ARE. ASSUMED FOR ALL. OF THE MATURITIES THAT WE'RE RIGHT. YEAH. >> AND HAVE WE EVER EXPLORED IF WE WERE TO, UM, TO CANCEL
LOUIJEUNE POINT UM, BE LESS AGGRESSIVE UM, IN OUR REPAYMENT PLAN AND WHAT COST SAVINGS THAT WOULD BE ACROSS ALL ALL OF OUR BONDS? YES. >> SO UM, AS I WAS MENTIONING WE. ARE WE HAVE.
UPDATED OUR DEBT POLICY TO UM ASSUME A SLIGHTLY. STILL AGGRESSIVE BUT SLIGHTLY LESS AGGRESSIVE WHAT'S THAT. RETIREMENT WAS THAT CHANGE WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE IN THE. UM SO I. >> ALWAYS.
GET THIS WRONG BUT PREVIOUSLY WE HAD ASSUMED THAT WE WOULD REPAY. I SHOULD KNOW THIS OFF THE TOP. AND THEN WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT? UM, I KNOW IN PREVIOUS YEARS
THAT THERE HAS BEEN A DELAY IN THE POLICE ACADEMY. YEAH, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THAT SAVINGS WAS. DO YOU HAVE THAT? UM. >> YES. AND I THINK IN THIS BUDGET WE HAVE ASSUMED AN ACADEMY
BEGINNING IN THE MONTH OF JUNE . UM, SO WE HAVE KIND OF ASSUMED SOME DELAY ALREADY IN THE POLICE BUDGET ASSOCIATED WITH,
UM, DELAYING THE ACADEMY. GOT IT. >> AND CAN YOU PROVIDE ME WITH THE COST OF THAT? WAS THAT SAVINGS? YES. >> IT'S A YES WE CAN. ALL RIGHT. >> AND THEN I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT FREE CASH BUT TO MY UNDERSTANDING THERE'S A FEW
MORE OTHER RESERVES UM THAT THAT WE DO HAVE UM IN THE BUDGET UM THE STABILIZATION OR THE RESERVE FUND THAT 2.5% UM,
I THINK THIS IS ON PAGE. IT'S JUST A TRIGGER RESERVE. >> OR IS THIS THE TRIGGER? UM I DON'T I DON'T THINK IT IS . UM. >> SAYS THE LEGALLY REQUIRED RESERVE EQUAL TO 2.5% OF PRIOR YEAR APPROPRIATIONS THAT'S
USABLE FOR ACTION. SORRY. >> AHEAD. >> YEAH. YES. GO AHEAD. GO GO. >> NO, THAT'S THE TRIGGER RESERVE OKAY. EXISTED SINCE. UM, EARLY 80S. YEAH OKAY.
THE ONE UM, COUNTS SIDE TOO. WE'VE NEVER UTILIZED IT. UM. >> IS THAT IF YOU DO APPROPRIATE AND IT DOES REQUIRE THE PROPERTY FROM IT. THAT YOU NEED. TO THEN RESTORE THAT RESERVE IN THE NEXT TAX RATE.
SO BASICALLY. YEAH I'M JUST TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE RESERVES ARE I SAYING NOT ADVOCATING TO USE IT. UM AND THEN THERE'S ONE AND
THERE WAS ONE OTHER UM CATASTROPHIC RISK RESERVE RISK . RETENTION RESERVE YES. AND WHAT IS THAT CURRENTLY AT. UH AND WE WANT TO SAY IT'S LIKE. 4040 MILLION.
>> ISH 43 MILLION. OKAY ALL RIGHT. AND AND THAT IS DESIGNED KIND OF AS LIKE A INSURANCE. RIGHT UNEXPECTED LARGE LOSSES.
YEP I DID THAT I TALKED ABOUT INSURANCE STRATEGIES. YEAH UM YES TO THE CHAIR CAN WE GET A LIST AND THEN THE DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR. >> EACH ONE OF THOSE RESERVES. >> YEAH THANK YOU THANKS. OKAY.
>> UH OKAY. THANK THANK YOU. WE'RE JUST GONNA TAKE A SHORT, UH. FIVE MINUTE. >> RECESS AND COME BACK.
TO.
>>
OKAY. >> WE'RE BACK. FROM RECESS. UH. AND COUNSELOR FITZGERALD. YOU'RE UP. >> UH THANK YOU. CHAIR. APPRECIATE THE TIME. PANEL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR. BEING WITH US TODAY. UM, SO JUST LOOKING AT SOME
OF THESE GRAPHS, UH, OVERALL I'M LOOKING AT THE. THE REVENUE GROWTH, THE BIGGEST REDUCTIONS THAT WE HAD IN REVENUE GROWTH WERE I GUESS YOU COULD SAY FORTUNATELY.
BUT IN THE OVERALL GENERAL FUND REVENUE, THE SMALLEST PIECES OF THE PIE THE INTEREST ON INVESTMENTS LICENSING UH LICENSES AND PERMITS AND DEPARTMENTAL REVENUE ALL SAW A REDUCTION IN GROWTH.
HOWEVER, THEY ARE THE SMALLEST PIECES OF THE PIE SO I GUESS THAT IS A GOOD SIGN. BUT UH. A LOT OF MY OTHER QUESTION COLLEAGUES HAVE ASKED A LOT OF THE LARGER QUESTIONS. SO I'M JUST SORT OF TRYING TO FOCUSING ON THE NICKEL AND
DIMING STUFF HERE. WHAT IS THAT INTEREST IN INVESTMENT ON WHAT ARE THOSE INVESTMENTS THAT WE HAVE AND IS THERE PROJECTIONS ON THOSE INVESTMENTS AS TO HOW THEY MIGHT NOT BE A REDUCTION IN THE
FUTURE? BUT UH, COULD WE SEE GROWTH THERE AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE FACTORS? YEAH. >> SO UM. THAT'S ALL OF OUR. KIND OF CASH THAT WE HAVE AS A CITY. UM. >> IS IT. >> THE SAME AS THE CERTIFIED FREE CASH THAT'S.
UM THE SAME CASH? YES. >> YES. LIKE OUR FREE CASH IS. >> LIKE A. SLICE OF OUR. OVERALL AVAILABLE FUNDS. UM, SO YES, WE YOU KNOW, WE TAKE IN LOTS OF REVENUE. >> AS A CITY. WE INVEST.
IT, UM, WE YOU KNOW, WE'RE MAKING. SURE THAT WE'RE NEVER. LEAVING MONEY IN OUR. LIKE CHECKING ACCOUNT OVERNIGHT SO THAT WE CAN INVEST IT AND. EARN A RETURN. >> ON CASH. SO THE TREASURY TEAM IS CONSTANTLY SWEEPING OUR ACCOUNTS.
>> AND MAKING SURE THEY'RE INVESTED. UM, SO THAT WE CAN EARN INTEREST ON ANY CASH THAT WE HAVE ON HAND. UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE IN INTEREST BEARING ACCOUNTS WE HAVE UM, I CAN FOLLOW UP
CERTAINLY WITH MORE DETAIL BUT WE DO, UM, INVEST. IT IN DIFFERENT INTEREST BEARING ACCOUNTS, UH. >> AT DIFFERENT RATES. UH, WE GOT. REALLY GOOD RATES AND OBVIOUSLY THE RATES ARE. HIGHER WHEN TREASURIES. >> ARE. UH, YOU KNOW THE FED FUNDS.
>> RATE IS HIGHER AND SO WE'RE ASSUMING AS. >> THAT. STEPS DOWN. WE HAVE TO ASSUME THAT. >> THE. RATES WE'RE GETTING ON. OUR CASH ARE GOING TO ALSO FOLLOW. SO THAT'S WHERE THAT REDUCTION. >> IS COMING FROM. GOTCHA. >> UM DO YOU HAVE SOME.
EXAMPLES I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT OR AT LEAST WE'VE BEEN HEARING EARLY ON FROM SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER FOLKS OUT THERE THAT ARE POTENTIALLY GOING TO BE FEELING SOME OF THESE CUTS, UH, ABOUT UH
PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER ENTITIES TO SORT OF FILL IN THE GAP IN THE MEANTIME TO KEEP SOME EXISTING UH, THINGS GOING OR REORG THAT ARE HAPPENING. I KNOW BHP'S GOT A COUPLE IN
SOME DEPARTMENTS OF A REORG WHICH SOMETIMES YOU KNOW, I THINK OF AS LAYOFFS BUT UM EVEN WITHIN OTHER DEPARTMENTS UM. CAN YOU GIVE SOME EXAMPLES OF OF.
OF SOME OF THOSE AT THE MOMENT OF WHERE WE'RE LIKE WELL LOOK HERE'S WHERE SOMETHING IS GOING TO TAKE A HIT AND IT STINKS THAT WE'RE TAKING A HIT THERE BUT HERE'S HOW WE'RE TRYING TO SUPPLEMENT IT THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP OR THROUGH A REORG .
UH, AND JUST MAYBE AN EXAMPLE OF EACH IF YOU GUYS HAVE IT. YEAH. >> SO ONE THAT IMMEDIATELY COMES TO MIND. IS UM THE PARTNERSHIP. UM AROUND UH IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE. RIGHT.
THAT WAS A I THINK I THINK WE JUST RECENTLY. ANNOUNCED AND SO THAT'S A PUBLIC PRIVATE. PARTNERSHIP UM, THAT WE'RE USING UM AND WE'LL HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THAT GOING FORWARD.
UM, AND THEN UH WE UH PARTNERED WITH I THINK BOSTON FOUNDATION UM AROUND SOME OF THE FOOD ACCESS AS WELL. SO THOSE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT. COME TO MIND. THERE'S DEFINITELY A. >> LOT. MORE AND IT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT
OF A PROCESS OVER THE YEAR TO KIND OF MATCH THOSE. OPPORTUNITIES TO DEPARTMENTS. IT'S CERTAINLY. NOT GOING TO NOR. SHOULD IT BACKFILL EVERYTHING, BUT WE. ARE VERY MUCH.
WITH THAT IN MIND TRYING TO FIND OTHER. WAYS TO PROVIDE. >> A SERVICE UH. WITHOUT A GRANT WHETHER. >> THAT'S BACKFILLING THROUGH. PHILANTHROPY OR. UM, FINDING OTHER WAYS TO, YOU KNOW, DEPLOY. STAFF DIFFERENTLY THAT CAN
PROVIDE THAT SERVICE INSTEAD. GOTCHA. >> AND I IMAGINE THAT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH EVEN THE PARTNERS I'M SURE EVERYONE'S GOING THROUGH A SORT OF AN ECONOMIC STRUGGLE AT THE MOMENT SO TO SAY WELL, WE'LL JUST PARTNER WITH SO-AND-SO. UM, I CAN'T IMAGINE THEY'RE
SAYING WE CAN BACKSTOP RIGHT? AND WE DON'T EXPECT THAT THAT WILL BE THE CASE. WE WEREN'T YOU KNOW, SAYING OH PHILANTHROPY WILL PICK IT ALL UP BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY OPPORTUNITIES. OUT THERE. UM, I KNOW THERE'S A REDUCTION
IN PUBLIC HEALTH. CAN YOU JUST IS THERE ANY SPECIFICS AROUND IT JUST AS CHAIR OF THE. >> PUBLIC HEALTH YEAH I. JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE REDUCTIONS MIGHT BE. YEP. >> SO THEY. UM I'D SAY PROBABLY. THE LARGEST REDUCTION IS A RESULT OF. THE CHANGE WE MADE IN PENSION.
SO WE BUDGET THEIR PENSION CONTRIBUTION FOR PENSION CONTRIBUTION IN THAT BUDGET. AND SO UM SIMILAR TO HOW WE'RE SEEING THE PENSION SAVINGS ON THE CITY. SIDE, THEY'RE ALSO FEELING IT
IN THEIR APPROPRIATION. SO THAT'S MOSTLY THE THAT'S. >> PROBABLY THE. LARGEST PART. THERE'S PROBABLY. >> OTHER. THINGS THAT ARE GOING UP AND DOWN IN THERE BUT THAT IS A BIG REASON. SO UM IN IN. PUBLIC HEALTH ACTUALLY UM HAS
THE ABILITY TO RETAIN UH REVENUE. SO FROM UH THEY HAVE THEIR PORTFOLIO OF UH BUILDINGS THAT HAVE UH ADMINISTRATIVE REVENUE AND THEY ALSO PROVIDE
TRANSPORTS TO UH UM THAT THEY CAN BOTH UH BUILD UM UH MASSHEALTH OR PRIVATE INSURANCE COMPANIES WHEN IT'S AVAILABLE. SO UH SOMETIMES WHAT IS
PERCEIVED AS A BUDGETARY CUT IS ACTUALLY JUST THEM UM, SORT OF RELOOKING AT THEIR THEIR REVENUE ASSUMPTIONS AND UM, SO THAT'S PART OF LIKE THE OVERALL
REDUCTIONS THEY DID WE DID THAT WE DID APPEAL TO THEM TO SAY HEY CAN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE ACCOUNTS AND SEE IF YOU CAN CAN UM AND THEY DID COME BACK WITH A SUGGESTION AND
WE TOOK IT UH, SO GREAT. UM FINAL QUESTION UM THE FREE CASH THAT WE HAVE CERTIFIED YOU SAID IT'S UP TO 601 MILLION THIS YEAR. SO I KIND OF LOOK AT THAT AS LIKE YOU SAID IT'S NOT AN INCREASE.
>> IT'S JUST. MORE ACCESS TO WHAT WE HAVE THERE. >> YEAH A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH. >> MORE GOING. IN BUT MORE. ACCESS TO UM YEAH. I BELIEVE COUNCIL LOUIJEUNE ASKED THIS AS WELL AND I JUST BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE GOT THE FULL HOW MUCH IS IT WITH EVEN
ASIDE FROM JUST THE CERTIFIED FREE CASH WHAT IS THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT IS TYPICALLY THAT IS RUN THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND THEN. IS THAT. I JUST WORRY ABOUT SOME MESSAGING THERE FOR FOR OUR
CONSTITUENTS BECAUSE IT'S LIKE WE GOT OUR CREDIT CEILING RAISED ALMOST RIGHT LIKE HEY YOU COULD ONLY TAP INTO 550 NOW YOU'RE UP TO 601 MILLION THE FOLLOWING YEAR, BUT EVERYONE
ELSE IS SEEING A DECREASE WHEN WE HAVE ACCESS TO MORE MONEY IT SEEMS A FREE CASH BUT SEEING A DECREASE ELSEWHERE AND PEOPLE RAISING THEIR TAXES AND I COULD JUST SEE PEOPLE TAKING THAT AND SAYING. YOU KNOW.
>> YOU GUYS YOU JUST GOT ACCESS TO MORE FREE MONEY BUT YOU STILL CHARGED US MORE AND YOU JUST EXPLAIN SORT OF LIKE THE WHY THAT MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY BE THE CASE OR IF IT IS WHY IT IS. UM IF I THINK I UNDERSTAND
YOUR. >> QUESTION. SO I THINK. >> I THINK TOO I'M NOT SURE. SO WHAT GOES INTO THAT IS KIND OF WHAT I WAS EXPLAINING THIS KIND OF. OVERALL FUND BALANCE THAT WE HAVE AS OF YOU KNOW, THE. END OF THE YEAR.
AND THEN SO THAT'S UH OUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE IS JUST OVER 1.2 BILLION. THAT'S RIGHT. >> THAT WAS THE NUMBER OKAY. YES. >> AND THEN UH WE SUBMIT THOSE FINANCIAL AND THAT FINANCIAL INFORMATION TO DWR. THEY TAKE A LOOK AT OUR BALANCE
SHEET, TELL US WHAT'S AVAILABLE OUT OF THAT AND THAT'S WHAT IS THE FREE. CASH NUMBER. RIGHT DID I GET IS THAT YOUR WAS. >> THAT YOUR QUESTION. NO I ALSO JUST. >> SORT OF. >> THE BEING ABLE TO RAISE GETTING MORE ACCESS TO MORE MONEY WHILE WE'RE TAXING PEOPLE
. YEAH WELL AND THEN. YEAH AND AN IMPORTANT THING ABOUT FREE. CASH TOO IS IT IS A ONE TIME. RESOURCE RIGHT. WHEREAS OUR YOU KNOW OUR. PROPERTY TAX BASE IS THE AND YOU KNOW FUELS THE THE WHOLE
CITY BUDGET. UM AND SO. WE MAXIMIZE OUR PROPERTY TAX. LEVY THOSE. INCREASE EVERY YEAR THEY'VE. CONSISTENTLY INCREASED EVERY YEAR. WHEREAS IF WE WERE. TO YOU KNOW, DESPITE.
HAVING GREATER ACCESS. TO FUNDS. ,IF WE. >> USE THAT TO SUPPLEMENT ONGOING OPERATIONS. >> IN THE CITY WE. DON'T IT'S GONE RIGHT. YOU USE IT IT HAS GONE. UNDERSTOOD. >> UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE. >> THE TIME. OKAY. >> UH THANK YOU, UH,
COUNCILOR SANTANA. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. UM, AND THANK YOU. UM, CHIEF AND. DIRECTOR FOR. >> BEING HERE WITH US. UH, I'M SORRY I'M COMING IN LATE, UM, TO THIS MORNING'S HEARING.
UH, BUT I ACTUALLY JUST WANT TO START RIGHT WHERE COUNCILOR FITZGERALD LEFT OFF. AND I'M SORRY IF YOU'VE. REPEATED THIS. UM, SO I MEAN. THE $601 MILLION OF, UH OF OF
OUR RESERVED MONEY WHAT HAS A, UH SOMEONE ALREADY ASKED LIKE WHY CAN'T WE USE THAT MONEY RIGHT NOW FOR SOME OF THE CUTS THAT WE'RE SEEING? MHM. SO WE. COULD MAKE A CHOICE TO DO THAT. UM WE.
DELIBERATELY IN THIS. >> BUDGET CHOSE NOT TO. DO THAT. BECAUSE OF UH A LOT OF THE DYNAMIC I WAS JUST EXPLAINING TO COUNCILOR. FITZGERALD IT IS NOT. A GREAT YOU KNOW. >> IT'S. NOT FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE TO
PLUG ONGOING OPERATIONS WITH ONE TIME FUNDS. >> AND SO WE. >> WERE ABLE IN THIS BUDGET TO ALIGN SPENDING WITH OUR ONGOING REVENUE. >> SO. THAT WE'RE. >> NOT CREATING A SITUATION WHERE. LIKE I WAS SAYING IF THAT MONEY'S GONE NEXT YEAR WE JUST MAKE A BIGGER.
PROBLEM FOR OURSELVES. UM, WITH THOSE ONGOING COSTS. OKAY. >> UM SO AND CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE. >> OF WHEN. THE RESERVES HAS BEEN USED OVER THE LAST 5 TO 10 YEARS OR.
SO MOST UH RECENTLY. WE UTILIZED $110. >> MILLION OF FREE. CASH TO FUND THE HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND. UM, THAT WAS. >> LAST JANUARY. >> SO THAT WAS THE MOST RECENT USE. OF FREE CASH.
UM, IT'S BEEN USED IN THE PAST TO DEAL WITH UM, SHORTFALLS. UM, SO WE TYPICALLY. IN EVERY. BUDGET WE ASSUME THAT WE. WILL USE.
40 MILLION OF IT TO FUND OUR. $40 MILLION. >> OPEB CONTRIBUTION IN. SOME YEARS. OUR REVENUE SURPLUS. UH, IS. SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH THAT WE. >> DON'T ACTUALLY THEN NEED TO. UTILIZE THE FREE CASH WE CAN. COVER THAT OPEB CONTRIBUTION
WITH. RECURRING REVENUE. UM, BUT SOME YEARS IT'S YOU KNOW, IT JUST DEPENDS ON KIND OF WHAT REVENUES DOING. SO THAT'S TYPICALLY HOW WE. UTILIZE IT DURING THE YEAR. >> AND THEN THE HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND.
WAS A UNIQUE USE. I LOVE THE HOUSING SOLIDARITY FUND. SO UM NO COMPLAINTS THERE. UM ONE MORE QUESTION ON ON JUST THIS IN GENERAL UM. WELL ACTUALLY IT'S IT'S I
ACTUALLY IT'S REALLY A QUESTION FOR THAT SO. I MEAN. >> I KNOW THIS IS I MEAN IT'S A TOUGH YEAR UM I KNOW CUTS HAD TO BE MADE. I THINK. THERE'S A FEW AREAS IN THIS BUDGET WHERE I'M YOU KNOW, I
THINK DISAPPOINTED TO SEE UM, SOME REDUCTIONS. I MEAN I I'VE SINCE FRIDAY AT ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON I THINK MANY OF OUR NONPROFITS AND ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVED COMMUNICATIONS ABOUT NOT
RECEIVING FUNDING AND SINCE THEN I RECEIVED A LOT OF COMMUNICATION FROM THOSE UM FROM THOSE ORGANIZATIONS. AND I KNOW UM CHIEF, YOU MENTIONED PRESERVING CITY SERVICES WAS UH UM A TOP
PRIORITY. RIGHT. AND I THINK IN MY PERSPECTIVE A LOT OF THESE NONPROFITS AND ORGANIZATIONS ARE OUR CITY SERVICES AND I THINK UM, YOU
KNOW, I I REALLY WANT OUR UM, MY COLLEAGUES AND I TO COME TOGETHER ON HOW DO WE, UM, MANAGE THAT BY MOVING FORWARD BEFORE I HAD, YOU KNOW, SUMMER JOBS AND YEAR ROUND JOB THAT I ACTUALLY DO REMEMBER MY
QUESTION DOES THE COUNCIL FOR THAT OR FOR THE $601 MILLION DOES THE COUNCIL HAVE ANY OVERSIGHT ON LIKE I KNOW WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE CHANGES OF UM. UH. >> YOU KNOW, REALLOCATING MONEY. >> FROM DEPARTMENT TO
DEPARTMENT. DO WE HAVE ANY OVERSIGHT ON UH ON TAPPING INTO THE RESERVES? UM. >> SO NOT AS PART OF THE BUDGET. PROCESS I BELIEVE THE. LIMITATIONS OF THE UM CHARTER AMENDMENT.
ONLY EXTEND TO UM, REALLOCATING WITHIN EXPENDITURES AND NOT INCREASING THE BOTTOM LINE OF THE BUDGET. UM. SO I THINK IT EXTENDS JUST TO THE EXPENDITURES IN THIS PROCESS. RIGHT.
>> THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT. SO I MEAN I WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE I'VE BEEN BIG ON YOUTH UM, IN OUR MEETINGS I YOU KNOW WE I'VE ALWAYS MENTIONED OUR YOUTH UM I WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE OVER THE LAST FEW.
YEARS UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION ,UM SUMMER JOBS HAS BEEN UNCAPPED MEANING NO. MATTER ANYONE WHO CARES WHO WANTS A CHILD WE WILL GET THEM A JOB. AND OUR OFFICE HAS BEEN, UM.
YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO GET THAT OUT TO TO YOUTH. >> AND. REALLY, REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR YOUTH GET JOBS FOR YEAR ROUND JOBS. UM, AND WE SEE THAT REDUCTION AND I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN COMMUNICATION OF YOU KNOW I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE FUNDRAISING THAT'S GOING THAT'S
GOING TO BE GOING ON IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PINK. UM I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE YEAR YEAR-ROUND JOBS. I MEAN WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, BEING THE SAFEST MAJOR CITY UM I THINK
IT'S NO AND I THINK OUR MAYOR HAS HAD IT TOO. IT'S NO COINCIDENCE THAT WHILE WE'RE SEEING, UM, THAT THAT WE'VE WE'VE INVESTED IN THIS SUMMER AND YEAR ROUND JOBS MORE THAN ANY OTHER TIME UM, IN THE
HISTORY OF BOSTON I THINK THEY GO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE YEAR ROUND JOBS I EMPLOYEE 20 IN MY OFFICE UM, DURING THE YEAR AND UM THAT THAT TIME PERIOD
BETWEEN AFTER SCHOOL WHETHER IT'S 2 OR 3 OR 4 P.M. AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE GETTING HOME SEVEN 8:09 P.M. THERE'S SO MANY VARIABLES THAT CAN HAPPEN THERE . UM, SO I'M REALLY CONCERNED
ABOUT THE YEAR-ROUND JOBS. UH HOW MUCH OF REDUCTION DO WE SEE UM, THERE SPECIFICALLY? UM AND WHAT WHAT DO YOU ASSUME THE IMPACT WILL BE?
UM, SO I THINK THE OVERALL REDUCTION ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PROGRAM IS $5 MILLION. UM, AND AS YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THERE'S UH A LOT
OF INTENTIONAL WORK THAT'S GOING INTO TRYING TO CREATE PARTNERSHIPS TO AUGMENT OR YOU KNOW, MITIGATE THAT, UH, ANY POTENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPACTS THAT MIGHT COME FROM THAT PROGRAM
BEING REDUCED. SO ARE WE TRYING TO FUNDRAISE THE THE $5 MILLION OR. UM, I BELIEVE THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING WITH OTHER FOLKS IN THE ADMINISTRATION AND EXTERNAL UM
TO TRY AND SUPPLEMENT THAT. OKAY. >> UM, I KNOW MY TIME IS UP BUT THIS IS GOING TO BE AN AREA UM, UH WITH WITH THE GRANTS BUT YEAR-ROUND JOBS IS GOING TO BE AN AREA I'M DEFINITELY GOING TO BE ADVOCATING FOR. I THINK IT'S JUST SO CRITICAL
AND I THINK RIGHT NOW MORE THAN EVER OUR YOUTH SHOULD NOT BE UM ,THE ONES WHO HAVE TO UM. YOU KNOW, SACRIFICE UM, DURING THIS TIME RIGHT NOW AND I THINK
AROUND JOBS IS SO CRITICAL. I KNOW MANY OF ME AND LIKE I KNOW MYSELF PERSONALLY HAVE BENEFITED FROM SOMEWHERE IN HERE ROUND JOBS AND I KNOW MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE AS WELL. SO UM, THAT'S GOING TO BE AN AREA WHERE I'M DEFINITELY GOING TO BE ADVOCATING FOR UM AND
WORKING WITH THE PARTNERS THAT YOU MENTIONED. UM THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL WE'LL DO A SECOND ROUND. UH, BUT UM, I'M GOING TO GIVE MYSELF A COUPLE OF MINUTES.
UM, SO JUST I GET INTO COUNCILOR COLE PEPPERS QUESTIONS? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ANSWERED THIS, BUT IS THERE A DEFINITION OF WHAT A LONG TERM VACANCY IS? DID YOU HAVE KIND OF LIKE UM.
IT IS IT'S BASICALLY UH, POSITION THAT'S BEEN OPEN MORE THAN A YEAR BUT WE'VE WE'VE FOUND SITUATIONS WHERE IT'S BEEN LONGER THAN THAT. UM. OKAY. UM. >> AND SO WHEN THERE'S A
POSITION OPEN LONGER THAN A YEAR THEN WE WE'RE LOOKING TO JUST CUT THAT POSITION. IS THAT RIGHT? CORRECT. >> WE WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT TO TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT AROUND THAT AGENCY.
UH SO SOMETIMES IT'S IT COULD BE THE LABOR MARKET SOMETIMES IT BE SOME OTHER ISSUE WITH WHY IT'S BEEN VACANT. WERE THERE DISCUSSIONS WITH DEPARTMENTS ABOUT YOU KNOW,
LIKE FOR INSTANCE THE OFFICE OF FAIR HOUSING? UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE OKAY, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF FILLING THAT POSITION OR. YES. >> YEAH. OKAY. >> UM AND THEN I GUESS SO YEAH .
WE HAVE UH, REPORTED DEFICITS THIS YEAR. UH, AND HOW WERE THOSE DEFICITS ? UM, HOW DO THOSE DEFICITS IMPACT THE PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR? MHM.
>> UM SO I'LL TAKE THEM THERE'S KIND OF THREE MAIN ONES HEALTH INSURANCE BEING UM A BIG ONE. SO YOU SEE THAT REFLECTED IN NOT BEING PRETTY MUCH THE THING THAT THIS BUDGET IS BUYING US
IS THE UH INCREASE IN EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS TO HEALTH INSURANCE. SO WE THINK WE ARE YOU KNOW, TO THE BEST OF OUR UNDERSTANDING APPROPRIATELY BUDGETING FOR
PROJECTED EXPENSES, UM, FIXING ANY STRUCTURAL ISSUES, UH, ON THE SIDE THAT ARE RESULTING IN HEALTH INSURANCE SHORTFALLS, UM ,AND THEN REBUILDING THE TRUST FUND.
UM, SO WE'VE WE'VE ADDRESSED THAT AND THAT'S WHY THAT IS SUCH A LARGE DRIVER IN THIS BUDGET. UM, ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY SIDE, UM MHM.
YOU WON'T NECESSARILY SEE IT REFLECTED IN THE OPERATING BUDGET BECAUSE I THINK UH THE OVERTIME UM ACCOUNT IN POLICE AND FIRE ARE RELATIVELY STABLE.
THAT'S REALLY A FUNCTION OF UM THE UNIONS HAVING UH OR AT LEAST THE BPA HAVING AN OPEN CONTRACT IN THAT YEAR SO THERE'S NO SORT OF ASSUMED COLA INCREASE IN THAT. UM, BUT SEPARATELY WE CONTINUE
TO WORK WITH UH, BPD AND FIRE ON MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES TO LIMIT OVERTIME. UM AND THEN AS IT RELATES TO SNOW THAT IS ALSO RELATIVELY LEVEL FUNDED.
UM BUT WE ARE NOT UTILIZING FREE CASH RESERVES IN THIS BUDGET TO PLUG ONGOING OPERATIONS. SO WE'RE SORT OF PRESERVING THAT FLEXIBILITY INTO NEXT YEAR. SHOULD WE HAVE ANOTHER YOU KNOW
OVER BUDGET SNOW SITUATION. OKAY. >> AND SO YOU KNOW WE SHOULD NOT EXPECT TO HAVE THE SAME KINDS OF DEFICITS IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. IT IS NOT OUR INTENTION WE HAVE WE HAVE BUDGETED UM YOU KNOW TO
AVOID THAT. YES. OKAY. >> UH AND I GUESS WHAT WHAT SHOULD WE CONCLUDE IF WE DO HAVE A SIMILAR SITUATION WITH LIKE. WHERE THAT COSTS ARE GOING UP TO THAT EXTENT WE'VE MADE A MISTAKE.
UH. I DON'T WANT TO PREDICT UM, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN, RIGHT? I DON'T THINK WHEN WE WERE HERE IN THE SEAT LAST YEAR WE EXPECTED TWO HISTORICALLY LARGE SNOWFALL SNOWSTORMS.
SO BUT IT JUST SPEAKS TO, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE STAY IN A STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION SO THAT WE CAN RESPOND TO UNFORESEEN ISSUES AS THEY ARISE. OKAY. AND JUST GENERALLY SO IN
REVENUES AND CALCULATING THE REVENUES I MEAN LIKE WHAT'S WHAT'S YOUR PHILOSOPHY UH AND THEN HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM OTHER CITIES AND WHAT IMPACT DOES THAT HAVE OVERALL REVENUE
. YES. >> SO UM. UM WE IT'S CAREFULLY UH CALLED THE REVENUE ESTIMATES UH THAT SUPPORT UM EXPENDITURE YOU KNOW ,THE EXPECTED EXPENDITURES. IT'S NOT A REAL WE DON'T CALL
IT A PROJECTION. WE DON'T CALL IT EVEN A BUDGET. WE CALL IT AN ESTIMATE OF REVENUE THAT SUPPORTS UH, THE ANNUAL APPROPRIATION. UM, AND THE GOAL IS TO HAVE A
LEVEL OF, UH, CONSERVATISM TO ABSORB THESE UH, SITUATIONS WHERE THERE ARE UH, 3 OR 4 APPROPRIATIONS THAT UH ARE ALLOWED ARE LEGALLY ALLOWED TO EXCEED THEIR APPROPRIATION, YOU
KNOW, THE PUBLIC SAFETY SNOW AND JUDGMENTS AND SETTLEMENTS OR EXECUTION OF COURTS. UH, SO YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE SUFFICIENT REVENUES TO TO CATCH THAT AND
TO YOUR POINT ABOUT LIKE TO BE SURE THAT WE'VE SORT OF LOOKED UH, EXCRUCIATINGLY AT HEALTH INSURANCE IN SOME OF THOSE PATTERNS IN LAGGING UM, UH, REPORTING OF LIKE CLAIMS
ACTIVITIES. UH, IT'S SORT OF A MERGED SORT OF UM SORT OF IN THE LAST QUARTER OF LAST YEAR. SO IT WAS IT WAS SORT OF WE WERE DOING IT BASED ON THE BEST INFORMATION WE HAD AT THE TIME
SETTING RATES FOR IT FOR 2016. UM AND THEN SNOW WE SPENT A LOT OF TIMES WITH THE STREET CABINET. WE'VE ALREADY HAD TWO MEETINGS TO SORT OF UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS OF WHAT'S GOING ON. THE SNOW IS IT IS UH YOU KNOW
AND THEY'LL THEY'LL TALK ABOUT LIKE IN F1 25 WAS A YEAR OVER YEAR CONTRACT CHANGE SO YOU CAN PERCENT CHANGE IN CONTRACTOR RATES. UH, WE'RE WE'RE SAYING. IN TERMS OF REVENUE WHEN WE'RE
WHEN WE'RE PROJECTING OUR REVENUE OR ESTIMATING A REVENUE I MEAN IT SEEMS LIKE LIKE YOU KNOW, FOR INTEREST ON ON INVESTMENTS AND OTHER THINGS WHERE WE'RE USUALLY ABOVE AT
THE END OF THE YEAR ON OUR PROJECTIONS LIKE WHY WHY IS THAT THE CASE UH TO I MEAN AND HOW DOES IT MEAN IF WE HAVE IF WE OUR PROJECTIONS ARE CONSERVATIVE BUT THEN WE HAVE
TO HAVE LAYOFFS LIKE HOW DOES THAT UH FACTOR IN DOES THAT CHANGE HOW YOU LOOK AT THE PROJECT, THE REVENUES FOR THE NEXT YEAR? IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE UM THE
SURPLUS WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS WE'VE HAD THIS BENEFIT OF UH, SORT OF A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT UH, NEW GROWTH ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW, WITH SO WE'VE HAD UH BUT IT'S STARTING TO MODERATE I
THINK THAT'S SO NEW GROWTH WAS UM JUST ABOUT $18 MILLION OVER UH, THE BUDGET ESTIMATE. SO IT'S VERY IT'S NARROWING UM THAT THE GROWTH THERE SO UH, I
GUESS IN THEORY WE ARE BY DEFINITION BECOMING HAVE BEEN A LITTLE BIT LESS CONSERVATIVE AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WE HAVE THAT CAPACITY TO WITHSTAND BECAUSE UH, THIS YOU
KNOW FY 26 IS PROBABLY THAT IS WE HAVEN'T HAD TO DO LIKE A I A TO UH TO A SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION TO CURE A DEFICIT FOR A LONG, LONG TIME. >> SO OKAY. UH, OKAY.
WELL THAT'S MY TIME. SO, UH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SECOND ROUND. WE'RE GOING TO GO TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY. I THINK WE'VE GOT. TWO WELL WE GOT ONE IN PERSON NO ONE. >> ON LINE. ONE ON ONE OKAY SO WE'VE GOT
TWO PEOPLE. SO UH, TWO MINUTES EACH UH FIRST SO WE HAVE HERE GREG MAYNARD IN PERSON AND THEN
WHO'S UH. HELLO OKAY. ARE YOU READY? YEP OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. EXCUSE ME. MY NAME IS GREGORY MAYNARD AND I AM THE CO-FOUNDER AND
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BOSTON POLICY INSTITUTE. UH, THERE ARE TWO MAJOR ISSUES THAT ARE COVERED IN THIS HEARING AND THAT NEED THEIR OWN STANDALONE BUDGET HEARINGS, REVENUE FORECASTS AND HEALTH CARE COSTS. BOSTON HAS BEEN HAVING A PUBLIC
DEBATE ABOUT REVENUE FOR YEARS AND NOW IT NEEDS A STANDALONE BUDGET HEARING ON THE REVENUE FORECASTS IN FY 27, IN 2024 AND 2025, MAYOR WU AND HER SENIOR BUDGET OFFICIALS LOUDLY AND
PUBLICLY REJECTED WARNINGS THAT FALLING OFFICE VALUES AND THE END OF BOSTON'S OFFICE BUILDING BOOM WOULD CAUSE A FISCAL CRISIS. BACK IN OCTOBER 2024, CHIEF ASSESSOR NICK MARINELLO AT A
BOSTON CITY COUNCIL HEARING SAID QUOTE, THEY CREATED A BUDGET CRISIS OUT OF WHOLE CLOTH THAT WAS FICTION AS WE SEE NOW, BOSTON'S BUDGET CRISIS IS NOT A FICTION.
UH, BOSTON LOST MORE THAN $4 BILLION IN ASSESSED VALUE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES IN FY 25 AND FY 26 AND CFO GRAPH AND BERGER'S MARCH 30TH LETTER DESCRIBING CITY HALL'S HALF
OF THE $100 MILLION CURRENT YEAR DEFICIT. SHE REVEALED THAT BOSTON EXPECTED TO COLLECT $7.3 MILLION LESS IN PERMITS AND LICENSING THAN FORECAST IN THE FY 26 BUDGET.
THE FY 27 BUDGET BOOK SHOWS REVENUE GROWING SLOWLY OR FALLING IN CATEGORY AFTER CATEGORY. THIS IS A MAJOR CHANGE FROM THE PRE-COVID STATUS QUO AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING
REQUIRES A STANDALONE HEARING WITH EITHER THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT OR ON REVENUE SPECIFICALLY THE OTHER MAJOR OPERATING BUDGET ISSUE THAT NEEDS A STANDALONE BUDGET HEARING IS HEALTH CARE SPENDING.
BOSTON UNDERESTIMATED HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS IN FY 26, WHICH HELPED CREATE THE $100 MILLION CURRENT YEAR DEFICIT IN FY 27, HEALTH CARE COSTS HAVE BEEN A MOVING TARGET.
ON MARCH 25TH, THE DAY THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE VOTED ON THE FY 27 BUDGET, THE HEALTH INSURANCE LINE ITEM WAS RAISED $14 MILLION BRINGING THE LINE ITEMS YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASE
TO $49 MILLION. IT IS UNCLEAR HOW MUCH OF BOSTON'S TOTAL $98 MILLION INCREASE IN HEALTH INSURANCE SPENDING CAME FROM THIS LAST MINUTE ADDITION. ALL THIS RAISES A QUESTION WHAT
IS HAPPENING WITH BOSTON'S HEALTH CARE SPENDING? UNFORTUNATELY, A HEARING TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION WITH YOU THAT THE PEOPLE OPERATIONS CABINET OR ON HEALTH CARE SPENDING SPECIFICALLY IS NOT CURRENTLY SCHEDULED BEYOND
HEALTH CARE SPENDING. MAYOR WU'S FY 27 BUDGET LETTER DESCRIBES MAJOR HEALTH CARE POLICY DECISIONS. REMAIN IN EFFECT. IF I HAVE I HAVE SORRY ONE LINE UM AT THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES COMMITTEE INCLUDING THE RECENT
GLP ONE DEAL AND A NEW LABOR MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT, THE COUNCIL AND PUBLIC NEED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BOTH OF THOSE . THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, DO WE HAVE ONE PERSON
ONLINE? GOOD MORNING. UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES I CAN UH, MR EDWIN, YOU GOT TWO MINUTES PLEASE.
UM, SO, UH, COUNCILOR WEBER, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY . I ACTUALLY HAVE A REMARK ABOUT REVENUE AS WELL. SO WE HAVE A I'M SORRY IT'S LORI RUDE ONE ROSLINDALE WE HAVE A PERFECT STORM IN
ROSLINDALE OF INCREASING INDIRECT DISPLACEMENT OF OUR LONGSTANDING SMALL BUSINESSES. THIS APPEARS TO CORRELATE WITH OUR MORE RECENT NEW SQUARES AND STREET ZONING, BUT MORE
DISPLACEMENT MEANS LESS REVENUES FOR THE CITY IN BUSINESS TAXES AND THE PAYROLL TAX AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT BUSINESS OWNERS PAY TO THE CITY.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT ACCOUNTING WITHIN THE BUDGET PROJECTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR. AND RELEVANT TO THAT BRIEFLY I WAS BREEZING THROUGH TOMORROW'S AGENDA AND I WANT TO COMMEND UM
COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR SUBMITTING AGAIN A REQUEST TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE ARPA FUNDING. I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT FUNDING ADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN ROSLINDALE AND ALSO JUST TO PLEASE TAKE A VERY HARD
LOOK AT PARKING MINIMUM ORDINANCES BECAUSE WE WILL LOSE MORE BUSINESSES AND THAT'S UH, NOT A MYSTERY OR FANTASY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ACCEPTING MY TESTIMONY. OKAY. >> THANK YOU.
OKAY. OKAY. UH, WE'RE GOING TO SECOND ROUND UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO DO THREE MINUTES UH, AND THEN IF THERE'S
ANY FINAL QUESTIONS AFTER THAT. THAT'S OKAY. . >> WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT. UM SO THREE MINUTES, COUNCILOR FLYNN THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. UM, JIM, ANYTHING IN THE BUDGET ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING TO
SUPPORT INITIATIVES AT MASS AND CASS? UM, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE, UM, WITHIN THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION, UH, RESOURCES THAT . NO, I KNOW, BUT WHAT'S IN THERE
SPECIFICALLY THAT IS DEALING WITH SOME CASES THAT IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH. PUBLIC HEALTH THERE THERE IS UM, UH, SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ACTUALLY IT'S ALSO WITHIN THE MAYOR'S HOUSING BUDGET AS WELL
. UM UH AND I KNOW. WITH THE MAYOR'S BUDGET THE HOUSING THEY DID CUT HOUSING WAS INTENDED THEY CUT $2 MILLION BACK FROM HOUSING. IT'S SORT OF A TEMPORARY PAUSE
OF OF SOME FUNDING FOR SOME UH SOME PROGRAMS. SO NOTHING REALLY SPECIFIC. JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING THERE MIGHT BE SOME STUFF IN THERE. IS THAT RIGHT? YES. >> YEAH. NO, I MEAN WE CERTAINLY CAN FOLLOW UP WITH MORE DETAILS ON
WHAT WHAT RESOURCES ARE INCLUDED IN THE 27. OKAY I DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING IN THERE ABOUT MASSIVE CHAOS. THAT'S AN ISSUE OF FOCUSED ON NOT JUST AS A CITY COUNCILOR FOR YEARS BUT AS A
PROBATION OFFICER UM, WORKING WITH PEOPLE UM TRYING TO GET INTO RECOVERY BUT ALSO PROVIDING PUBLIC SAFETY SUPPORT FOR MY CONSTITUENTS IN THE
SOUTH AND SOUTH BOSTON, OTHER AREAS, UM, IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET BOOK, THE CITY WRITES THAT UH, THE CITY IS ON SCHEDULE THAT TARGETS REDUCING
ITS PENSION LIABILITY AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT BY 2028. UH, THE 2028 GOAL WAS NO. AS RECENTLY AS FY 25 THE GOAL
THE GOAL YEAR WAS 2027 STARTING LAST YEAR IN FY 26 THE CITY MOVED THE GOAL FORWARD A YEAR I GUESS TO 2028.
UM WHY DID THAT TAKE PLACE? UH I DON'T I THE 2028 GOAL HAS FOR THE 2028 DATE HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR AT LEAST THE LAST TWO YEARS. I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN EXACTLY
THEY MADE THE CHANGE FROM 27 TO 28 BUT IT'S BUT IT'S NOT NEW. IT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR MULTIPLE YEARS. OKAY. >> UM, AT LAST WEEK'S HEARING UM, WASN'T THERE A CORRECTION
TO MAYOR WOLF'S STATEMENT IN I GUESS YOU YOU MENTIONED IT UM, TO THE CFO UH, THAT THERE WERE 285 FULL TIME EMPLOYEES EQUIVALENT POSITIONS ELIMINATED
IN THE FY 27 BUDGET. THE FY 27 BUDGET BOOK SAYS THAT ONLY 57 LONG TERM VACANT POSITIONS WERE ELIMINATED. CAN YOU TELL US HOW THAT ACCOUNTING FOR THE 285
POSITIONS IS DIFFERENT FROM THE ACCOUNTING FOR THE 57 POSITIONS ? YES, THE 57 REPRESENTS THE DYNAMIC I WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH THE LONG TERM VACANCIES BEING REMOVED. SO WE REMOVED 57 LONG TERM
VACANCIES. THE REMAINDER ARE THAT SALARY SAVINGS EQUIVALENT. SO WE HAVE SALARY SAVED EQUIVALENT TO UH THAT NUMBER OF POSITIONS WHICH IS I THINK
IN TOTAL IN THE BUDGET 785 OKAY . UM IS THERE ANY PLANS FOR THE CITY TO WORK WITH STATE LEGISLATORS ON TRYING TO CHANGE OR ELIMINATE, UH, PROPOSITION
TWO AND A HALF. UM, THERE'S NOT A SPECIFIC PROPOSAL THAT I'M AWARE OF. I KNOW THERE'S, UH, CONTINUED DISCUSSIONS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MAY AROUND STATE AID. UM, SO AN INCREASED USE
OF STATE AID. SO THERE ARE SOME DISCUSSIONS BUT NO SPECIFIC PROPOSALS. >> OKAY. OF ELIMINATING PROP TWO AND A HALF? NO, THERE'S NO SPECIFIC PROPOSAL. BUT THE CITY DOES WANT TO ELIMINATE PROP TWO AND A HALF THOUGH.
IS THAT ACCURATE? NO OR THEY DON'T OKAY I THOUGHT THE MAYOR WAS ON RECORD IN SUPPORT OF UM GETTING GETTING RID OF PROP TWO AND. >> A HALF. I THINK THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT WAYS IN WHICH IT CAN BE
UPDATED AND MODERNIZED BUT UH, THERE'S NO SPECIFIC PROPOSAL AROUND ELIMINATING IT ENTIRELY . OKAY. >> UH, MR CHAIR, COULD I COME BACK TO THE NEXT ROUND OR. YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU. JUST GET PEOPLE'S THOUGHTS, OKAY?
COUNCILOR CULPEPPER. I THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. EARLIER WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT. ABOUT THE, UH, INTEREST INCOME BEING DOWN.
FOR FISCAL 2820. WE'RE ASSUMING IT'S GOING TO BE DECREASED IN THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR 27. BY 40 MILLION IF IT WAS 80 MILLION. AND I ASKED YOU.
IF WE WOULD. EXTERNAL ADVISORS. >> IF WE USED AND YOU SAID THAT IT WAS THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT THAT DID THE. INVESTMENTS. >> LET ME JUST READ SOMETHING. TO YOU. >> BOSTON IS. ONE OF THE CITIES THAT USES EXTERNAL ADVISORS FOR CASH
MANAGEMENT AND INVESTMENT FUNCTIONS AUTHORIZED BY THE CITY'S COLLECTIVE TREASURER TO MANAGE MUNICIPAL FUNDS. SO MY QUESTION EARLIER WHAT BECAUSE IT'S OBVIOUS THAT WE
USE OUTSIDE EXTERNAL ADVISORS. MY QUESTION WAS WHAT WHO ARE THE OUTSIDE EXTERNAL ADVISORS THAT THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT USES TO MAKE THE DECISION ABOUT
WHERE THE INVESTMENTS ARE MADE ? SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU'RE READING SO I'D BE HAPPY TO LOOK AT THAT SPECIFICALLY. WE ALSO IT COULD BE IN REFERENCE TO UM THE TRUST FUNDS
WE MANAGE. SO WE USE EXTERNAL INVESTMENT CONSULTANTS TO MEASURE OF TRUST FUNDS. AND I THINK IT'S WHAT THE GENERAL INVESTMENTS FROM WHAT I READ AND THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY TREASURER HAS
AUTHORITY OVER THE GENERAL FUNDS AND THEY MAKE THOSE INVESTMENT DECISIONS BUT THEY USE OUTSIDE AS EXTERNAL ADVISORS TO GIVE THEM RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE INVESTMENTS.
AND SO MY QUESTION WAS I WANTED TO LOOK AT WHO IS MAKING THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY'S TREASURY DEPARTMENT ON THOSE
INVESTMENTS BECAUSE I IT'S GOOD TO KNOW WHO'S ACTUALLY MAKING THE RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE THEY MAKE THE DECISIONS BASED ON THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND IF WE'RE LOOKING AT $40 MILLION LOSING $40 MILLION, I WANT TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW. >> DO WE KNOW. NOW THAT THE INVESTMENTS ARE GOING TO BE DOWN $40 MILLION
LOOKING AT THE MARKET AND THE MARKET GOES DOWN AND UP SOMETIMES IT'S UP. SO I WANTED TO JUST SEE WHO WAS LOOKING AT WHO WAS MAKING THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND YOU MAY NOT
KNOW NOW BUT I WOULD ASK THAT YOU GO TO THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT AND ASK THEM WHAT OUTSIDE ADVISORS, FINANCIAL ADVISORS MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THEM WITH REGARD TO OUR
FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS? YES. THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO DO I WANTED TO RUN TO THE BECAUSE THEY ARE USING SOMEBODY ELSE. SO THEY LOOKED AT WHO'S IN THE DEPARTMENT I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHO AND THEN WE CAN TALK MORE
ABOUT IT ONCE WE FIND OUT WHO. THE OTHER THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WE TALKED ABOUT BLACK MALE ADVANCEMENT ON FEBRUARY 11TH WE GOT A COMMUNICATION AND I'M ASSUMING THIS CAME FROM UH
,THE MAYOR'S OFFICE COMMUNICATION WAS RECEIVED FROM THE OFFICE OF BLACK MALE ADVANCEMENT OF A POINT IN TIME BLACK MALE ADVANCEMENT IMPACT REPORT 2025.
WHEN I LOOKED AT THE REPORT, THE RECOMMENDATION AND THE REPORT WAS UH, TO KEEP UH, THE BLACK MALE ADVANCEMENT LEVEL FUNDED. I'M LOOKING AT HOW THEY WERE CUT.
THEY WERE CUT $500,000. MY QUESTION IS HOW DO THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS GET MADE AND WHO MAKES THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS EVEN BEFORE IT GETS TO THE MAYOR?
ON ON REDUCTIONS IN DEPARTMENTS BUDGETS. >> YEAH LET'S SAY FOR BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT IT AS MY BROTHER'S KEEPER. WELL SOME FUND B MAY HAVE OVERSIGHT AND THESE ARE OVERSIGHT OF FUNDS THAT ARE WITHIN THE BOSTON PUBLIC
SCHOOLS. AND SO MY QUESTION IS WHO MAKES THE DECISION HOW DOES THIS DECISION GET MADE. IS IT I MEAN ARE YOU MAKING THESE DECISION OR DO YOU HAVE A
TEAM THAT MAKES THE DECISIONS TO YOU OR. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? SO UH IN UH CASE IN EXAMPLE THERE ARE THERE ARE CERTAIN UH PROJECTS.
SO THERE WAS UH UH AN EQUITY STUDY WHICH I THINK THEY'RE JUST ABOUT TO RELEASE. JIM, CAN YOU ANSWER MY QUESTION ABOUT HOW THOSE DECISIONS ARE MADE? SO WHO DO SO YOU GET
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM WHO ABOUT WHAT TO CUT. WHO DO. >> YOU GET. >> RECOMMENDATIONS WE GET UH WE WE ASKED DEPARTMENTS TO OFFER UP UH, OPPORTUNITIES TO TO REDUCE THE BUDGET SO. AND SO BLACK MALE ADVANCEMENT
OFFERED UP $500,000 TO REDUCE THEM EVEN THOUGH IN THEIR REPORT THEY ASKED TO KEEP IT LEVEL FUNDED. UH, I THINK ONE OF THE REDUCTIONS WAS JUST UH IT WAS A WORKFLOW THING WITH THE
COMPLETION OF THE EQUITY STUDY. SO THAT REPRESENTED LIKE $125,000 OF THAT WAS ACTUALLY UH TO THE POINT OH AND UM, MY BROTHER'S KEEPER THAT WAS ACTUALLY TRANSFERRED THE RESOURCES INTO THE DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT WAS UH A MULTI-YEAR CONVERSATION THAT OUR DMA HAD WITH THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS ,RIGHT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE RESOURCES WERE BETTER PLACED IN IN BMR, UH, AS THE PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT ON THE
PROGRAM. SO THAT ACTUALLY WAS A POSITIVE MOVE INTO. >> THE HOW MUCH WAS THAT. I BELIEVE WAS IN THE $200,000 RANGE AND. >> WILL THAT CONTINUE YEAR AFTER YEAR? YES. AND TO GO BACK TO MY INITIAL
QUESTION HOW ARE THESE DECISIONS MADE? WHO'S MAKING THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU AND THEN WHO DO YOU TALK TO BEFORE YOU MAKE A DECISION TO MAKE SURE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD
HAPPEN AND I'M NOT EVEN INCLUDING THE MAYOR UH I'M SAYING LET'S HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN UP TO THE POINT WHERE IT GETS TO THE MAYOR THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS. YEAH. >> I MEAN JIM HAS A TEAM OF HOW MANY ANALYSTS THAT ARE ASSIGNED
UH, PORTFOLIO OF DEPARTMENTS. SO THERE'S A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH THAT'S GOING ON BETWEEN ANALYSTS AND DEPARTMENTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF THIS, WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND? YOU KNOW, BACK AND FORTH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS GET PRESENTED TO JIM AND HIS SENIOR
LEADERSHIP TEAM. UH, THEY GET BROUGHT UP TO ME, WE BRING THEM UP TO THE MAYOR. SO THERE'S A KIND OF A SERIES OF BACK YOU KNOW, I GIVE FEEDBACK, THEY GO BACK RIGHT. THERE'S A MULTI-MONTH PROCESS OF OF CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE
HAPPENING ACROSS THOSE FOUR LEVELS BEFORE IT'S EVEN GETTING TO THE MAYOR. >> BUT WHO'S MAKING THE DECISION? I UNDERSTAND THE DISCUSSION BUT WHO'S MAKING THE DECISIONS? SO YOUR ANALYSTS ARE TALKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND MR CHAIR, I'M JUST SAYING.
>> YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND UNTIL YOU'RE CLEAR ON THIS. YEAH I'M. JUST TRYING TO GET IT CLEAR. SO ANALYSTS ARE GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS RIGHT ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE CUT
AND LET'S SAY BLACK MALE ADVANCEMENT SAID LIKE THEY DID IN THE REPORT EVERYTHING SHOULD BE LEVEL FUNDED RIGHT. SO WHO MAKES THE DECISION TO CUT $500,000?
DID THE ANALYSTS MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO YOU AFTER TALKING WITH THE DIRECTOR OF BLACK MALE ADVANCEMENT AND THE ANALYST BLACK MALE ADVANCEMENT, I SAID LET'S KEEP THE LEVEL OF FUNDING.
THAT'S WHAT'S IN THE REPORT RIGHT HERE FOR FISCAL YEAR 20. THEY SAID LET'S KEEP IT FUNDED RIGHT THERE. TALKING TO THE ANALYSTS ANALYST HAS WHAT THEY ASKED THEM TO DO WHAT DO THE ANALYSTS DO NEXT
AND WHO DO THEY GO TO? THEY'LL BRING IT TO SOME COMBINATION OF JIM OR HIS SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM WITH YOU KNOW AGAIN I'M JUST SPEAKING VERY GENERAL THE DEPARTMENT.
JIM NO NO FROM YOU THAT'S EXACTLY THE CASE I'M SORRY I JUST WANT TO HEAR FOR IT. IT'S A VERY COLLABORATIVE PROCESS WITH THE DEPARTMENT. UH, AND THERE'S THERE'S LOTS OF I MEAN, IN ADDITION TO THE
DEPARTMENT HEADS THERE'S A CABINET CHIEF THAT'S INVOLVED. RIGHT. >> WHAT POINT DOES THE CABINET CHIEF MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION TO THE ANALYSTS OR TO YOU? I THINK THAT. THAT'S PART OF THE BUDGET
CONVERSATION THAT LIKE SO UM, WE DID WE DID APPRECIATE IT WHEN DEPARTMENTS OFFERED UP BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THEY ARE THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS. SO IF THERE IS A UH AN EFFICIENCY OR SOME SORT OF SAVINGS IDENTIFIED, WE'RE
GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO REALLY HAVE A LOT OF TRUST ON THAT RECOMMENDATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT. UM, BUT UH, IT WILL ALSO BE UM THAT UH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS WILL PULL IT UP THROUGH A
TABLET. CHIEF, IS THAT LEVEL OF COORDINATION AS WELL? UH, BUT IT GOES IT ALSO IS PRESENTED TO TEAMS TO THE MAYOR. BUT YOU KNOW, I GUESS YOU KNOW ,TO TO BORROW SORT OF LIKE THE
HARRY TRUMAN, UH, PHILOSOPHY THAT LIKE THE MAYOR IT'S THE MAYOR'S RECOMMENDED BUDGET AT THE END OF THE DAY. NINE TO SAY I'M NOT I DIDN'T WANT TO BRING THE MAYOR INTO THIS. I WAS TRYING TO GET TO HOW IT HAPPENED BEFORE THE MAYOR.
SO THE ANALYSTS ARE TALKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEAD, RIGHT . THE DEPARTMENT SAYS WE WANT TO KEEP IT LEVEL FUNDED TO THE ANALYSTS, THE ANALYST AND GOES TO WHO.
TO TO ME AND THE. SENIOR STAFF. TO YOU AND. >> YOU. SAY AND THE ANALYSTS SAID BMA SAID THEY WANT TO KEEP IT LEVEL FUNDED RIGHT. THAT WOULD BE GOOD. YEAH BUT THE ANALYSTS SAID
LET'S CUT IT $500,000 RIGHT. HOW HOW DID THAT DECISION GET MADE IT THE WRONG THING WAS IT WENT IT WENT FROM TWO POINT IT
WENT FROM 2.6 TO IT WENT FROM 2.1 TO 1.6. SO I'M TRYING TO JUST GET TO HOW THIS HAPPENS RIGHT TO THE DEPARTMENT HEAD IS SAYING RIGHT LET'S KEEP IT LEVEL FUNDED RIGHT.
YOU'VE GOT ANALYSTS THAT TALK TO THE DEPARTMENT HEAD. SO THE ANALYST NOW IS SAYING THE DEPARTMENT HEAD SAID LET'S KEEP IT LEVEL FUNDED RIGHT. UM THEN THEY REPORT TO YOU I'M TRYING TO GET TO WHO SAID LET'S
CUT IT $500,000? YEAH. >> I THINK PART OF IT WAS RELATED TO THE COMMUNITY BASED GRANT MAKING. SO THERE'S SORT OF IT WAS A MORE OF A BROADER SORT OF POLICY DECISION. UM, JIM, HERE'S A QUESTION.
YEAH. WHO SAID LET'S CUT $500,000 AND WHY I'M TRYING TO GET TWO RIGHT. HOW DOES THE THINKING THAT GOES INTO THIS? AND THEN THE QUESTION IS THE
ANALYSTS SAID LET'S CUT $500,000 RIGHT. WHY DID THE ANALYSTS SAY LET'S CUT $500,000 IF YOU KNOW IF YOU. DON'T YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WAS THE CASE IN IN
THE CASE OF THE AMA IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN. WELL SOMEBODY BUT YOU SEE THE COUNSELOR. OKAY SORRY I'M JUST. GOING TO THE REPORT AND THE COMMUNICATION THAT CAME TO THE COUNCIL RIGHT.
IT SAID THAT'S ALL. YEAH WE WILL HAVE A HEARING. HERE THE. YOU KNOW THIS. >> AT ANOTHER TIME. UH AND JIM WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT. ABSOLUTELY. >> YEAH. >> AND WE'LL CERTAINLY WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO GET GET YOU THE ANSWERS UH, IN A BRIEFING.
OKAY. YEAH. YEAH, IT DESERVES THE 100 DAY SPECIAL. UH, WE'VE WE'RE NOW IN 101 DAYS OF THAT, BUT, UH, OKAY. UH, COUNSELOR. WELL.
UH, THANK YOU CHAIR. THE BUDGET. RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COME FROM THE DEPARTMENT IS THAT A. FORM OR HOW. >> IS THAT COMMUNICATED? UH, IT'S TYPICALLY LIKE A MEMO
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT IT'S IT'S IT IS IT'S ITERATIVE . THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNICATION . UM, WE OFTEN, UH, FOLLOW UP WITH ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. UM, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES, YOU
KNOW, UH, THESE ARE BUSY FOLKS AND WE KNOW THAT SOMETIMES RUNNING UP ON A DEADLINE THEY THEY SUBMIT A BUDGET AND I. >> ONLY HAVE THREE MINUTES. JIM. SORRY. >> OKAY. >> UM, CAN WE GET A COPY OF THE MEMOS THAT EACH DEPARTMENT SUBMITTED?
I BELIEVE COUNCILOR MURPHY ASKED FOR THIS BEFORE. UM. >> I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE RFI. THE PART OF THE OFFER I THINK. I THINK WE DID ASK FOR THAT IN THE RFI. OKAY. >> THE MEMOS FROM EACH DEPARTMENT ON THEIR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS. PERFECT. >> I'M NOT SURE WHETHER WE'RE
GOING TO GET IT BUT UH, WE HAVE ASKED FOR IT. ALL RIGHT. >> BECAUSE I. THINK WELL I. >> MEAN THIS IS NOW COUNCIL WEBBER'S QUESTION. IS OPEN I GET IT. I'M BACK. UM. >> UM SORRY. YEAH. AND THEN GOING BACK TO THE ONE
OF THE LAST QUESTIONS ASKED IN MY FIRST ROUND WHAT WAS THE CHANGE IN THE IN THE DEBT REPAYMENT POLICY? I KNOW YOU SAID THAT WE'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBLE IN THE
COST SAVINGS AROUND THAT. UM, AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT WAS THERE ANY OTHER UM WHAT WAS ALSO EXPLORED. >> LIKE. WHETHER YOU CHANGED IT. FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. WHERE YOU KNOW, SEVEN MORE MONTHS EXPLORED.
AND THE COST. SAVINGS AROUND. THAT AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT NOW I'M HAPPY. I DO. OKAY. YEAH. SO THE UH, POLICY PREVIOUSLY UH
,STIPULATED THAT 35 TO 40% OF DEBT WOULD BE RETIRED WITHIN FIVE YEARS AND 65 TO 70% OF THAT WOULD BE RETIRED WITHIN FIVE YEARS. UH, THE UPDATED POLICY SAYS
THAT NO LESS THAN 30% OF DEBT IS RETIRED WITHIN FIVE YEARS AND NO LESS THAN 55% OF DEBT IS RETIRED WITHIN TEN YEARS. SO IT JUST GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY. UM.
I'M SORRY FOR THE ORIGINAL POLICY. I THINK YOU SAID FIVE YEARS TWICE. UH OH SORRY 65 TO 70% WITHIN TEN YEARS. OKAY. YEAH. UM SO IT JUST GIVES US A LITTLE
BIT OF FLEXIBILITY UM, ON THAT REPAYMENT ON THAT PRINCIPAL REPAYMENT. WHAT WOULD THAT SAVE US IS. THAT IT DOESN'T REALLY SAVE YOU MONEY OVER THE TERM. IT ACTUALLY WILL END UP COSTING US MORE IT JUST RIGHT BECAUSE
YOU'RE YOU'RE PAYING IT DOWN OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. RIGHT IN THE FIRST IN THE NEXT YEAR. SO THIS IS FOR FUTURE ISSUANCES . SO UM THE KIND OF SAVE AGAIN THE SAVINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING
IN THIS UH RECOMMENDED BUDGET ARE MORE ASSOCIATED WITH REFUNDING MAKES. >> SENSE FOR FUTURE. UM. YEAH I KNOW I KNOW WE UM
PROJECT REVENUE UM, IN A CONSERVATIVE WAY AND I JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AROUND THAT. UM, AND I HEARD MY BUDGET. >> BUT I KNOW I GOT LIKE TWO MORE MINUTES.
ALL OTHER QUESTIONS HAVE TO BE ASKED BY CULPEPPER. UH, NO. UH, YEAH. FEEL FREE TO. UM, ON INTEREST INCOME. I KNOW WE'RE CUTTING IT IN HALF, SO I'M ASSUMING THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, PROJECTING
THAT INTEREST RATE WOULD BE LOWER. UM, WOULDN'T THAT THEN SAY LIKE NEW GROWTH AND BUILDING PERMITS WOULD THEN INCREASE LIKE THEY WORK IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS.
IN THE. PAST THERE'S A BIT OF A LAG WHEN WHEN. UM DEVELOPMENT THAT HAPPENS OUT IN IN THE CITY REFLECTS ITSELF IN AS NEW GROWTH. SO UH.
I THINK. SO BUILDING PERMITS ARE LIKE AN EARLY INDICATOR OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY. SO YOU HAVE. UH BUILDING PERMITS AND THEN YOU HAVE OCCUPANCY PERMITS WHICH ARE LIKE IF PEOPLE ARE
RENTING FOR SCAFFOLDING AND CRANES AND SO LIKE OH IF PEOPLE ARE DOING LESS. >> OF THAT. IT MUST. BE BUILDING GOING ON. GOT IT. >> UM AND THEN SO WE'VE JUST BEEN WATCHER WATCHING THAT UH WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO OUR OUR
BUDGET AND ON NEW GROWTH AND ACTUAL NEW GROWTH IN SOME OF IT IS IS THE HISTORIC INTEREST RATE, UH, ENVIRONMENT. SO YOU KNOW, BUSINESS FOLKS ARE RISK AVERSE SO THEY'RE THERE BECAUSE IT'S THAT THEY WOULD
LOSE MONEY IF THEY WEREN'T SO THAT THEY ARE AWAITING TO UH, IN IN SOME OF THIS GEOPOLITICAL STUFF INTERFERES WITH WITH PROBABLY DO I WANT TO PULL THE TRIGGER ON SOMETHING RIGHT NOW
WHEN I'M YOU KNOW, I LIKE IN UH MONETARY POLICY YOU KNOW, THAT IS THE TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX FOR THE FED TO TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY JUST TO LOWER RATES. SO IF WE EVER TURNED INTO A RECESSION EVERY PERIOD THAT
THAT'S WHERE UM, UH, THE FEDERAL RESERVE WOULD GO TO TRY TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY IT WOULD BE BY CUTTING RATES. SO AS YOU CAN SEE THERE WAS ALMOST ZERO IN IN UH 2021, YOU
KNOW, WE MADE $4 MILLION IN INTEREST ON THE INVESTMENT BECAUSE IT'S JUST THAT THAT WAS THAT'S YOU KNOW THAT WAS THE RATE ENVIRONMENT. IT WAS ZERO RIGHT. AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT DOWN IN
BUILDING PERMIT AND WE'RE NOT OFF THE $43 MILLION PROJECTED IN FY 26. UM AND THEN WITH THE ARE WE GETTING A THIRD ROUND? UH YEAH WE'LL WE'LL DO A QUICK
THIRD ROUND BUT UH, IF YOU. IF THERE'S SOMETHING RELATED TO THAT. >> OKAY. UM WHICH. WE DO HAVE AN AFTERNOON HEARING. YEAH I MEAN EVERYBODY'S CAPITAL I KNOW. YEAH BUT I'LL I'LL GO AWAY FROM. MY THIRD ROUND. OKAY?
>> OKAY. UM I GUESS, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. UM, BUT, UH, SO I THINK WE HEARD FROM THE BOSTON POLICY
INSTITUTE, YOU KNOW, ABOUT A DECREASE IN COMMERCIAL VALUES AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SORT OF PRESSURES AND YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH AND WHY WE'RE SEEING DEFICITS AND WHAT
WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR NEXT YEAR. I MEAN YEAH, ABSENT I THINK FROM YOUR COMMENTS WAS THE THE DECLINE IN COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE VALUES?
I MEAN HOW DOES THAT UH THAT REALITY YOU KNOW, IMPACT OUR THE OUR OPERATING BUDGET UM, AND OUR YOU KNOW, PROJECTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR IN TERMS OF. YOU KNOW.
OVERSPENDING ON EMPLOYEES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. YEAH. >> UM SO THE GREAT THING ABOUT OUR PROPERTY TAX SYSTEM IS IT IS SORT OF AGNOSTIC OF VALUE. RIGHT. UM, SO THE FACT THAT PROPERTY COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TAXES ARE
GOING DOWN DOES NOT IMPACT THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE WE TAKE IN. SO OUR ASSUMPTIONS MAKE NO PROJECTIONS FOR OVERALL VALUE CHANGE AND IT JUST ASSUMES THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO GENERATE
THE MAXIMUM UM UP TO THE LEVY. OKAY. >> UH IT IS IT IS THERE ANY WAY I KNOW THERE IS A LEVY IN TERMS OF OUR TAX LEVY IT'S LIKE 2.5% OF ALL THE VALUE OF EVERYTHING.
SO BECAUSE THE COMMERCIAL VALUES ARE GOING DOWN OR WE YOU KNOW WHAT ABOUT THAT UH. LEVY I FEELING I KNOW THE CEILING I KNOW WE HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT IT. I THINK WE'RE LIKE 1.5% OF THAT RIGHT?
WE'VE NEVER REALLY BEEN CLOSE. BUT IS THAT A DANGER? IT'S NOT. >> WE WOULD HAVE TO LOSE $88 BILLION WORTH OF VALUE FOR IT TO BE A PROBLEM. OKAY. >> UM UH OKAY. AND THEN SO IN TERMS OF THE
PROJECTED REVENUE LIKE I THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE A REVENUE BUMP IN JUNE AT LEAST FOR THE WORLD CUP. I MEAN, UH, BUT I DIDN'T SEE THAT. HAVE YOU HOW ARE YOU MAKING
PROJECTIONS ABOUT THE WORLD? IS THAT INCLUDED IN YOUR MATH? UM, SO IT'S NOT BECAUSE JUNE IS, UH, THE LAST MONTH OF FISCAL 26.
SO, UM, IF WE SEE A BUMP IN, UH ,EXCISE ACTIVITY FROM THE WORLD CUP, WE'LL SEE THAT REFLECTED IN OUR REVENUES FOR 26, WHICH WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE THAT WILL HELP US, UM, OFFSET SOME OF THE SNOW AND
PUBLIC SAFETY CHALLENGES WE ARE FORECASTING. UM, AND THEN THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF TAIL ACTIVITY UM, FOR WORLD CUP AND TALL SHIPS AND
TWO 50TH IN JULY. UM BUT IT IS PRETTY MODEST SO I THINK WE DO YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT ASSUMING ANYTHING EXTRAORDINARILY OVER AND ABOVE
OUR TYPICAL EXCISE ASSUMPTIONS FOR SPRING UH FOR SUMMER MONTHS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE EVENTS. UM AND TO THE EXTENT THAT THAT HAPPENS THAT COULD HELP US OFFSET COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH HOSTING THEM. OKAY. >> BUT WE WE DO EXPECT AT LEAST
ON THE REVENUE SIDE MAYBE IN THE END IT JUST WE YOU. >> KNOW. UM IT BALANCES OUT BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE IN OVERTIME COSTS BUT WE. >> ARE. PROJECTING SOME SORT OF REVENUE INCREASE OVER THE NORMAL.
THERE'S THERE'S BEEN SOME PROJECTIONS FOR INCREASED EXCISE REVENUE UH, AS A RESULT OF THE WORLD CUP BEING HOSTED IT WAS RELATIVELY MODEST. UM IT WAS DONE BY EXCUSE ME, AN
EXTERNAL GROUP, UM, THAT PROJECTED THAT WE COULD SEE AN ADDITIONAL I THINK $9 MILLION OF REVENUE ASSOCIATED WITH HOSTING. UM, BUT WE HAVE NOT DONE OUR OWN INTERNAL UPDATE OF THAT
NUMBER. UM, OKAY. THANKS. SO I FOR I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR STICKING AROUND. I'LL JUST I'LL GIVE YOU THREE MINUTES EACH AND THEN UH WE'RE GOING TO LET PEOPLE SORT
OF GATHER THEMSELVES FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S. COUNCILOR FLYNN AND THANK THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. UM, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF ISSUES AND AND JIM,
I KNOW I ASKED YOU WHAT SPECIFICALLY IN THE BUDGET IS THERE FOR MASS AND CHAOS, BUT MR CHAIR THROW YOU COULD I, UM, HAVE A QUESTION ANSWERED?
UH, WHAT SPECIFICALLY IS IN THE BUDGET FOR MASS AND CHAOS? YEAH. OKAY. UM, MY SECOND POINT I DID WANT TO MAKE IS UM I AM CONCERNED
ABOUT THE MAIN STREET PROGRAM, SOME OF THE MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUNDS I'VE I'VE HEARD ABOUT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON THIS.
UM, ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUNDS AT MAIN STREET? IS THAT QUESTION FOR ME OR FOR JIM EITHER. UM, THERE WAS THAT ONE UH, ALLEGATION THAT CAME OUT A
COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WHICH I BELIEVE IS STILL KIND OF AN ACTIVE INVESTIGATION BUT BEYOND THAT, NO. WAS THAT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. FROM WHAT WE UNDERSTAND? YES. OKAY. >> DO WE KNOW IF IF IF THAT
INCIDENT IS BEING INVESTIGATED BY STATE OR FEDERAL OFFICIALS? UM I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME ONGOING INVESTIGATION ASSOCIATED WITH IT. I'M NOT SURE BY WHO.
OKAY. >> UM I DO THINK IT'S QUITE CRITICAL THAT WE ACCOUNT FOR EVERY DOLLAR WE SPEND AND RECEIVE DEMONSTRATE FISCAL DISCIPLINE AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
UM, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT AND THAT'S WHY I'M FOCUSED ON THAT. AND I WANT US TO I WANT US TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH CITY, STATE AND FEDERAL
GUIDELINES. I DON'T WANT US TO DOWNPLAY AN INCIDENT WHERE FEDERAL FUNDS ARE MISAPPROPRIATED.
UM, LET ME LET ME GO TO A A QUESTION THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE, WELL-RESPECTED JERRY ROBINSON, MENTIONED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE AN AUDIT OF BOSTON PUBLIC
SCHOOLS. UM, IS SHE CORRECT? SHE SAID THIS TWO WEEKS AGO RIGHT BEFORE SHE WAS ABOUT TO VOTE ON THE SCHOOL BUDGET AND YOU COULD YOU COULD TELL SHE ALMOST WANTED TO VOTE AGAINST
THE BUDGET, BUT SHE SAID SHE ALMOST NEEDED MORE INFORMATION TO MAKE A BETTER DECISION. SHE REQUESTED AN AUDIT. IS SHE RIGHT TO REQUEST AN AUDIT? THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE PART OF OUR ANNUAL FINANCIAL AUDIT.
RIGHT. UM, WHETHER OR NOT THE SCHOOLS SHOULD RECEIVE A AUDIT BEYOND THAT I YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT SORT OF UNDER JIM AND MY. IT'S NOT UNDER WHAT.
I WOULD SAY IT'S NOT REALLY UNDER OUR SCOPE TO COMMENT ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY NEED A PERFORMANCE AUDIT. OKAY. >> WHO'S WHOSE SCOPE WOULD THAT BE? I WOULD DEFER PROBABLY TO THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. OKAY. >> UM MY MY FINAL QUESTION IS.
UM, WELL, OUT OF RESPECT FOR MY COLLEGE CHAIR, I'LL STOP THERE. OKAY. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR CULPEPPER . UH, THREE MINUTES AND I'M GOING TO CUT YOU OFF IN THREE MINUTES.
THANK YOU. I WANTED TO TO THE CHAIR, MAKE SURE WE GET WHO ARE OUR FINANCIAL ADVISORS? OUR EXTERNAL FINANCIAL ADVISORS
ARE. AND I WANTED THROUGH JIM TO GET, UH, THE PROTOCOL FOR. HOW THE DECISIONS ARE MADE WITH
REGARD TO BUDGET AND WHETHER IT'S A CUT OR WHETHER IT'S. AN ADDITION. OKAY. >> YEAH, YEAH. UM. WELL, CAN I ASK. YOU LOOK, I'M I'M PAUSING IT I'M JUST IN TERMS OF FINANCIAL
ADVISOR YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ON THE BUDGET OR THE INVESTMENT INVESTMENTS. >> THE INVESTMENT. OKAY YEAH I CAN AND TREASURY IS ONE OF MY DEPARTMENT SO I CAN ANSWER THAT. SO WE HAVE A SMALL PORTFOLIO
OF GENERAL FUND DOLLARS THAT IS UH INVESTED UH AND WE USE UH FIRM CALLED UH PFM ASSET MANAGERS TO HELP US WITH THAT. BUT THAT'S A SMALL PORTFOLIO.
UM, IF YOU JUST GIVE ME A SECOND I'M PULLING UP. >> THE PSM. PFM, PFM ASSET MANAGER SO WE CALL THEM PFM AM SO THEY HELP US WITH THAT ONE YOU KNOW VERY SMALL UH GENERAL FUND
PORTFOLIO. UM. JUST LOOKING AT OUR INVESTMENTS WE UH, HAVE GENERAL FUND INVESTMENTS IN A NUMBER OF BANKS AS WELL.
UM AND SO THAT IS YOU. KNOW WHAT BANKS ARE THOSE. UM CITIZENS UM, WE HAVE A J.P. MORGAN INVESTMENT ACCOUNT. THE BIGGEST ONE IS THIS BANK
CALLED MDT, UH, WHICH IS THE MASSACHUSETTS MUNICIPAL DEPOSITORY TRUST. UM, SO THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE UM ,UH, A LOT OF OUR GENERAL FUND
DOLLARS AND UH, SITTING UM AND THEN A NUMBER OF SMALLER UM, LOCAL BANKS LEADER BANK SALEM FIVE DEDHAM ROCKLAND. UM, SO IT'S SPREAD OUT AMONGST MEN.
AND THEIR. EXTERNAL ADVISORS NOW TO. THOSE INVESTMENTS. SO THE ONLY EXTERNAL ADVISORS WE HAVE ARE PFM ASSET MANAGERS . YES. >> AND THEN FOR OUR TRUST ACCOUNTS WE HAVE A UM UH,
INVESTMENT CONSULTANT UM, ANY ANY PC UH I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THAT STANDS FOR. AND THAT'S FOR THE TRUST. YES OKAY.
AND THAT IT. YES. >> OKAY. >> THANK YOU. >> UH. COUNSELOR CULPEPER JUST JUST SO YOU KNOW. >> HOW LONG TERM I'M NOT I'M NOT READY TO YOU. YEAH. >> OH, DIDN'T I JUST WANT TO PUT A LITTLE COLOR ON THE INTEREST ON INVESTMENTS THAT OH, THERE'S A REQUIREMENT THAT
IT BE VERY CONSERVATIVE ILLIQUID AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO CONNECTED TO THE UM FED FUNDS RATE. IT'S NOT REALLY HIGH CREATIVE INVESTMENTS. IT'S REALLY JUST A BANK INTEREST. YES. >> NO I UNDERSTAND WITH REGARD TO THE BANKS I WAS LOOKING AT
THE OTHER INVESTMENTS MUTUAL FUNDS WHO DO WE INVEST IN MUTUAL FUNDS? UH ALL RIGHT.
NATURALLY ON THAT PART. YOU CAN'T GIVE BECAUSE MY TIME IS. YET TO ASK QUESTIONS THEY KNOW THE ANSWERS TO. I WANTED TO UH I WANTED TO, UH ,REAL QUICK ASK ABOUT THE
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND INCLUSION UH, CABINET AND THE CUTS THERE AND THE ONE TO NUMBER ONE LOOK AT HOW MUCH THE CUTS WERE AND HOW WILL THESE
CUTS IMPACT EXISTING PROGRAM WITHIN THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND INCLUSION CABINET OFFICE? SO SO UM I BELIEVE THAT CABINET HAD UH COMMUNITY BASED GRANTS
AS WELL. UM, SO THEY WOULD THEY WOULD FALL WITHIN THAT UM, UH POLICY . >> HOW MUCH FOR THE COMMUNITY BASED GRANTS? UM WELL, I THINK IN AGGREGATE
IT'S $12 MILLION TO BE HONEST WITH I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY INCLUSION AT THE MOMENT BUT UM OKAY. CAN YOU GET THAT TO ME, JIM? AND THEN GET ME THE TOTAL CUTS
TO THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY MR CHAIR AND INCLUSION CABINET AND I WANTED TO MY QUESTION WAS WHAT IMPACT DOES THOSE CUTS
HAVE ON EXISTING PROGRAMS INCLUDING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AS SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT INITIATIVES? AND WE CAN GET THAT TO YOU RIGHT IN. >> IT. FOR SURE. I'M SURE I'LL MAKE SURE.
>> WE GET. >> IT TO YOU. I MEAN MY COLLEAGUES IT. IS MY TIME IS UP. YOUR TIME IS UP. UH AND ANY OTHER QUESTIONS YOU HAVE I MEAN WE CAN CERTAINLY WE'LL GET THERE.
WE HAVE THIS WHOLE SEASON TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AND WE'LL MAKE SURE YOU GET THE ANSWERS UH, EVEN IF YOU HAVEN'T ASKED THEM TODAY. >> THE QUESTION THAT I WOULD SUBMIT TO THEM WILL COME
THROUGH YOU, MR CHAIR. YEAH. >> YES. I MEAN, I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE WAY TO PROCEED. OKAY. THANK YOU JIM. OKAY OKAY. THANKS. COUNSELOR CULPEPER. COUNSELOR. THIS QUESTION DOESN'T NEED AN ANSWER. I JUST WANT TO GET THEM ON
RECORD TO THE CHAIR. UM, AND IT'S AROUND NEW GROWTH WHICH IS BUDGETED AT 40 MILLION AT FY 27. UM, JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT IS DRIVING THE FORECAST TO DRIVE
FROM 79 MILLION IN FY 26 TO 4040 MILLION IN FY 27? WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE HAD NEW GROWTH OF ONLY 40 MILLION? WE KNOW NEW GROWTH IS IN THREE PART PART ONE IS 121 AGREEMENT PROPERTIES COMING BACK ON THE
BOOKS DO WE HAVE THAT NUMBER FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS AND PROJECTED FOR FY 27 PART. TWO IS THE PERSONAL PROPERTY. GROWTH OR INFRASTRUCTURE GROWTH? DO WE HAVE THAT NUMBER FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS AND PROJECTED FOR FY 27?
PART THREE IS NEW CONSTRUCTION IN FY 25 WE HAD A BUILDING PERMIT REVENUE OF 47 MILLION LEADING TO THAT FY 26 NEW GROWTH NUMBER IN ITS ENTIRETY OF 79 MILLION. AND I KNOW NEW BUILDINGS COME
ON THE TAX BOOKS AND SEGMENTS EACH YEAR OVER THE ENTIRE. CONSTRUCTION PERIOD. BUT I THINK LOOKING AT THE PRIOR YEAR BUILDING PERMITS CAN GIVE US A GOOD ESTIMATE ON THE NEXT YEAR'S NEW GROWTH THAT RELATES TO CONSTRUCTION THERE
BY 26 WE'RE ALSO ESTIMATING 47 MILLION, BUT WE'RE PROJECTING NEW GROWTH TO GO DOWN TO 40 MILLION WAS THE REASON BEHIND THAT WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF BUILDING PERMIT REVENUE YEAR OVER YEAR FROM FY 25 TO FY 26
TO DATE, I JUST WANT TO PUT THOSE ON THE RECORD. UM, AND I WANT TO JUST JUMP INTO UM, THE I KNOW I'VE ADVOCATED FOR IN THE PAST A
MULTI-YEAR OPERATING BUDGET. I'M ON PAGE 147 OF THE BUDGET BOOK. WE TALK ABOUT MULTI-YEAR BUDGET PLAN. UM, CAN WE GET A COPY OF THAT MULTI-YEAR PLANNING HORIZON?
YES. >> YOU KNOW, WE PUBLISH THAT IN THE ADOPTED VERSION OF THE BUDGET. OKAY. >> SO WE COULDN'T GET IT UM, PRIOR TO. WE UPDATE IT IN THE FALL. SO THE LATEST VERSION OF OUR MULTIYEAR FORECAST IS WHAT
APPEARS IN LAST YEAR'S ADOPTED BUDGET. OKAY. >> UM, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS AROUND. REVENUE.
UM, FOR UH, IT A FEW THINGS UH, BUT ONE ONE OF THE ONE OF THE THINGS WAS JET FUEL UM AND THEN ROOM TAX UM, WE'RE TURNING TO 166 MILLION THROUGH THE FIRST
SEVEN MONTHS. UM, HOWEVER, UM AND I PART OF FIFA IS THERE STILL THIS FISCAL YEAR BUT THERE COULD BE AN UPTICK WITH THE OTHER EVENT
WE ARE FORECASTING 162 MILLION FOR FY 27 SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING DOWN ALTHOUGH WE'RE GOING TO EXCEED UM FY 26 PROJECTIONS.
UM AND THE SAME THING WITH JET FUEL TAX FY 25 UM THIS 42 FY 26 IS 43 FOR FY 27 UM WITH
HOPEFULLY AN INCREASE OF PEOPLE COMING INTO THE CITY FOR THESE EVENT, WE'RE PROJECTING 30 MILLION FOR FY 27. UM WHAT WHAT IS BEHIND US ON
THE PROJECT IN REVENUE? UM ALTHOUGH WE ARE YOU KNOW, EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS IN ROOM TAX UM AND THEN THERE'S EVENTS COMING ON. YEAH. >> I THINK SOME OF THE THE
HOTEL OCCUPANCY AGAIN THE EVENTS WILL HAPPEN IN THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. UM WE ARE SORT OF UM INCREASING THE BUDGET UM, UM FOR ROOM
OCCUPANCY. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING UP BY $14 MILLION UM UH, NOT IN HALF PERCENT. UH, THAT'S SORT OF. ARE YOU LOOKING AT PROJECTED VERSUS ACTUAL.
UH YEAH FOR 27 THIS BUDGET HERE OKAY. YEAH IT'S REALLY AGAIN IT'S NOT IT'S IT'S AN ESTIMATE THAT WE FEEL IT'S DEFENSIBLE FOR UM REVENUE AND THAT'S THAT'S SORT
OF THE THE THEORY IS THAT WHEN WE GO AND GET UH THE TAX RATE CERTIFIED UM, RIGHT PRIMARILY THEY'RE LOOKING AT YOUR YOUR VALUATIONS BUT THEY DO IT FOR WHAT THEY CALL LOCAL RECEIPTS
WHICH UM UH, IN MOST COMMUNITIES EVEN IN BOSTON, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S. UH PROPERTY TAXES NUMBER ONE UH STATE IS NUMBER TWO WE HAVE THE LOCAL RECEIPTS AS IS THE REST
IS IN SOME COMMUNITIES IS NOT VERY MUCH AT ALL. SO UH THE DUE DILIGENCE THAT YOUR GOES THROUGH IS THEY ALMOST WANT YOU TO HAVE PROVEN THAT YOU'VE GOT YOU'VE RAISED THIS YOU'VE UM, GOT UH, REVENUE
AT LEAST A MOUNTAIN OF HISTORICAL LOOKING AUDITED NUMBER BEFORE THEY WOULD ALLOW YOU TO LIKE INCREASE IT BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THEY'RE ALSO THEIR ROLE IS TO PROTECT COMMUNITIES FROM YOU KNOW, UH
OVERESTIMATING REVENUES YOU. KNOW AND JUST A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS CHAIR. SORRY. OKAY. UM, YOU KNOW, THE COST OF YOU ALL SEEING THE COST OF FOOD BEING WAY UP, UM, AND THEN, YOU
KNOW, WE'RE WE FOR FY 27 ARE PROJECTIONS ON UM, REVENUE ON JET FUEL TAX RIGHT? RIGHT. IS IS DOWN 12 TO 13 MILLION. UM THAT'S THE OTHER POINT I
WANTED TO MAKE ON THAT BUT GOING BACK TO THIS RESERVE UM IS $1.2 BILLION. THAT'S OUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE. OKAY. >> UM, CAN YOU JUST, UM, DESCRIBE WHAT THAT WAS MADE UP
OF THAT LIKE IS IT YEAH. YEAH. >> I MEAN IT'S REALLY ANY KIND OF UM, YOU KNOW, SURPLUS FUNDS THAT HAVE DEVELOPED AND ACCUMULATED OVER THE YEARS AND AREN'T ASSIGNED TO A PARTICULAR UH, USE OKAY, UH, IN THE BUDGET
SO THEY APPEAR IN OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. UM, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT, UH, INCLUDED THERE. ALL RIGHT. WE ARRIVE AT THAT NUMBER. GOT IT. UM, AND THEN LASTLY, ARE WE
LOOKING AT REBUILDING ANY MAJOR CONTRACTS UM, TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY COST SAVINGS THERE? UM, SOME OF OUR LARGER
PROCUREMENTS ARE NOT NECESSARILY RESULTED IN UM, SAVINGS. UH, BUT YOU KNOW, SO I THINK LAST YEAR WE UH UH, ENCOUNTERED
THE UM, WASTE REDUCTION COLLECTION COMPONENT OF THE CONTRACT WHICH UH IN ORDER TO TO SORT OF MEET SOME OF THE SERVICE GOALS AND FINISH TIMES
AND OPERABILITY THAT THAT. CONTRACT WENT UP SIGNIFICANTLY . UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT MORE FOR FY 20 IS THE UM SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL BUDGET.
SO UM, YOU KNOW, AGGREGATE UH, IN THE IN THE CURRENT BUDGET IT'S YOU KNOW, IT'S A $77 MILLION COST COLLECT RESIDENTIAL WASTE. SO I MEAN, UM, STREETS CABINET
CAN SPEAK UH MORE INTELLIGENTLY ON IT BUT IT'S A MARKET THAT WE'RE CHALLENGED JUST BASED ON SOME OF THE DYNAMICS IN BUSINESS. UH, UM. TERMS YOU KNOW, THE MARKET OF. UM.
,VENDORS BUILDING ON OUR WORK. RIGHT. >> AND THEN LASTLY, UM, DO WE HAVE ANY UH OR IS THERE LIKE A LIST OF ANY VACANT CITY OWNED UM.
PROPERTIES OR BUILDINGS OR. COMMERCIAL SPACE? IS THERE IS THERE A LIST THAT WE HAVE OR KEEP? UM, NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF. WE CAN ALWAYS CHECK WITH THE
PUBLIC FACILITIES DEPARTMENT TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING OR PMD TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY MAINTAIN. ALL RIGHT. >> THANK YOU. YEAH SO I THOUGHT WE DID A LIST OF THE VACANT PROPERTIES AT LEAST UH MAYBE LIKE VACANT LAND VACANT LAND PARCELS. PARCELS.
>> THERE WAS A LAND. AUDIT DONE. >> YEAH. >> LAND. YEAH. YEAH. I'M TRYING TO THINK OF LIKE BUILDING THIS BUILDING SPACE. YEAH. KIND OF. >> WE'VE GOT A HIGH SCHOOL IN WEST ROXBURY TO SELL. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST EMPTY. UM. >> ALREADY TRIED THEY ALREADY
TRIED TO SELL IT. YEAH. UH UM OKAY, SO I I DID JUST A QUICK QUESTION ON AMENDMENTS. YOU KNOW, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT BUDGET AMENDMENTS AND AND PROGRAMS.
UH, AND I GET INTO SORT OF COUNSELOR CULPEPER HIS LINE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO'S MAKING DECISIONS AND WHAT'S GOING ON WHAT'S WHAT IS THE HOW HOW DO THE AMENDMENTS GET REVIEWED? ARE THEY SINGLED OUT OR DO THEY
JUST YOU KNOW, IS THAT PART OF THE. YOUR DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT DISCUSSION? UH, BECAUSE THEY I THINK FOR THE MOST PART OF THE LAST TWO YEARS WE PUT IN THE AMENDMENTS UH, THEY'RE NOT IN THE BUDGET
THE NEXT YEAR. SO SO I GUESS HOW DO YOU TALK ABOUT IT, UH, THE AMENDMENTS PLANNING THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET AND IF AT ALL AND THEN HOW CAN
WE HOW SHOULD WE LOOK AT THEM WHEN WE'RE PLANNING ON AND SPENDING A LOT OF TIME, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET LOOKING TO. YEAH I THINK I THINK LIKE ANY
ITEM YOU KNOW WE REVIEW THINGS INDIVIDUALLY BY DEPARTMENT TO YOU KNOW ASSESS IT ON ITS YOU KNOW AS A STANDALONE ITEM SO WE YOU KNOW WE TEND TO REVIEW
THINGS BY DEPARTMENT AND INDIVIDUALLY. BUT SO THERE'S THEY'RE THEY'RE NOT I MEAN I THINK WHEN WE WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THIS I DID TWO YEARS AGO WE IT'S ALWAYS IT'S
IN THE BUDGET IT'S GOING TO BE AND THE PRESUMPTION WOULD BE IN THE BUDGET THE NEXT YEAR. BUT I THINK IN REALITY HOW THIS HAS PLAYED OUT IT'S LIKE SORT OF THE OPPOSITE LIKE IT IT'S
NOT IN THE BUDGET BUT UM EVEN WITH SOMETHING LIKE CITY HOUSING VOUCHERS LIKE IS THAT AMOUNT THAT THAT YOU KNOW I KNOW THE MAYOR'S SET THAT YOU KNOW, RAISED THE AMOUNT YEAR TO
YEAR IS THE AMOUNT THAT WE ADD INTO THAT CONSIDERED LIKE THE SORT OF BASELINE FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR. WHAT WHAT DO YOU LOOK AT? YEAH, I THINK UH THIS YEAR UM
SOMETHING SO THERE'S UH THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF VOUCHERS WITH PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS. UM AND THEN THERE'S TENANT VOUCHERS AND UH REDUCTIONS IN VOUCHERS AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
OF HOUSING THIS YEAR WAS WAS MORE OF A, UH, TEMPORARY PAUSE BASED ON THE SORT OF BALANCES THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS . >> ON. HAND TO. >> SORT OF MAINTAIN THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE. >> YEAH. NO, I MEAN I AND I'M GOING TO GET MY NUMBERS ON IF THE CITY
HOUSING VOUCHERS AS THE MAYOR SETS IT A 12 MILLION AND YOU HAD 2 MILLION SO WE'RE 14 MILLION WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CITY HOUSING VOUCHERS FOR THE NEXT YEAR, ARE YOU LOOKING AT OKAY WELL.
WE'RE AT 14. >> DO WE GO UP OR DOWN WE'RE NOT SURE OR DO YOU JUST A RACE OR AN AMENDMENT AND THEN YOU KNOW JUST TO USE AN EXAMPLE RIGHT. NO I DON'T THINK SO.
UM AND THAT'S REALLY LIKE A FUNCTION OF US BUILDING. YOU KNOW, THE TEAM SPENDS A GOOD CHUNK OF THE TIME BUILDING UP THE MAINTENANCE BUDGET AND SO DECIDING, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO DELIVER THE SAME LEVEL
OF SERVICES AS LAST YEAR, WHAT'S THE APPROPRIATE NUMBER TO ASSUME IS LIKE OUR MAINTENANCE BUDGET AND SO. WELL, I GUESS THE QUESTION IS ARE THE AMENDMENTS IN THE MAINTENANCE BUDGET. >> THEY THEY CAN BE BUT RIGHT IT'S LIKE IT DEPENDS ON LIKE
YOU KNOW WE'RE KIND OF EVALUATING IT FROM A STANDPOINT OF WHAT IS NEEDED TO DELIVER THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE IT COULD BE BUT MAYBE THE AMENDMENT DIDN'T GET SPENT LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF REASONS RIGHT. SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO SORT
OF EVALUATE THEM INDIVIDUALLY. OKAY I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU FOR UH A GOOD START TO THE BUDGET HEARING PROCESS. THANKS TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR BEING AROUND US STICKING AROUND
AND UH UH, I WORK WITH YOU TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS. UM, BUT THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE OH, I'M SORRY, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. DID YOU HAVE ANY UH DID YOU HAVE ONE QUESTION? YOU AND I FOR ONE.
THING, WE HAD A FORMAL PETITION THAT WENT UP TO THE STATE HOUSE AND WAS APPROVED TO RAISE THE FINES FOR UH CODE CITY OF BOSTON CODE VIOLATIONS. ARE WE EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENTING THOSE INCREASED FINES?
I'M THINKING ABOUT REVENUE. I'M ALWAYS THINKING YES. UM. >> I'M SO I'M NOT AWARE I THINK WE WOULD I THINK, UH, WE WOULD NEED TO COME BACK TO THIS BODY TO ACTUALLY INCREASE. I'M I'M NOT SURE I COULD BE WRONG. UM, BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW WE
HAVE NOT ASSUMED THE INCREASED AMOUNT. AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, THERE IS A COMPONENT OF THE CODE ENFORCEMENT ISSUE THAT IS THE AMOUNT WE'RE CHARGING. BUT THERE'S ALSO HOW ARE WE
TICKETING, HOW ARE WE COLLECTING? HOW ARE WE RESOLVING THE PROBLEM. UM THAT'S ALSO A FUNCTION OF THIS. WE COULD YOU KNOW, RAISE THE FINE TO WHATEVER WE WANT. BUT IF WE'RE STRUGGLING TO GET
PEOPLE TO TO PAY IT UM I. THINK WE'RE WORKING ON IMPROVING I INFORMATION SYSTEMS SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE ACCURATE ADDRESSES AND IT'S. >> IT'S ACCURATE ADDRESSES BUT
IT'S. ALSO UM RIGHT IT'S NOTICE IT'S ACCURATE ADDRESS. IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE CONSISTENTLY TICKETING AN ISSUE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING UP ON AN
ISSUE ONCE IT'S BEEN RESOLVED THAT WE HAVE AN APPROPRIATE HEARING PROCESS FOR PEOPLE TO GO TO TO YOU KNOW, UH, APPEAL. RIGHT. SO IT'S A IT'S A REALLY QUITE
COMPLEX CROSS DEPARTMENTAL ECOSYSTEM THAT WE'RE MAKING A LOT OF PROGRESS ON BUT THERE'S A LOT OF ROOM FOR IT'S STILL. >> A WORK IN PROGRESS. YES THAT'S WONDERFUL ALL RIGHT THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. OKAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, THIS.
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