Boston City Council Ways and Means Committee Holds Fourth FY2027 Budget Public Hearing – May 26, 2026

The Boston City Council Ways and Means Committee convened its fourth and final public testimony session on the Fiscal Year 2027 budget on May 26, 2026, at 6:11 PM in the Council Chamber. Chair Ben Weber (District 6) presided, joined by Councillors Mejia, Flynn, Culpepper, Durkin, Braden, Santana, Orell, and Louis Jen. The hearing was recorded and live-streamed, with interpretation available in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Haitian Creole. Over seven pages of speakers registered to testify, with strict two-minute limits enforced. The session focused on docket 0733–0740, the proposed operating budget submitted by Mayor Michelle Wu on April 8, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Youth and Community Members – Over two dozen youth, parents, teachers, and community organizers testified, overwhelmingly opposing the proposed cuts. Speakers from organizations such as NUBE (Neighbors United for a Better East Boston), the Boston Teachers Union (BTU), the Massachusetts Alliance of HUD Tenants, the NAACP Boston Education Committee, the Chinatown Community Land Trust, the Democratic Socialists of America, and the Boston People’s Response Campaign presented positions.
• Cuts to Youth Jobs – Many youth speakers (Ozdear, 15, East Boston; Sasha Pilcher, 7th grader; Quincy Pierre, 17; Star Nunez; Develle Moore, 17; Henry Santana, 18; Sheri Williams, 16; and others) described youth jobs as life-changing opportunities providing income, mentorship, and safe spaces. They noted the proposed $6 million cut from 23.4 to 17.4 million would eliminate approximately 1,800 school-year youth jobs. Speakers argued this reduction would increase violence, mental health crises, and instability.
• Cuts to Boston Public Schools – BTU Executive Vice President Leia Serena stated cuts would eliminate over 400 educator jobs, including more than 100 paraprofessionals. Teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents (Johanna Cordero, Tanya Escobar, Annabel Tavares, and others) highlighted the impact on students with disabilities and multilingual learners. Speakers called for a supplemental budget to restore student-facing positions and for long-term investment in social housing, citing Seattle’s model.
• Cuts to Housing and Rent Subsidies – Representatives from the Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants and community land trusts (David Nolan, Michael Kane, Michelle De Lima, Lydia Lowe) argued that the proposed $2 million reduction in the city rent subsidy program would displace 83 previously homeless, extremely low-income families. They also urged restoration of the Acquisition Opportunity Program (AOP), which had saved 1,400 affordable units, and requested $3.5 million for AOP in FY27.
• Cuts to Immigrant Services, LGBTQ+ Grants, Food Access – Several speakers (Adriana Manis, Simel Rodriguez, Fatima Pena, and others) decried cuts to the Office of Immigrant Advancement, the Office of Food Justice, and grants for Black male advancement and LGBTQ+ communities. They described these as essential for keeping families together and preventing exploitation.
• Lack of Community Center in Allston-Brighton – Residents (Ricky Menke, Kate Wen, Sam Cooper, and others) noted that Allston-Brighton, the city’s second-largest neighborhood with 85,000 residents, lacks a fully functional BCYF community center. The Jackson Mann Community Center is condemned. They demanded $65 million in the capital budget for design and construction, and interim operating funding.
• Boston People’s Response Campaign – Approximately 20 speakers (Yasmin Bailey, Amy Takanami, Marina Varhani, Maya Millis Cherkai, Thara Venkatraman, and others) urged the council to reject the mayor’s budget and include $4 million for a non-police, non-carceral, community-based mental health crisis response pilot. They argued that current police-led responses escalate crises and that such a model would save lives and money, citing national examples.
• Library Funding – Librarians Bryce Kieran Healy and Madeline Wright noted that the Boston Public Library’s budget of $62 million and 550 staff is far below peer cities (Chicago: $113M, 1,152 staff). They stated the police overtime budget alone exceeds the library’s entire operating budget and called for increased library funding.
• Police Budget – Several speakers (Michael Kane, David Nolan, Indigo D’Agnillo, and others) criticized the proposed $7 million increase in the police budget while social programs face cuts. They called for redirecting funds from police overtime to community services, noting that youth jobs reduce violence by 35% per city data.
• Overall Demand to Reject the Budget – The overriding position from nearly every speaker was that the council should reject Mayor Wu’s proposed budget, restore all cuts, and use reserves or other sources to fully fund youth jobs, schools, housing, immigrant services, and mental health crisis response. Many emphasized that a budget is a moral document and that the city has sufficient free cash ($500M+ in reserves) to meet community needs.

Discussion Items

• Council Opening Statements – Each council member gave a one-minute statement. Councillor Mejia filed amendments to restore cuts and support the BTU’s call for a better BPS budget. Councillor Flynn noted that previous councils had voted down budgets initially to leverage more funding. Councillor Culpepper expressed solidarity with community concerns. Councillor Durkin advocated for vouchers, arts, ESOL for BPS parents, and the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute. President Braden thanked attendees and looked forward to amendment working sessions. Councillor Santana made restoring youth jobs his top priority. Chair Weber acknowledged the difficulty of the amendment process and thanked participants.

Key Outcomes

• No Immediate Vote – No formal vote was taken during this listening session. The hearing concluded at approximately 10:30 PM.
• Next Steps – The council will hold working sessions to discuss amendments to the operating budget. Two additional budget hearings were scheduled for the following day. Chair Weber stated the committee must restore programs through a majority vote of the council.
• Public Demand for Rejection – A strong, consistent call from the public urged the council to reject the mayor’s budget outright to force the addition of more funds from reserves, rather than relying on limited amendment powers. Several speakers noted that a rejection would allow the council to advocate for a revised budget with restored cuts.