City Council

Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 12 p.m. (Boston time), Council Chambers

Video of the meeting

On the agenda

Roll-call votes

Documents

Summary

The Council debated and voted on the Boston Public Schools FY27 operating budget (docket 0734, $1.73 billion, a 2.7% increase), which passed by a roll call of eight votes in the affirmative and five in the negative despite arguments that it eliminates roughly 400 student-facing positions including paraprofessionals. The Council then took up the city operating budget (docket 0733); members objected to receiving the committee report and tax order only minutes before a vote, and the Council voted to postpone consideration to its June 10, 2026 meeting, with an advocated follow-up meeting June 17 to receive the mayor's response. Later in the meeting, the Council passed appropriations from the George Francis Parkman fund ($1.4 million) and the 21st Century/PEG access fund ($3.6 million), adopted resolutions recognizing Asian American Pacific Islander Month, green infrastructure, Juneteenth (with a banner program), and Caribbean American Heritage Month, and referred numerous hearing orders to committees on topics including quarterly revenue reporting, a Main Streets financial audit, the Council's budget authority under the 2021 charter amendment, minimum lot size requirements, the eliminated Human Rights Commission, public restrooms, firearm trafficking, the Disability Commission, and Boston Housing Authority elevator failures (with Councilor Flynn withdrawing his call for a federal investigation in favor of a committee hearing). A motion to pull a BHA elevator safety commission resolution (docket 0307) out of committee failed to reach the required seven votes and it remained in the Housing Committee.

Transcript

1:43:07 4 f1

2:00:39 ways and means you have the

2:00:39 floor.

2:00:40 Sure.

2:00:41 uh, thank you very much.

2:00:43 Uh, now I'd like to discuss

2:00:46 docket number 073 for the

2:00:46 budget.

2:00:50 Um, MADAM PRESIDENT, uh, today

2:00:51 I'm recommending approval

2:00:54 of the budget docket number

2:00:57 0734 in the amount of $1.73

2:01:00 billion, which is an increase

2:01:00 of 2.7%.

2:01:04 So about $8,388 million as uh I

2:01:06 think uh I think we're all

2:01:07 aware the committee held

2:01:08 several hearings and working

2:01:11 sessions on dps including

2:01:12 pre-budget hearings and three

2:01:14 uh, three actual budget

2:01:16 hearings on the budget uh that

2:01:17 was approved by the boston

2:01:19 school committee on MARCH 25th.

2:01:22 Like the fy 27 operating budget

2:01:24 ,the school operating budget

2:01:26 uh, requires uh, us to make

2:01:27 some very tough decisions.

2:01:32 Um, uh, you know, uh, unlike uh

2:01:34 the operating budget, the cuts

2:01:36 uh, will actually impact

2:01:39 personnel uh uh, for some

2:01:41 of our lowest paid dps

2:01:42 employees such as

2:01:43 paraprofessionals for special

2:01:44 needs students and other in

2:01:47 school support staff uh, much

2:01:49 of this being the result even

2:01:50 though the budget is going up

2:01:52 by $88 million because of the

2:01:54 sharp rising costs in health

2:01:57 care plus uh, declining

2:01:58 enrollment and the rising costs

2:01:59 of other services.

2:02:02 Uh, well, I don't want to see

2:02:03 the loss of jobs.

2:02:07 And as the, uh, parent of two

2:02:08 students and the son of a new

2:02:10 york city special ed teacher, I

2:02:13 do not want to see any teachers

2:02:14 or persons that are jobs.

2:02:16 We have heard that this is the

2:02:19 result of the loss of 3000

2:02:21 students in our system, and

2:02:22 most of those positions being

2:02:23 eliminated are due to the

2:02:25 closure of schools.

2:02:28 Um, we are still heavily

2:02:31 investing in our kids with

2:02:31 $1.73 billion.

2:02:34 I think it's about $35,000 per

2:02:35 student.

2:02:38 Uh, you know, among the highest

2:02:39 in the state.

2:02:42 Uh uh but due to change in

2:02:44 circumstances loss of so many

2:02:46 of our students in large part

2:02:49 because of the uh, trump

2:02:50 immigration policies.

2:02:52 Um, we have to make tough

2:02:53 choices.

2:02:57 Uh, and so then also as we

2:03:00 discussed in the uh, discussion

2:03:02 we had about rejecting the

2:03:04 budget the proposal by the btu

2:03:06 to reject this and have the

2:03:08 mayor pull from reserve funds

2:03:10 again, it's not going to add

2:03:11 students to our schools.

2:03:14 Uh, it's not going to add, you

2:03:15 know, funding in the long term

2:03:15 .

2:03:17 Rather we have to close

2:03:18 additional schools.

2:03:19 I think we heard it's 3 to 4

2:03:21 more schools over the next few

2:03:21 years.

2:03:25 Uh, so, um, you know, my heart

2:03:27 goes out to our hardworking, uh

2:03:29 ,dps staff.

2:03:33 Um, uh, you know, I but I still

2:03:34 recommend passage of of this

2:03:36 docket uh, given that will

2:03:37 provide stability for the

2:03:39 district which needs an

2:03:41 operating budget by JULY 1st in

2:03:42 order to fulfill collective

2:03:43 bargaining agreements we passed

2:03:45 and would allow the district to

2:03:47 enter into other agreements, uh

2:03:49 ,to provide for our students

2:03:50 and families including being

2:03:52 able to uh go forward with uh

2:03:54 some some some summer

2:03:56 programing would be jeopardized

2:03:57 if we don't have a budget by

2:03:58 the end of this month.

2:04:00 Uh, I know we all support our

2:04:02 teachers and staff and our

2:04:04 students and recognize how

2:04:06 painful some of these cuts are.

2:04:07 Uh, I think it's important for

2:04:09 us to ensure that the district

2:04:10 is able to deliver for our

2:04:11 students and their families for

2:04:13 the current and upcoming school

2:04:15 year in a way that is fiscally

2:04:16 responsible.

2:04:18 Um, that's why I'm recommending

2:04:19 passage of the stock.

2:04:19 Thank you, mr chair.

2:04:22 The chair recognizes comes from

2:04:24 a here counselor.

2:04:25 You have the floor.

2:04:26 Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.

2:04:30 And as a graduate and a mom and

2:04:34 a agitator I rise here today.

2:04:37 Um, on behalf of the voices

2:04:37 of the people.

2:04:39 And so I'm going to read into

2:04:41 the record, um, the letter from

2:04:45 the btu dated JUNE 2nd to the

2:04:47 boston city council on behalf

2:04:49 of the more than 10,000 active

2:04:51 and retired educators of the

2:04:52 boston teachers union.

2:04:53 We strongly urge.

2:04:56 You to vote to oppose the

2:04:58 proposed budget.

2:05:00 This request is not come

2:05:02 lightly, but we cannot endorse

2:05:05 a budget which will eliminate

2:05:08 more than 400 student facing

2:05:10 positions from an already

2:05:11 under-resourced school system.

2:05:13 Each educator eliminated from

2:05:16 our schools has an impact on

2:05:18 student academic career.

2:05:20 Each position represents a

2:05:21 class of students.

2:05:23 Um cannot take additional

2:05:25 supports that a struggling

2:05:27 learning learner cannot access

2:05:29 or a needed counseling session

2:05:32 that is no longer available and

2:05:34 eliminating 700 positions.

2:05:36 The proposed budget sets a

2:05:38 dangerous precedent in

2:05:41 difficult this fiscal times it

2:05:43 is our most vulnerable students

2:05:45 who will carry the weight

2:05:47 of our struggles and we will

2:05:48 need to stand with them.

2:05:51 We are calling on the city to

2:05:53 enact a prevented supplemental

2:05:54 budget to add additional

2:05:56 resources to the boston public

2:05:56 schools.

2:05:58 This cannot be done by

2:05:59 leveraging increasing state

2:06:02 aid, modestly tapping into our

2:06:03 growing reserves.

2:06:05 Um this can be done by

2:06:07 leveraging our increasing state

2:06:09 aid, modestly tapping into our

2:06:11 growing reserve funds and or

2:06:13 transferring money from

2:06:14 historically over budget

2:06:15 departments.

2:06:17 As of now, boston public

2:06:19 schools is the only city

2:06:21 department to see job cuts.

2:06:22 We understand that this budget

2:06:25 was not an easy one but the

2:06:27 further of but the future

2:06:30 of boston children cannot be um

2:06:32 where we give up the btu

2:06:34 strongly urges you to oppose

2:06:37 the proposed budget at your

2:06:38 JUNE 3rd meeting which is today

2:06:39 .

2:06:40 Thank you for your time and

2:06:40 your consideration.

2:06:42 And I just want to note for the

2:06:44 record is that, you know,

2:06:45 there's a lot of what we can't

2:06:47 do here in the city of boston

2:06:48 and I believe that we should

2:06:50 have a can do attitude and

2:06:51 there's a lot of fear mongering

2:06:54 going on about what potential

2:06:56 things could happen to us.

2:06:59 But if you all remember then

2:07:00 councilor um, when she was the

2:07:02 uh, city councilor talked about

2:07:04 these fear tactics and I just

2:07:06 want us to be mindful that when

2:07:08 it comes to this budget the the

2:07:12 the conversation has shifted

2:07:12 significantly.

2:07:13 So I just want to note for the

2:07:15 record that I am as education

2:07:18 chair uh, rejecting uh this

2:07:19 vote thank you.

2:07:20 Chair recognizes

2:07:21 councilor flynn councilor flynn

2:07:22 you have the floor.

2:07:24 thank you, MADAM Chair.

2:07:27 I think this is probably the

2:07:30 most significant vote that we

2:07:33 will take over the last two

2:07:34 years.

2:07:40 Whether or not we stand up for

2:07:45 students with disabilities, we

2:07:47 just recognize the

2:07:48 paraprofessionals here just a

2:07:49 couple of hours ago.

2:07:51 We thank them.

2:07:52 We all personally thank them

2:07:54 for the incredible work that

2:07:55 they are doing every day

2:07:57 helping helping all.

2:08:00 Students students with

2:08:02 disabilities most of them are

2:08:04 student students of color.

2:08:10 We thank them today and cut

2:08:11 their job tomorrow.

2:08:19 We have to decide if students

2:08:20 with disabilities and their

2:08:23 teachers paraprofessionals are

2:08:24 they important?

2:08:27 Are they a priority?

2:08:31 Do they deserve a little bit

2:08:35 of respect and dignity or yes,

2:08:36 these are difficult times or

2:08:39 should we balance the budget on

2:08:40 their backs?

2:08:42 That's the choice we have to

2:08:44 make in the next few minutes.

2:08:47 Do we stand with the students

2:08:49 and students with disabilities

2:08:51 and their teachers and the

2:08:54 paraprofessionals and say we

2:08:56 think we think you deserve a

2:08:56 little bit of respect.

2:08:59 We think you deserve these

2:09:01 incredible programs and

2:09:01 services that these teachers

2:09:02 are providing.

2:09:05 I think they're worth it.

2:09:09 I think they should be a

2:09:09 priority.

2:09:13 I don't think they I don't

2:09:14 think we should overlook them.

2:09:18 They are not insignificant.

2:09:23 Students with disabilities and

2:09:25 the parents I think that

2:09:27 parents are really unsung

2:09:28 heroes in this city.

2:09:33 I see them taking their kids

2:09:35 every day to afterschool

2:09:36 programs, getting them ready

2:09:38 for school, taking them to

2:09:40 sports programs on the weekends

2:09:42 ,trying to get the best.

2:09:44 Services they possibly can for

2:09:45 their child.

2:09:48 I see grandmothers doing that

2:09:50 same support.

2:09:55 Also 70 year old grandmother or

2:09:56 grandfather doing the best they

2:09:58 can providing the best services

2:10:00 that they can for them for

2:10:03 their grandchild, getting them

2:10:06 the support they need now they

2:10:07 come to us.

2:10:09 Hey ed do you think we could

2:10:13 ensure that our child that has

2:10:14 disabilities too that we we can

2:10:15 get a little bit of justice

2:10:17 here from the boston city

2:10:17 council?

2:10:21 That's the decision when making

2:10:23 and if the answer is nothing

2:10:24 then fine that's the answer.

2:10:25 The answer is no.

2:10:26 There's no justice here.

2:10:30 But that's not what I came here

2:10:30 for.

2:10:36 I didn't come here to satisfy

2:10:37 the powers to be.

2:10:39 I came to fight for my

2:10:41 constituents, many of my

2:10:42 constituents more than any

2:10:45 district city council I here

2:10:46 live in public housing.

2:10:49 Most of them go to public

2:10:49 schools.

2:10:53 Do they deserve to be treated

2:10:53 fairly?

2:10:55 Do they deserve to be treated

2:10:59 with respect or should they be

2:11:00 overlooked?

2:11:02 That's the decision we're going

2:11:03 to make today.

2:11:08 Boston has a triple a bond

2:11:13 rating due to the financial

2:11:14 management of of many measures

2:11:17 over the over the last 50 years

2:11:19 and let me just highlight them

2:11:21 male white MAY have fled mayor

2:11:24 menino mayor walsh mayor janey

2:11:24 mayor will.

2:11:29 But can we find any money in

2:11:31 the budget for students with

2:11:31 disabilities?

2:11:34 Can we find any money in the

2:11:36 budget for paraprofessionals?

2:11:38 Can we find any money in the

2:11:41 budget for teachers or are we

2:11:43 just going to throw up our

2:11:44 hands and say no, there's

2:11:46 nothing here for you maybe next

2:11:46 year?

2:11:48 Well that's not that's not what

2:11:49 I'm here for.

2:11:52 I'm here to make difficult

2:11:55 decisions to say to our

2:11:56 students with disabilities, to

2:11:59 say to the teachers, the

2:12:00 paraprofessionals to their

2:12:03 parents or their guardian that

2:12:04 they are part of this city to.

2:12:09 They MAY not come from

2:12:12 privileged backgrounds or have

2:12:16 a lot of money or live in

2:12:17 exclusive neighborhoods.

2:12:22 Or go to the cape on the

2:12:22 weekends.

2:12:26 Or new hampshire skiing.

2:12:29 But I see them and we value

2:12:29 them.

2:12:33 We see them at our youth sports

2:12:35 programs all of the time.

2:12:37 We see them at afterschool

2:12:40 programs and the decision we

2:12:41 have to make today is are they

2:12:43 part of the city of boston?

2:12:46 Should we overlook them?

2:12:48 Is there money in the budget

2:12:48 for them?

2:12:51 There's money in the budget for

2:12:53 a lot of things, but is there

2:12:54 money in the budget for

2:12:54 students.

2:12:55 with disabilities?

2:12:59 Is the money in the budget for

2:12:59 paraprofessionals?

2:13:01 Is there money in the budget

2:13:03 for teachers that teach these

2:13:07 special special needs children

2:13:13 how to read, how to interact

2:13:14 with each other?

2:13:16 I see these paraprofessionals.

2:13:22 Taking and and teachers taking

2:13:23 these students with

2:13:25 disabilities to the bathroom.

2:13:32 Helping them exercise, cleaning

2:13:35 them after they go to the

2:13:35 bathroom.

2:13:39 Does that teacher.

2:13:41 Deserve a little bit

2:13:41 of respect?

2:13:46 Or are we just a white

2:13:49 privileged wealthy city that

2:13:53 can just simply overlook people

2:13:54 because they don't have any

2:13:55 political advocacy?

2:13:58 They don't have any lobbyist?

2:14:06 For me the decision is easy.

2:14:09 It might not be the best

2:14:11 political decision but it's the

2:14:14 right moral decision and that's

2:14:16 the only decision I want to

2:14:19 make is what's in best what's

2:14:20 best for the residents of the

2:14:23 city especially those people

2:14:24 that don't have a voice in

2:14:25 government.

2:14:26 I think that's our job.

2:14:32 Wealthy people have people that

2:14:33 can speak for them.

2:14:35 We see them every day.

2:14:38 They contribute to our

2:14:42 campaigns to but the families

2:14:43 of special education.

2:14:47 Those families they need city

2:14:50 councilors to stand with them,

2:14:51 to fight for them.

2:14:57 To do what we can to make sure

2:14:58 that they're treated with

2:14:58 respect.

2:15:02 Those are the values I learned

2:15:04 in my neighborhood in south

2:15:04 boston.

2:15:08 That's what I hope I contribute

2:15:08 as a city councilor.

2:15:11 That's why I fight fiercely for

2:15:12 my constituents whether they're

2:15:15 in the south end, whether

2:15:18 they're in chinatown, what

2:15:19 they're in my neighborhood

2:15:19 of south boston.

2:15:23 But I especially advocate for

2:15:25 my constituents if they live in

2:15:26 public housing.

2:15:29 Most many of the students in

2:15:32 public education here in boston

2:15:35 a public housing live in public

2:15:35 housing.

2:15:38 What are the afterschool

2:15:38 programs for them?

2:15:42 Many a single parents.

2:15:47 I just don't think this

2:15:47 progressive body.

2:15:52 Can overlook what's happening

2:15:55 in our city if we vote to

2:15:57 eliminate paraprofessionals.

2:16:01 They're one of the lowest paid

2:16:03 city employees and what are we

2:16:04 going to do?

2:16:06 We're going to cut them but

2:16:08 we're not going to cut high

2:16:09 salaries employees.

2:16:13 The why why should we why

2:16:16 should we balance the budget on

2:16:16 paraprofessionals?

2:16:19 They're only trying to make

2:16:19 ends meet.

2:16:22 They don't have any money.

2:16:25 They don't have money for rent.

2:16:27 They don't have any money for

2:16:27 their.

2:16:28 Kids clothing.

2:16:31 They don't have any money to

2:16:34 take the mbta sometimes they

2:16:35 don't have any money to eat.

2:16:37 Why are we trying to balance

2:16:38 the budget on their backs?

2:16:40 Is that fair?

2:16:46 I come here and I know I used

2:16:48 up my time, but I do think this

2:16:51 is important for me to speak

2:16:52 out because when I see

2:16:54 injustice I don't turn around

2:16:55 and walk the other way.

2:16:59 That might be the political

2:17:01 thing to do is to go along with

2:17:01 everybody.

2:17:03 But that's not what I signed up

2:17:04 for.

2:17:07 I came here for this job for

2:17:10 one reason one reason only to

2:17:12 advocate as hard as I possibly

2:17:13 can for my constituents.

2:17:15 I don't think they're being

2:17:16 treated with respect.

2:17:19 I think there's money in the

2:17:20 budget for them.

2:17:25 We have to ensure that there is

2:17:26 money for them.

2:17:28 They're not insignificant.

2:17:29 They are important.

2:17:31 They are part of the city.