Boston City Council FY2027 Budget Hearing for Age Strong, Veterans, and Returning Citizens – May 14, 2026
Boston City Council FY2027 Budget Hearing for Age Strong, Veterans, and Returning Citizens – May 14, 2026
This hearing, chaired by Councillor Ben Weber, reviewed the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 operating budgets for the Age Strong Commission, Boston Veterans Services, and the Mayor’s Office of Returning Citizens, all within the Human Services Cabinet. The panel included Chief of Human Services José Masso, Age Strong Commissioner Emily Shea, Veterans Commissioner Robert Santiago, and ORC Executive Director Ashley Montgomery. The hearing featured public testimony and vigorous council discussion regarding significant proposed grant reductions.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Lily Bryan (Dorchester, Mass Senior Action Council) urged restoration of Age Strong grants, stating the expanding engagement grant helped her overcome isolation during COVID and that mental health and hoarding grants are vital.
- Dan Magoon (Dorchester, combat veteran, Mass Fallen Heroes) strongly opposed the $724,000 cut to Veterans Services, calling it a “systematic betrayal” and highlighting that veteran hiring in Boston has been slashed by 75%.
- Joe Cook (South Boston, Gold Star Father) thanked Commissioner Santiago for his help through the Bridge the Gap Mini Grant and urged against cuts, emphasizing the need for mental health support for veterans.
- Avril Carmine (Leather District) stated cutting the veterans budget is “the most un-american thing you can do.”
- Jason Yutkins (President, BPPA EMS Division) supported restoring veterans funding but opposed taking funds from public safety, saying Boston can support both.
- Miles Royal (Boston EMT) noted that approximately 20,000 veterans live in Boston and that cuts harm those who have sacrificed.
- Margaret Chaburack (South Boston) called the cuts “disgusting” and spoke for veterans who cannot testify.
- Tashani Strother, Zelda Barbosa, Stephanie Williams Crosby, Belinda Sales, David Connolly, and Aja Jackson (We Are Better Together) spoke in support of re-entry grants, highlighting barriers to housing, employment, and family reunification for returning citizens.
- Sylvia Exantis (CEO, Central Boston Elder Services) urged level funding for Age Strong’s expanding engagement grants, noting that social engagement is a health intervention that reduces isolation and depression.
- Representatives from Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center and Chinese community members testified that Age Strong grants fund essential culturally and linguistically appropriate dementia care and mental health support groups, warning that cuts would harm vulnerable immigrant seniors.
- Luann O’Connor (South Boston) called for restoring veterans funding and cutting from “top-heavy” departments like BPDA instead.
Discussion Items
- Age Strong Commission: Commissioner Shea reported that older adults (60+) now outnumber youth (19 and under) for the first time in Boston history. In FY26, the commission delivered over 5,000 hours of direct programming, managed a 15% increase in shuttle rides, assisted 1,300 residents with benefits, and funded 95+ community partners. Proposed cuts total $1.37 million, eliminating $500,000 in expanding engagement grants (36 organizations), $450,000 in behavioral health grants (10 organizations), and $220,000 in hoarding funds. Cuts also include $200,000 in events and programs.
- Boston Veterans Services: Commissioner Santiago highlighted core services: processing Chapter 115 financial assistance (75% state-reimbursable for eligible veterans), VA claims, burial services, and outreach. In FY26, the office administered over $1 million in direct payments, supported 200+ families monthly, assisted 40+ families with burials, and decorated 59,000+ graves and hero squares. The proposed cut of $724,000 (14%) eliminates the Bridge the Gap Mini Grant program ($250,000 to $10,000 per grant) and the Heroes Banners program, and reduces contract services. Santiago stressed that direct services (Chapter 115) are preserved, but community outreach and partnerships will suffer.
- Office of Returning Citizens: Director Montgomery reported serving 564 clients in case management with three case managers and a director. The office placed 98 clients in employment (50% in human services/food services), has 175 employer collaborations, and maintains a housing caseload of 125 with 100% tenancy retention under 12 months. Proposed cuts of $900,000 (36%) eliminate the office’s grant making ability, affecting partners like We Are Better Together ($140,000 total from FY23-26). Montgomery noted that internal services (case management, employment, housing) remain intact, but grant-funded community programs will end.
- Budget Process Discussion: Councillors Flynn, Murphy, Fitzgerald, Louijeune, Culpepper, and others repeatedly questioned why departments that submitted 2% reduction proposals saw cuts of 12-49%. Chief Masso explained that the administration prioritized protecting personnel and direct city services, cutting only grants to achieve a balanced budget. Councillors expressed intent to use the amendment process to restore as much funding as possible.
Key Outcomes
- No vote was taken during this hearing; it was a review session for the FY2027 budget.
- Multiple councillors (Flynn, Murphy, Fitzgerald, Louijeune, Culpepper) stated their commitment to using the council’s amendment power to restore cuts to veterans, seniors, and returning citizen services.
- Chair Weber and Chief Masso agreed to work together during the amendment process to identify priorities for restoring grant funding.
- The hearing concluded with adjournment at approximately 1:45 PM, with the next hearing (Elections) postponed to 3:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. I don't want to get set up here. My name's Ben Weber. Oh, and a little feedback. And I am the Boston City Counselor for District Six and the chair of the Committee on Ways and Means. Today is May 14th, two thousand twenty-six, and the exact time is ten twelve AM. Uh I have a few preliminaries to get through here, so just bear with me. Uh this hearing's being recorded. It's also being live streamed at Boston.gov slash city dash council-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 from April through June. First, they can attend one of our hearings, uh, and give public testimony. They can either attend in person or virtually for a full schedule of our hearings. Uh you can go on our website boston.gov slash council dash budget. You can give testimony in person by coming to the chamber and uh signing in on the sign-in sheet near the entrance. You'll be called on in the order you've signed up. You can also testify virtually uh via Zoom. To testify virtually, sign up using our online form on our council budget review website, or by emailing the committee at ccc.wm at Boston.gov, or by emailing Karish Machauhan at K-A-R I S H M A. C H O U H A N at Boston.gov. You'll be given a zoom link and you testify on Zoom. You can also attend the fourth of four public listening sessions we have right here in the chamber. The fourth one, the last one will be Thursday, May 26th at 6 p.m. Again, right here. You can come and you'll have two minutes to to talk to the counselors. You can attend again, you can give testimony in person or virtually for that listening session also. Uh, when you're called to testify, you'll have two minutes. Please state your name, your residence, if you're with an organization, what organization you're with, and uh, and then you'll have two minutes to to speak. Um, in lieu of testifying at a hearing virtually or in person, you can submit written testimony by email by sending it to the committee at CCC.wm at Boston.gov. You can also just email you can snail mail it to my office and we'll submit it. But uh hopefully email works. If you have a problem, just reach out to my office and and we'll help you get your testimony submitted. You can also submit a two-minute video of your testimony through a form on our website. For more information on the city council budget process and how to testify. Please visit the city council's budget uh website at Boston.gov slash council-budget. Um, so for our public testimony, what we'll be doing is we'll hear from the panel. Then our my council colleagues will all get a chance to, you'll have five to seven, eight minutes to ask questions. Uh, and that's their first round of questions. They'll have second rounds and maybe even third rounds, but after that first round of questions that we hear from the panel, we're gonna call on public testimony. So then everyone who's here who wants to testify, everyone online, you'll have your chance after our first round of questions. Um again, if you uh to testify in the chamber, please sign in. Uh, or you can email for a zoom link, you can email Karishma at K-A-R-I-S-H-M-A.C-H-O-U-H-A-N at Boston.gov for the zoom link and your name will be added to the list. This morning's hearing is on docket number 0733 to 0740, an overview of the fiscal year 2027 operating budgets for the Age Strong Commission, Boston Vets, and the Office of Returning Citizens, which is housed within the Office of Human Services, if I have that right. Okay, this is one of a series of hearings on the fiscal year 2027 budget. These matters were sponsored by Mayor Michelle Wu and referred to the committee on April 8th, 2026. I'm joined by my colleagues in order of arrival, Councillor Flynn, sitting up here, uh, Councilor Murphy, Councillor Durkin, uh then Councillor Fitzgerald. Uh we uh waive opening statements at the budget hearings, just uh get get things moving. Um my colleagues will have a chance to speak uh uh I'll give them plenty of time for their rounded questions. But I'm just gonna introduce the panel and then uh we're gonna go to you. So we're joined by Age Strong Commissioner. Let me make sure this list matches this list. It does.
openpublica.com