Thursday, May 21, 2026, 10 a.m. (Boston time), Boston City Hall, 1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201
Hearing on Dockets #0733-0740, FY27 Budget: BPHC
The Ways & Means Committee held a morning hearing on docket 073320740, an overview of the FY2027 operating budget for the Boston Public Health Commission, covering BPHC finances, emergency medical services, recovery services, and homeless services. Chair Benjamin Jacob Weber, Commissioner Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Budget Director Christopher Valdez, and EMS Chief Jim Hooley presented. Councilors questioned EMS response times, staffing, pay disparities, Allston-Brighton and Hyde Park coverage, opioid settlement spending, syringe collection, low-threshold housing, and vacancies. Four in-person public commenters and one virtual commenter, all Boston EMS members or union representatives, urged increased EMS funding and pay. A second hearing on infectious disease, child and family health, violence prevention, and behavioral health was scheduled for 3:00 PM the same day.
1:24 and.
2:16 that.
8:21 And.
8:45 The.
15:30 Good morning.
15:33 weber.
15:33 For the record my name is ben
15:34 I'm the district six city
15:35 councilor and the chair of the
15:36 ways and means committee.
15:40 Today's MAY 21st 2026 and the
15:42 exact time is 10:15 A.M..
15:43 I apologize for the late start.
15:46 Um so I have a few preliminary
15:47 things to go through and then
15:48 we're going to have a
15:49 presentation from the panel and
15:52 then questions from my
15:52 colleagues.
15:53 This hearing is being recorded.
15:55 It's also being live streamed
15:59 at boston.Gov/city council tv
16:00 and broadcast on xfinity
16:03 channel eight rcn channel 82
16:04 and five channel 964.
16:06 The council's budget review
16:08 process encompasses a series
16:09 of public hearings that begin
16:11 in APRIL and run through JUNE.
16:13 Uh, we strongly encourage
16:14 residents to take a moment to
16:17 engage in the process by giving
16:18 public testimony, uh, which
16:22 they can do uh, in a few ways.
16:24 First, uh, for a full hearing
16:27 schedule please look at our
16:29 website
16:30 boston.Gov/council-budget.
16:32 You can give public testimony
16:34 by attending any one of our
16:34 hearings.
16:37 You can attend in person or uh
16:37 virtually.
16:40 Uh if you're here in the
16:41 chamber to give public
16:43 testimony, please sign up on
16:44 the sign in sheet near the
16:45 entrance and you'll be called
16:47 on, uh, in the order you've
16:48 arrived.
16:50 If you are looking to testify
16:52 virtually, please, uh, you can
16:54 sign up using the online form
16:55 on our council budget review
16:57 website or by emailing the
16:59 committee at ccw m@boston.Gov.
17:02 Or by emailing karishma uh
17:07 joanne at chris h a dot c o u h
17:08 a n@boston.Gov.
17:11 Um you know once you're called
17:12 on you'll have two minutes to
17:12 testify.
17:16 Uh please tell us your name uh
17:18 where you live in the city and
17:20 if you're with an organization
17:22 your affiliation and uh, you'll
17:23 again have two minutes to make
17:24 comments.
17:26 Um, you can check in.
17:28 Uh, you can also testify
17:30 in-person or virtually at the
17:32 fourth of four of our listening
17:32 sessions.
17:34 Our last one will be tuesday,
17:36 MAY 26th here in the chamber at
17:37 6 P.M. Again, you can testify
17:40 at that hearing in person or
17:40 virtually.
17:42 Uh, in lieu of testifying at
17:44 one of the hearings, you can
17:45 email written testimony to the
17:48 committee at court m@boston.Gov
17:49 .
17:51 minute video of your testimony
17:51 You can also submit a two
17:52 through the form on our
17:53 website.
17:55 For more information on the
17:57 city council budget process and
17:58 how to testify.
17:59 Please visit the city council's
18:03 budget website at
18:03 boston.Gov/council-budget.
18:06 Uh in-person testimony again
18:07 will be taken following the
18:08 first round of counselor
18:10 questions and then each person
18:11 will be given two minutes to
18:11 testify.
18:14 Uh, if you again if you're
18:16 online and looking for a zoom
18:18 link you can get one uh, by
18:19 emailing our director
18:21 of legislative budget analysis.
18:23 Karishma at kkr is.
18:28 Maco and@boston.Gov for the
18:29 zoom link in your name will be
18:30 added to the list.
18:32 This morning's hearing is on
18:35 docket number 073320740.
18:37 An overview of the fiscal year
18:39 2027 operating budget for the
18:40 boston public health commission
18:40 .
18:42 This hearing this morning's
18:44 hearing will cover topics
18:48 including the uh uh bfsi
18:49 overview, emergency medical
18:52 services, recovery services and
18:53 homeless services.
18:54 This is one in a series
18:55 of hearings to review the
18:56 fiscal year 27 budget.
18:59 This afternoon we'll be hearing
19:00 from, uh, the boston public
19:02 health commission, uh, where
19:04 we'll be covering the topics
19:06 of infectious disease child,
19:07 adolescent and family health,
19:09 violence prevention and
19:10 behavioral health and wellness.
19:12 So a few of your questions are
19:13 on those topics.
19:15 Uh, we can save those for the
19:16 afternoon.
19:18 Uh, again, that hearing is
19:18 starting at three.
19:20 Uh, usually sort of two sort
19:22 of three uh, advocates I think
19:24 wanted to come and speak and so
19:25 I really want to thank fccps
19:27 for being accommodating to that
19:30 really helps us uh, you know,
19:31 um, do our jobs.
19:32 Uh, so these matters were
19:34 sponsored by mayor michelle wu
19:35 and referred to the committee
19:36 on APRIL 8th, 2026.
19:39 this morning I'm joined by my
19:40 colleagues in order of arrival
19:41 .
19:43 We have councilor flynn and
19:43 councilor breadon.
19:45 We have received letters
19:46 of absence from
19:47 councilor santana and
19:48 councilor louijeune.
19:51 I believe we MAY also have
19:53 questions submitted by uh
19:54 councilor colletta zapata who
19:56 gets special dispensation for
19:58 being on maternity leave.
20:00 I will read her questions for
20:01 you to answer if I receive
20:02 them.
20:04 That is not unless somebody is
20:06 on maternity leave or paternity
20:06 leave.
20:08 I am not extending that
20:08 invitation to any of my
20:10 colleagues so don't get any
20:10 ideas.
20:12 Um uh, so I'm just gonna
20:13 introduce the panel and then
20:14 hand things over.
20:16 Uh, we're joined this morning
20:17 by the chief of public.
20:18 Uh, the chief of public health
20:19 commission.
20:20 Uh, I don't know if I got that
20:21 right.
20:22 Uh, doctor solo jakarta.
20:24 Uh, we're we're joined by the
20:26 public health commission budget
20:28 director chris valdez and we're
20:29 joined by the chief
20:30 of emergency medical services
20:32 and my constituent jim hooley.
20:34 Uh, nice to see you.
20:37 Uh, and, uh, I believe you're
20:37 my constituent.
20:38 If I do, I have that wrong.
20:40 Maybe.
20:42 oh, no.
20:43 Oh 20.
20:44 You know you're who I have
20:45 reaching 14.
20:46 Yeah, I think that's me.
20:47 but if you were in pippins
20:49 district, you're now in mind
20:49 so.
20:51 Okay, well, thank you very much
20:51 .
20:53 It's really nice to see
20:53 everyone.
20:54 If you have a presentation the
20:55 floor is now yours.
20:56 Great.
20:58 good morning, chair weber
20:59 and distinguished councilors.
21:01 I'm honored to be here today
21:02 before you on behalf of the
21:03 boston public health commission
21:05 and our over 1400 dedicated
21:07 employees who are working every
21:09 day to build a healthier boston
21:09 .
21:11 For the record, my name is
21:12 doctor solo jakarta.
21:13 I am the commissioner of public
21:14 health for the city of boston
21:15 and the executive director
21:16 of the boston public health
21:16 commission.
21:18 This morning I'll be providing
21:19 an overview of the commission's
21:22 work and detailing some of our
21:23 accomplishments over the past
21:24 fiscal year specifically
21:25 focused on the areas
21:26 of recovery services and
21:27 homeless services.
21:28 I will also provide an overview
21:30 of live long and well our
21:31 city's first population health
21:32 equity agenda, which is focused
21:34 on closing gaps in life
21:35 expectancy in our city.
21:37 I am joined by our budget
21:38 director christopher valdez,
21:40 who will discuss details of our
21:41 fy 27 recommended budget.
21:43 Then I'll have the answer.
21:44 I'll have the honor of passing
21:46 it over to chief hooley
21:47 of boston ems so that you can
21:48 hear more about the many
21:50 accomplishments of boston ems,
21:51 which is one of the boston
21:53 public health commission, six
21:54 bureaus and a key partner in
21:55 our efforts to protect and
21:56 promote the health and
21:57 well-being of boston residents.
21:59 During this afternoon's hearing
22:01 I will provide, uh, further
22:03 details on our work relating to
22:04 infectious diseases child
22:05 adolescent family health,
22:08 violence prevention and
22:08 behavioral health and wellness.
22:14 So this was a year of many
22:14 challenges.
22:15 Public health has been under
22:16 significant threat from the
22:18 federal government, and we have
22:20 faced national debates about
22:22 the efficacy of vaccines,
22:23 decreased support for
22:24 populations who have made
22:26 vulnerable challenges to die
22:27 and certainly challenges
22:28 related to advancing health
22:29 equity.
22:30 So this has created some real
22:31 concerns for many of our
22:31 residents.
22:35 But I want to assure uh, city
22:36 councilors that we here at the
22:37 boston public health commission
22:39 have remained unwaveringly
22:40 focused on our mission, which
22:41 is to work in partnership with
22:42 communities to protect and
22:43 promote the health and
22:44 well-being of all boston
22:45 residents, especially those
22:47 impacted by racism and systemic
22:47 inequities.
22:50 I want to thank all of you and
22:51 the many people who made it
22:52 possible for us to maintain
22:53 focus on our mission.
23:06 So something is not so oh
23:07 sorry.
23:12 Okay.
23:13 Ethan to the right.
23:14 So is it going to work?
23:15 it's going forward.
23:15 Okay.
23:17 So sorry about that.
23:17 Um, yeah.
23:19 Our efforts are centered around
23:20 the idea of making boston a
23:21 healthy home for everyone.
23:23 This idea unites the six
23:25 bureaus, four offices and more
23:26 than 1400 employees that
23:29 comprise b, c b phc carries out
23:30 our mission under the
23:31 supervision of a seven member
23:33 board of health and the board
23:34 of health is made up of leaders
23:35 in health care, public health
23:36 and organized labor.
23:39 They provide strategic guidance
23:41 and recommendations to
23:41 leadership team and staff.
23:44 She also acts as the city's
23:46 chief health strategist,
23:47 organizing cross-sector
23:48 partnerships and collaborations
23:52 to advance health equity and to
23:53 address the social and
23:54 structural determinants
23:55 of health inequities in our in
23:57 our health in our city.
23:58 I'm very proud of our work over
24:00 the past year and I'm looking
24:01 forward to the year to come.
24:03 And now I will turn it over to
24:04 chris for this.
24:09 Thank you doctor coutu and good
24:10 morning councilors.
24:12 In the next few slides I'll be
24:14 speaking about our fy 27 budget
24:15 including this formulation
24:17 touching on our external
24:19 funding and providing a brief
24:20 update on some of our capital
24:21 improvement projects.
24:24 Now, as has been widely
24:25 discussed, the increasing cost
24:26 of certain components of our
24:27 fringe benefits will be
24:30 stressors on our fy 27 budget
24:32 specifically the sba's pension
24:33 expense and health care
24:33 premiums.
24:35 Now, unlike most departments,
24:37 fda is expected to fully
24:38 cover its own fringe expenses
24:40 as part of its operations.
24:42 And our appropriation includes
24:43 a component intended to
24:44 cover just the fringe costs
24:46 associated with internal staff
24:47 namely the staff whose roles
24:50 are funded by the appropriation
24:51 staff that are grant funded or
24:52 otherwise externally funded
24:53 must have their fringe costs
24:54 recovered by way of a fringe
24:56 rate in fy 27.
24:58 Our pension expense is now
24:59 scheduled to go up by 5% and
25:01 our health care premiums by
25:01 just over 20%.
25:04 How do we apply the targeted
25:06 reduction guidance for fy 27
25:08 appropriation?
25:08 using our existing fy 26
25:10 These increases would have
25:11 necessitated service cuts
25:13 of over 4 million before
25:14 applying any targeted
25:14 reductions.
25:16 Recognizing this, opm partnered
25:18 with us to develop a process to
25:19 treat our appropriation in the
25:20 same manner as other
25:21 departments which not include
25:22 fringe in their budgets.
25:25 This was accomplished by first
25:26 removing the fy 26 values
25:28 of our pension, healthcare
25:29 premiums and other
25:30 post-employment benefits also
25:32 known as opeb from our fy 26
25:32 appropriation.
25:35 Then a targeted reduction was
25:37 applied to the balance as part
25:38 of the mayor's um departmental
25:39 reduction guidance.
25:42 Finally, the new values for our
25:42 pension, healthcare premiums
25:44 and old people read back along
25:45 with any departmental transfers
25:47 to get a total fy 27
25:48 appropriation value.
25:50 The targeted reduction was
25:51 primarily achieved by
25:52 increasing the budget for
25:54 specific revenue streams such
25:56 as ems transport billings which
25:58 are a direct offset to the
25:58 appropriation value.
26:00 The end result is a year over
26:02 year increase of 1.6% that
26:03 preserves staff and services
26:05 while also meeting the goals
26:05 of the mayor's call for
26:06 departmental reductions.
26:10 I'll now switch from internal
26:12 to external funding for fy 27.
26:14 The city appropriation is just
26:15 one component of our total
26:16 annual budget for fy 27.
26:18 We expect the appropriation and
26:19 related revenue streams to
26:21 account for 72% of this budget.
26:22 Federal sources will account
26:26 for 15%, state sources 8% and
26:27 other sources which includes
26:29 the opioid settlements will be
26:31 5% for federal funds
26:32 specifically, most of our
26:33 funding does come from the
26:34 department of health and human
26:34 services.
26:36 Within this the majority is
26:37 from the health resources and
26:38 services administration or
26:40 herself, which includes the
26:42 ryan white hiv aids program in
26:42 our infectious disease bureau.
26:45 Now the federal funding levels
26:47 for pfc did decrease between fy
26:49 26 and 27, but this was
26:51 expected due to the wind down
26:51 of arpa activities.
26:53 We continue to monitor federal
26:55 actions and litigations as part
26:56 of our preparedness activities
26:58 and thus far vpc has not had
27:00 any federal grants formally
27:00 rescinded.
27:05 Finally, a few notes on our
27:07 planned city funded capital
27:07 activities.
27:09 The expected completion of a
27:10 new ems station on the south
27:12 boston waterfront will be in
27:13 2026.
27:14 This will improve the ems
27:15 response times in that area.
27:17 A state of good repair project
27:18 at the northampton square
27:19 garage is expected to progress
27:20 .
27:22 A key asset for the employees
27:24 boston ems, emc employees and
27:26 tenths of the property's
27:26 residential building.
27:29 Boston ems continues efforts to
27:30 modernize the department's
27:32 radio infrastructure, replacing
27:33 outdated equipment,
27:34 strengthening system
27:35 reliability and coverage and
27:36 enhancing coordination with
27:37 police and fire.
27:39 Lastly, in partnership with do
27:42 it fc completed phase one of a
27:43 server infrastructure upgrade.
27:46 Phase two begins in fy 27
27:47 ensuring pfc data and systems
27:49 remain reliable, secure and
27:50 cost efficient.
27:53 I'll now hand the presentation
27:53 back to doctor roger.
27:54 cook to.
28:00 Sue in 2025.
28:02 we launched live long and
28:03 well our city's first
28:04 population health equity
28:04 agenda.
28:06 As you all are where we have
28:08 stark inequities in life
28:09 expectancy and health outcomes