OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Boston City Council FY2027 Budget Public Testimony Listening Session – April 28, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, April 28, 2026
BodyBoston, Massachusetts
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, April 28, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:52:50

Transcript — Verbatim
27:06

Good evening.

27:08

My name's Ben Weber.

27:09

I'm the Boston City Councillor for District Six and the Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means which handles the budget.

27:19

Tonight it's April twenty-eighth, two thousand twenty six, and the exact time is six twenty-seven in the evening.

27:26

We're here for a public testimony listening session.

27:34

This session is being recorded.

27:36

It's also being live streamed at Boston.gov slash city dash council dash TV and broadcasts on Xfinity Channel Eight, RCN Channel 82, and FIOS Channel Nine Sixty Four.

27:51

The council's budget review process encompasses a series of public hearings that begin in April and run through June.

28:11

First, you can attend one of our hearings.

28:15

We're having uh around 40 hearings.

28:19

We had a hearing this morning, and usually having hearings twice a day with different departments.

28:41

The full hearing schedule, we still have several weeks of hearings, so lots of important departments.gov slash council dash budget.

29:18

So we're going to be encouraging folks who speak different languages to testify at those at that hearing.

29:25

If you're here, you have an interpreter, uh, you know, uh, we will certainly make time uh to accommodate that so you can get your full statement in.

29:34

Um you can again, you can show up at our hearings uh you can show up here, you can show up at our hearings and testify in person or virtually via Zoom.

29:45

Uh, for in-person testimony, you should come to the chamber as many of you have done, and you can um sign up on our uh sign-in sheet, which is over at the entrance.

29:55

Um if you're here just to watch, you don't have to sign in.

30:00

Uh but if you want to testify, I will be reading the names off that sheet.

30:04

If you want to testify virtually via Zoom, you can sign up using our online form and our council budget review website, or by emailing the committee at ccc.wm at Boston.gov, or by emailing our uh chief budget analyst Chris Machohan at K-A-R-I-S-H-M-A.CHOUHAN at Boston.gov.

30:29

When you're called to testify, please state your name and affiliation and your residence.

30:34

Uh and we're going to be setting a two-minute uh time for uh for testimony.

30:40

When you hear the beep, please uh wrap up uh your your statement.

30:45

You can also submit uh testimony, and that's sorry, that goes for both people here in person and virtually.

30:52

It's uh you'll be a clock behind me.

30:54

You can uh watch to make sure you're on time, and I'll remind you when you and when you'll hear a beep at the end of that.

31:00

Um you can also submit testimony by submitting written testimony to the committee by emailing it to ccc.wm at Boston.gov.

31:10

You can also submit a two-minute video of your testimony through the form on our website.

31:15

For more information on the city council budget process and how to testify.

31:20

Please visit the council's budget website at Boston.gov slash council dash budget.

31:26

So in-person testimony will be taken uh here again.

31:30

You'll have two minutes to testify and and just to restate it if you uh want to testify virtually, email Krishma Chohan at K-A-R-I-S-H-M-A.CHOUHAN at Boston.gov for the Zoom link and your name will be added to the list.

31:47

Uh tonight's public session is on docket number 0733 to 0740, which is an overview of the fiscal year 2027 budget.

31:58

This is one of two public testimony sessions dedicated to the FY27 budget.

32:04

We've already held uh uh listening sessions here pre-budget to uh and we sent a letter to the council uh to the mayor stating you know the areas we want to focus on you know, which uh which you you can review if uh you can just contact my office at Ben.weber at Boston.gov.

32:25

Um the the these dockets were sponsored by the uh the mayor, Michelle Wu, and we're referred to the committee on April 8th, 2026.

32:34

Uh we have here with us councillor Flynn, and we have staff members from uh Madam President Braden's office.

32:40

I know there are issues with traffic and the orange line at least.

32:45

Uh I don't know, maybe some other lines are having difficulties, but other counselors may be uh coming to this hearing.

32:53

Um so uh I am going to well I since we have somebody here, Counselor Flynn, would you like uh to make a like a one-minute opening statement?

33:06

Thank and thank you, Mr.

33:08

Chair.

33:09

Um thank you for holding this important listening session.

33:13

I had the opportunity opportunity to talk to some of the young people that were here just before the start of this, and I didn't let some of the young people know that I'm in a leadership program and I'm going to be leaving this listening session in a few minutes, but I will be watching it on uh video tonight or or tomorrow.

33:36

But just want to thank the young people for being here for their important contributions they are making.

33:43

Being engaged in the budget process is a critical part of decision making here at City at the City Council.

33:49

So I just want to say thank you to the young people for being here for being engaged and advocating for what they believe in.

33:56

Thank you, Mr.

33:57

Chair.

33:57

Okay, thank you.

33:58

Uh we're gonna be starting uh tonight's session off with a uh a short video uh of statements from the uh pop-up senior center in West Roxbury, the city uh the state funds two days a week for seniors to gather at the Elks Lodge and it's a very popular program, and uh they're one of the the days of their funding is not funded in the budget.

34:25

Um so I don't know, we're gonna just this is a short video, and then uh for folks, I'm just gonna I'll read off the first three.

34:33

Hannah, uh Hooven, Alex, Defranzo, and Omar.

34:37

And I apologize to everyone who's going to testify.

34:40

I'm gonna butcher everyone's names.

34:43

Um I apologize, but it's Omar.

34:45

I want to say this is sour, uh, probably mispronouncing it.

34:53

But if if you're here, Hannah Hoov and Alex DeFranzo or Omar, and you can come down and line up here at the microphone.

35:00

We'll start off with in person uh with the video, and then we'll go to you to kick things off in person.

35:07

Hi, my name is Janice Hamilton, and I've been a member of the uh senior center here at the Elks since its founding.

35:17

And now, since the city gave another day, now I have three days a week, and our crowd is bigger and bigger than than it was at the beginning, it has grown exponentially.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Mental Health Awareness█████████████████████████████████████37%
Youth Programs███████████████████19%
Procedural███████████11%
Public Works█████████9%
Seniors████████8%
Public Safety█████5%
Racial Equity████4%
Public Engagement███3%
Budget Equity Analysis██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Boston City Council FY2027 Budget Public Testimony Listening Session – April 28, 2026

The Boston City Council Committee on Ways and Means, chaired by Councillor Ben Weber (District 6), held a public testimony listening session on the Fiscal Year 2027 budget on April 28, 2026, at 6:27 PM. The session was one of two public testimony sessions dedicated to the FY27 budget (Docket 0733-0740). Speakers addressed proposed cuts to youth employment, legal aid for evicting families, mental health crisis response funding, and public restroom maintenance. Councillors present included Liz Braden (Council President), Ed Flynn, Brian Worrell, and Enrique Pepén (arrived later). Councillors Henry Santana and Julia Mejia submitted letters of absence.

Consent Calendar

  • No consent calendar items were discussed.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Hannah Hooven – Teacher at UP Academy Holland (Dorchester), testified in support of the Access to Council program, which provides free legal services for BPS families facing eviction. She noted that from January–February 2026, 94 families received services and over 30 had evictions delayed or prevented. The program was funded at $450,000 in the previous budget but is proposed for elimination.
  • Alex (Alex DeFranzo) – Representing the East Boston Youth Employment Coalition, advocated for restoring school year youth jobs. He stated the YEO budget dropped from $27M (FY25) to $24M (FY26), with a $6M cut eliminating school year jobs entirely. He argued that school year jobs are essential for training summer program leaders.
  • Omar Sahor – Education Director at Pierce Park Sailing Center, supported restoring school year employment, citing benefits like higher graduation rates, college enrollment, and reduced violence involvement.
  • John Smith Saint Sear – Founder of Smith Suicide Prevention Center for Young Black Boys, delivered a critical statement calling the budget a “moral document” and accusing the city of structural abandonment of Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. He argued that underfunding prevention while fully funding police is a governing choice.
  • Amy Takanami – Steering committee member, Boston People’s Response (BPR) Campaign, urged full funding ($4M) for a non-police, community-based mental health crisis response pilot. She noted $1.3M already allocated but insufficient. The pilot was designed through a community-led process funded by the city in 2021.
  • Maya Melestri – Social worker and BPR steering committee member, detailed the design process that included 14 community members (majority BIPOC, with lived experience) and six listening sessions in English, Spanish, and ASL engaging over 200 people. The design was presented to Mayor Wu in spring 2023.
  • McKay Nelms – Youth worker and student, supported BPR, emphasizing the need for consent-based, non-carceral crisis response.
  • Ariel Ellison – Northeastern student, shared personal experiences with mental health stigma and cited Washington Post data that 25% of fatal police shootings involve mental health crises. Mentioned the recent killing of Jacob Graves on April 4, 2026.
  • Star Ninez – Youth worker with City School, described witnessing crises and argued that a crisis is not a crime.
  • David Osashi – BPR member, named Terrence Coleman, Stephenson King Jr., and Terrance Coleman (all Black men with mental illness killed by police) to argue for non-police response.
  • Elise McCullough – Youth worker, shared personal experience of a psychotic episode where police and EMS took her to a hospital, worsening her housing situation.
  • Amani Pagan – 17-year-old youth worker, questioned why well-researched community solutions remain underfunded, urging the council to act.
  • Naomi Hall – MSW student and BPS paraprofessional, supported BPR, noting that young people should be part of policy design.
  • Ogdi – 70-year-old youth worker at The City School, argued youth jobs cuts force youth into illegal activities.
  • Alexa Santana – 17-year-old, lifelong District 7 resident, youth organizer with Youth Justice and Power Union, supported BPR, citing personal experience with mental health struggles and high rent costs.
  • Nayung – Psychotherapist and Boston resident, supported BPR, noting the $484M police budget compared to the $4M request. Mentioned lives lost due to police responses, including Said Faisel and Sonia Massey.
  • Teresa – Youth worker with Pathways to Change at City School, supported BPR, emphasizing mental health inequality in low-income communities.
  • Hussein – Program director at City School and BPR steering committee member, criticized police and DCF responses to youth mental health crises, citing arrests and lack of consent.
  • Malcolm Shum Godfrey – Organizer with Boston Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), testified about lack of public restrooms. Noted that parks operations face a $500,000 cut and building operations a $320,000 cut, which would reduce maintenance of existing restrooms. He requested year-round, 24/7, accessible public restrooms.
  • Nicholas Moy – Cambridge resident working in Boston, DSA member, echoed restroom access issues, citing moral imperative and MBTA failures.
  • Ian Colletti – DSA member, argued public restrooms are a basic biological necessity that pays for itself in health and productivity.
  • Gregory Fanel – Independent Socialist Group, Hyde Park resident, criticized school closures and teacher layoffs (400 teachers laid off, three schools closed). Cited the state’s $8.6 billion rainy day fund.
  • Edgar Santana Castro – Student at Tech Boston Academy, BPR member, supported the crisis response pilot.
  • Deborah James – Hyde Park resident, criticized cuts to school year youth jobs while police budget increases, arguing youth jobs are stepping stones to success.
  • Maya French – Dorchester resident, urged cutting police budget ($484M) instead, stating police are not trusted in mental health crises.
  • Joaquin – 17-year-old, Hyde Park/Dorchester, member of Youth Justice and Power Union, criticized police budget ($57.7M overtime alone) and racial origins of policing, called for restorative alternatives.
  • George Lee – Called the budget “the most inhumane and cruel in 20 years,” highlighted cuts to school year jobs ($6M), housing vouchers, eviction attorneys, and immigrant support. Urged reversal of cuts and increased investment in community solutions. Warned against myths about private fundraising and lack of funds.
  • Jack Fersey – Remote testimony (Boston DSA), advocated for public restrooms, especially near transit hubs. Noted his roommate with GI issues has lost faith in transit. Requested reversal of the $500,000 parks and $320,000 building operations cuts, and new restrooms in high-traffic areas.

Discussion Items

  • Chair Ben Weber opened the session, explained the budget process (40 hearings, runs April–June), and set two-minute testimony limits. He apologized for low attendance from other councillors, noting competing events, but acknowledged his colleagues work hard.
  • Councillor Ed Flynn spoke briefly, thanking young people for their engagement.
  • Council President Liz Braden thanked attendees and emphasized the importance of hearing public voice on the budget.
  • Councillor Enrique Pepén (District 7) arrived later and commended the youth organizers, mentioning a personal connection with a young person (Alexis) who helped his campaign. He pledged to work to restore cuts.
  • Councillor Brian Worrell (District 4) arrived and later gave closing remarks, acknowledging that this budget has the most cuts he has seen in his four years. He called the budget a “value statement” and committed to a deep dive to restore investments.
  • The chair noted that letters of absence were received from Councillors Henry Santana and Julia Mejia.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes were taken during this listening session.
  • Chair Weber and Councillor Worrell committed to reviewing testimony and working to find funding to restore cuts, particularly for youth jobs, Access to Council, mental health crisis response, and public restrooms.
  • The next listening session is scheduled for May 26, 2026, at 6:00 PM, with interpreters in Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Cantonese.
  • Chair Weber also announced upcoming town halls in District 6 (Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury) the following Monday and Thursday.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. My name's Ben Weber. I'm the Boston City Councillor for District Six and the Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means which handles the budget. Tonight it's April twenty-eighth, two thousand twenty six, and the exact time is six twenty-seven in the evening. We're here for a public testimony listening session. This session is being recorded. It's also being live streamed at Boston.gov slash city dash council dash TV and broadcasts on Xfinity Channel Eight, RCN Channel 82, and FIOS Channel Nine Sixty Four. The council's budget review process encompasses a series of public hearings that begin in April and run through June. First, you can attend one of our hearings. We're having uh around 40 hearings. We had a hearing this morning, and usually having hearings twice a day with different departments. The full hearing schedule, we still have several weeks of hearings, so lots of important departments.gov slash council dash budget. So we're going to be encouraging folks who speak different languages to testify at those at that hearing. If you're here, you have an interpreter, uh, you know, uh, we will certainly make time uh to accommodate that so you can get your full statement in. Um you can again, you can show up at our hearings uh you can show up here, you can show up at our hearings and testify in person or virtually via Zoom. Uh, for in-person testimony, you should come to the chamber as many of you have done, and you can um sign up on our uh sign-in sheet, which is over at the entrance. Um if you're here just to watch, you don't have to sign in. Uh but if you want to testify, I will be reading the names off that sheet. If you want to testify virtually via Zoom, you can sign up using our online form and our council budget review website, or by emailing the committee at ccc.wm at Boston.gov, or by emailing our uh chief budget analyst Chris Machohan at K-A-R-I-S-H-M-A.CHOUHAN at Boston.gov. When you're called to testify, please state your name and affiliation and your residence. Uh and we're going to be setting a two-minute uh time for uh for testimony. When you hear the beep, please uh wrap up uh your your statement. You can also submit uh testimony, and that's sorry, that goes for both people here in person and virtually. It's uh you'll be a clock behind me. You can uh watch to make sure you're on time, and I'll remind you when you and when you'll hear a beep at the end of that. Um you can also submit testimony by submitting written testimony to the committee by emailing it to ccc.wm at Boston.gov. You can also submit a two-minute video of your testimony through the form on our website. For more information on the city council budget process and how to testify. Please visit the council's budget website at Boston.gov slash council dash budget. So in-person testimony will be taken uh here again. You'll have two minutes to testify and and just to restate it if you uh want to testify virtually, email Krishma Chohan at K-A-R-I-S-H-M-A.CHOUHAN at Boston.gov for the Zoom link and your name will be added to the list. Uh tonight's public session is on docket number 0733 to 0740, which is an overview of the fiscal year 2027 budget. This is one of two public testimony sessions dedicated to the FY27 budget. We've already held uh uh listening sessions here pre-budget to uh and we sent a letter to the council uh to the mayor stating you know the areas we want to focus on you know, which uh which you you can review if uh you can just contact my office at Ben.weber at Boston.gov. Um the the these dockets were sponsored by the uh the mayor, Michelle Wu, and we're referred to the committee on April 8th, 2026. Uh we have here with us councillor Flynn, and we have staff members from uh Madam President Braden's office. I know there are issues with traffic and the orange line at least. Uh I don't know, maybe some other lines are having difficulties, but other counselors may be uh coming to this hearing. Um so uh I am going to well I since we have somebody here, Counselor Flynn, would you like uh to make a like a one-minute opening statement? Thank and thank you, Mr. Chair. Um thank you for holding this important listening session. I had the opportunity opportunity to talk to some of the young people that were here just before the start of this, and I didn't let some of the young people know that I'm in a leadership program and I'm going to be leaving this listening session in a few minutes, but I will be watching it on uh video tonight or or tomorrow. But just want to thank the young people for being here for their important contributions they are making. Being engaged in the budget process is a critical part of decision making here at City at the City Council. So I just want to say thank you to the young people for being here for being engaged and advocating for what they believe in. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Okay, thank you. Uh we're gonna be starting uh tonight's session off with a uh a short video uh of statements from the uh pop-up senior center in West Roxbury, the city uh the state funds two days a week for seniors to gather at the Elks Lodge and it's a very popular program, and uh they're one of the the days of their funding is not funded in the budget.

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