City Council would need a two-thirds vote to override the mayor’s veto
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has rejected a proposal by the City Council to decrease funding for the city’s police department and veteran services.
In a letter to Boston City Council members, Mayor Michelle Wu emphasized the importance of a budget that is responsive to constituents’ needs, fiscally responsible, and prioritizes effective delivery of essential city services.
The council had previously approved a $4.2 billion operating budget, which included a $31 million reduction in funding for the Boston Police Department and $900,000 in cuts to veteran services. Additionally, the proposed budget included an $8 million increase in funding for participatory budgeting, allowing Boston residents to have more say in how tax dollars are allocated. Mayor Wu’s decision reflects a commitment to balancing community engagement, fiscal responsibility, and maintaining crucial services for residents’ quality of life in the city.
The numbers in the council’s proposed budget were significantly different from Mayor Michelle Wu’s budget. She had allocated only $2 million for the participatory budget process, while the council’s proposal included larger cuts to the police budget. However, the mayor pointed out that these cuts were not realistic since the city is legally obligated to cover salary and overtime expenses for the police department.
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With the mayor’s veto, the budget will now go back to the council, where it will require the support of two-thirds of the members to override Wu’s decision. Since there are 12 members on the council, at least eight members would need to vote in favor of overriding the veto. In the previous vote, seven out of the 12 members approved the proposal that was sent to Mayor Michelle Wu.
According to Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, who chairs the city’s Ways and Means Committee, the proposed cuts by the council wouldn’t have resulted in any city employees being laid off. In fact, her analysis revealed that the Boston Police Department could have had approximately $25 million in additional funds for the upcoming year.
Fernandes Anderson also criticized the Michelle Wu administration for lacking transparency and stated that there is a lack of effective collaboration between the administration and the council.
Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, who has a son serving in the Marines, expressed regret regarding the proposed cuts to veteran services. She clarified that the funding for veteran services would not have been affected because the proposed cuts were eligible for reimbursement by the state. She apologized for any confusion or concern caused by the proposed cuts and emphasized that she did not intend to send a negative message.
As of now, there has been no response from Fernandes Anderson’s office regarding a request for comment from US Newzs.
In addition, the Better Budget Alliance, a group advocating for increased participatory budgeting, criticized Mayor Michelle Wu’s veto.
The Better Budget Alliance expressed strong dissatisfaction with Mayor Wu’s decision to veto the higher $10 million allocation for participatory budgeting. In a statement, they deemed it unacceptable, asserting that the mayor used false criticisms to undermine the council’s crucial investments in Boston’s underfunded working-class and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities. They criticized Wu for prioritizing the protection of unused police funds and excessive overtime within the inflated budget of the Boston Police Department, instead of directing funds towards genuine community investments.
Conversely, the head of Boston’s largest police union applauded the mayor’s veto. Larry Calderone, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, expressed gratitude that the mayor rejected the council’s misguided efforts, which would have significantly and disproportionately impacted the BPD budget and impeded the department’s ability to effectively serve and protect the people of Boston.
As of now, there has been no immediate response from the mayor’s office regarding a request for comment from US Newzs.