Boston City Council Hearing on FY27 Budgets for Assessing, Auditing, Treasury, and Capital Plan - May 26, 2026

On May 26, 2026, the Boston City Council's Committee on Ways and Means, chaired by Councilor Ben Weber, held a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2027 operating budgets for the Assessing, Auditing, and Treasury departments, as well as the FY27 capital budget and FY27-2031 capital plan. The hearing began at 10:09 a.m. and included presentations from department heads, councilor questions, and public testimony. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Gregory Maynard (Boston Policy Institute): Argued that the Wu administration's revenue forecasts have been significantly less accurate than those of the Walsh administration. He cited figures showing Wu's first three fiscal years over forecast by 6.5%, 4.4%, and 2.3% respectively, compared to Walsh's 1.7%, 0.9%, and 0.7%. He stated that inaccurate forecasts contribute to fiscal mismanagement and urged the administration to fix its forecasting methods.
• Kevin Norton (Brighton resident): Expressed frustration over the lack of a community center in Allston/Brighton, specifically criticizing the delayed Jackson Mann Community Center project. He noted that other neighborhoods have multiple centers and called the situation a pattern of political emasculation and isolation of Allston/Brighton.
• Ryan Kelso (Allston/Brighton DSA and Housing Action): Presented per capita capital budget data showing Allston/Brighton ranked fourth lowest among neighborhoods. He contrasted this with Roslindale ($190/capita, two centers), Hyde Park ($348/capita, one center), and Mission Hill ($478/capita, two centers) while Allston/Brighton ($500/capita) has only one underfunded center. He questioned the equity of investment.
• Jason Yukins (President, BPA EMS Division): Urged that EMS station construction and renovation be made a capital priority, especially in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. He stated that facilities are out of date and undersized, impacting response times and workforce retention.

Discussion Items

Auditing Department (Scott Finn, City Auditor)

• Finn outlined the department's mission: presenting the city's complete financial statement, processing payroll (29,800 employees, $2.46 billion in FY25), vendor payments (146,000 vouchers for 11,000 vendors), and publishing the annual comprehensive financial report. He noted the single audit included 12 federal programs in FY24.
• He highlighted plans to transition a compliance officer position from ARPA funding to the operating budget to strengthen oversight, especially for sub-recipient monitoring, which is the most common audit finding. The city will also publish a simplified public annual financial report (10–20 pages) to supplement the lengthy technical report.
• Councilor Flynn asked about the Wolf & Company audit of the Main Streets program; Finn confirmed it is a public document and would be provided. Flynn also asked about city credit cards; Finn stated very few exist (Mayor, himself, possibly one other) and offered a list. Finn addressed overspending concerns, stating controls were tightened mid-year as issues were identified.

Assessing Department (Nick Aronello, Commissioner)

• Aronello described assessing 190,000 real estate and personal property accounts valued at over $295 billion, with FY26 property taxes generating over $3.5 billion. About 75,000 properties received the residential exemption. The department has roughly 20 vacancies (about 13% below needed staff) due to a specialized, aging workforce; hardest to fill are experienced valuation positions.
• On commercial property values, Aronello acknowledged declining office values but defended the assessment process, noting that assessments are backward-looking (values based on prior-year data). He explained that a sale occurring after the assessment date cannot be used for that year's value.
• Regarding assessments of luxury properties, Aronello rejected claims of systemic underassessment, arguing that the Small Property Owner Association's report used sales from different time periods for low- and high-value properties, creating an artificial gap. He emphasized that the department uses mass appraisal with CAMA software, MLS data, permit data, annual street-view photography, and field visits. Abatement requests (under 3,000 out of 190,000 parcels) and appeals (under 0.5%) are low, suggesting overall accuracy.
• On residential exemption: Boston is at the maximum state-allowed percentage. Increasing it would require state action and would shift the tax burden from lower-value to higher-value properties (progressive effect). Changes to exemptions (e.g., by neighborhood) would likely violate constitutional equity standards.
• On senior tax relief (41D): Aronello stated that implementing the local option would not require additional staff, only changes to application materials. He noted the current elderly exemption helps around 1,300 seniors. Cost-of-living adjustments under 41D would accumulate over time but have a small initial impact.
• Councilor Flynn asked about Moody's rating and the commercial property lawsuit; Aronello and Finn noted a negative judgment could impact the city's AAA stable rating, depending on liability amount.
• Aronello announced he is leaving the department after 20 years (not retiring), with a transition plan in place. Councilors expressed appreciation for his service.

Treasury Department (Jerica Bradley, First Assistant Collector Treasurer; Johnny Hernandez, Second Assistant Collector Treasurer)

• Hernandez detailed collection rates: FY23: 99.2%, FY24: 99.2%, FY25: 99.1%. The division recovered $19.6M (FY23), $25.5M (FY24), and $26.1M (FY25) from delinquent accounts. Special projects in FY25 reduced tax takings by 700 accounts through outreach.
• Bradley described the treasury side: managing cash flow, debt, investments, and fraud controls. Monthly volumes: over $100M payroll, $60M retiree payments, $200M vendor payments, $30M state/federal taxes. The city issues over 20,000 W-2s and transmits 1099s.
• On revenue projections: Bradley attributed the drop in interest income to Federal Reserve rate cuts. The city is exploring alternative asset allocations within state guidelines (U.S. Treasuries, etc.) to stabilize revenue. Other revenue line items (jet fuel, permits) were deferred to the budget office.
• On municipal depositories: Bradley noted the city already produces a lending deposit report and has BI tools to analyze branch availability by neighborhood; she expressed willingness to work with Councilor Louijeune on stronger reinvestment metrics.

Capital Budget (Ian Donnelly, Deputy Budget Director and Director of Capital Plan)

• Donnelly explained the five-year capital plan: bond authorizations carry over multiple years, so a project may not appear in a new loan order if prior authorization exists. Project timelines shift due to revenue projections, inflation, and bidding delays.
• Councilors pressed for neighborhood equity: Louijeune, Pepin, and others cited concerns that Allston/Brighton, Mattapan, Hyde Park, and other areas see lower capital investment despite high homeownership. Donnelly acknowledged that citywide investments (e.g., repaving, parks) are the largest category but often not transparently allocated. He committed to improving communication and providing quarterly project-level reports including budget, timeline changes, and reasons for delays.
• Specific project updates:
  • Jackson Mann Community Center: no immediate timeline; but state-of-good-repair work funded.
  • North End Library: state-of-good-repair work (windows, masonry) planned within next few years; larger project remains to be scheduled due to cash flow constraints.
  • South Boston Library: similar—short-term HVAC repairs, no major renovation planned.
  • Mattapan projects: Shaw Taylor Elementary advancing through MSBA process; Mattapan Hunt upgrades—outside work going to bid, interior later this year; Bookmark project moving forward with new artist.
  • Charlestown BCYF: recently studied; current facility considered adequate.
• Donnelly noted a new debt policy allowing more flexible amortization (30% paid in first five years instead of 35%) to save about $30M in debt service in FY27, with potential long-term cost depending on future rates.

Other Topics

• Revenue forecasting: Chair Weber asked about interest income decline and the accuracy of projections. Bradley deferred specifics to the budget office but noted different economic conditions between administrations. Maynard's testimony criticized current forecasts.
• Overtime expenditures: Councilor Culpepper requested data on departments exceeding overtime budgets; Finn agreed to provide it.
• Good Landlord Tax Abatement: Aronello stated implementation is challenging due to constitutional fairness and direct city expenditure; administration has not yet found a viable structure.
• Office of Residential Conversion: Aronello explained that the 75% abatement for up to 29 years defers new growth; the actual revenue loss is hard to calculate because without the incentive projects likely would not happen.
• ISD ownership data: Aronello noted assessing data lags (quarterly updates) and that they work with ISD to improve accuracy.

Key Outcomes

• The city auditor committed to providing the Wolf & Company audit report on Main Streets and a list of employees with city-issued credit cards.
• The assessing department will provide data on abatement applications and historical counts, as well as information on senior exemption uptake and denials.
• The treasury department will explore enhanced community reinvestment reporting in its depository report.
• The capital budget office will work to improve neighborhood-level transparency, including quarterly project updates by district.
• No formal votes were taken; the hearing was part of the budget review process. The council will hold a public listening session at 6 p.m. that evening (May 26, 2026) and a supplemental hearing with the CFO on May 27.
• Commissioner Nick Aronello announced his departure after 20 years; a transition plan is in place with the management team.