FY27 Budget Hearing for Boston Department of Innovation and Technology - April 27, 2026

The Boston City Council Committee on Ways and Means, chaired by Councillor Ben Weber (District 6), held a hearing on April 27, 2026, starting at 10:00 AM, to review the proposed FY27 operating budget for the Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) and the PEG Access Fund. The hearing covered docket numbers 0733-0740 and 0757. Chief Information Officer Santi Garcis (appearing virtually) presented the budget, highlighting significant cost savings through in-house projects, modernization of city services, and digital equity initiatives. Councilors questioned DoIT officials on personnel, contracts, technology equity, and the impact of declining cable revenues on public access. One public speaker testified. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Glenn Williams, representing Boston Neighborhood Network (BNN), testified about the impact of cord cutting on franchise fees, noting that streaming services using the same infrastructure do not pay the 5% fee that traditional cable providers do. He advocated for state legislation to require streaming services to contribute to community media. Williams highlighted BNN’s partnerships with Circles of Support, the Mayor’s Office of Tourism, Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, and Harvard Health’s veterans program, which provides technology training for seniors. He also mentioned plans to establish satellite BNN centers in community centers.

Discussion Items

• Presentation by DoIT: Chief Garcis outlined DoIT’s role supporting 367 buildings, 20,000 employees, and 413 services. Key projects included:

  • Replacing the 20-year-old Lagan constituent relationship management system (CRM) with a new system by CREATIO and OpenGov, citing 30 days of partial/total inaccessibility in the last year. The new system is already used for election day issue tracking.
  • Permitting transformation: only 37% of residents reported satisfaction; a new hub at Boston.gov/permitting uses user research to clarify requirements.
  • properties.boston.gov, built in-house, saving an estimated $500,000 per project compared to prior outsourcing quotes.
  • Employee self-service migration saved $1.2 million in vendor quotes by doing the work in-house.
  • Data warehouse migration saved $1 million in professional services and $200,000 annually in licensing, while expanding access from 50 licenses to unlimited.
  • Service management: since October 2025, 12,000 service requests received with a median resolution time of 3.75 days.
  • Curb Atlas prototype launched for Chinatown, expanding to Charlestown, using AI to extract parking regulation data from signs.
  • Digital equity: 36 community partners, 11,000 constituents served, Wicked Free Wi-Fi with 117,000 unique users (50,000-60,000 monthly); 32,000 households without internet in 2019 reduced by half. Refurbishment of BCYF computer labs funded by state grants.
  • Proposed FY27 budget includes reductions, enabled by cost savings from insourcing and system modernization. Personnel increased by $500,000 (deliberate insourcing); contractual services decreased by $750,000; equipment spending declined from $4 million in FY24 to $1.3 million in FY27. External funds lost $3.7 million, impacting digital equity programs.

• Councilor Questions:

  • Councillor Flynn asked about technology for basic city services, BCYF Wi-Fi improvements, and election technology costs (deferred to Elections Department). He also inquired about AI use (summaries for council roll calls, AI search with 4x satisfaction improvement) and the city’s data center at One Summer Street. He proposed a moratorium on new data centers pending study.
  • Councillor Murphy asked about the top three projects (basic city services modernization, permitting, digital equity) and how DoIT balances digital shift with equity. He noted the digital divide may be growing despite progress.
  • Councillor Durkin asked about the Longwood Place Wi-Fi model as a template for expansion, personnel vs. contractual service trends, and the sharp decline in equipment spending (FY24 $4M to FY27 $1.3M). Sheila Lee explained that equipment purchases are often shifted from savings during the fiscal year.
  • Councillor Culpepper focused on the 10-15% annual decline in cable subscriptions and its impact on BNN funding. She explored state legislation to tax streaming services and questioned how programming cuts would be prioritized. She also asked about the 1% decrease in the 311 budget and the properties.boston.gov portal’s reliance on registry of deeds data.
  • Council President Braden addressed the loss of $3.7M in external funds, partnership with ISPs for affordable options, neighborhood equity, digital equity survey updates, and seniors’ digital access. She also asked about the use of AI for property code enforcement and maintenance scheduling, and cybersecurity posture.
  • Chair Weber asked about vacancies (23 vacancies, 178 positions, 155 filled), hiring challenges, and specific contracts not renewed. He noted salary savings of $1.3 million due to vacancies.
  • Councillor Orell (likely O’Reilly) asked about cost savings from the IT consolidation ordinance (e.g., Zoom licenses expanded from a few hundred to over 2,000 at same cost, savings of $200,000 on parking enforcement equipment). He also asked about long-term contracts locking in rates and the ability to track 311 calls by district (data is public).

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken. The hearing was one of a series on the FY27 budget.
• The committee will continue budget hearings; the next public listening sessions are scheduled for April 28, 2026, at 6:00 PM and May 26, 2026, at 6:00 PM, both in the City Hall chamber.
• Additional written testimony may be submitted via email or video.
• The hearing was adjourned after the second round of councilor questions.