 | | Boston Mayor Michelle Wu |
BOSTON - Thursday, February 10, 2022 -
Mayor Michelle Wu and the Office of
Budget Management (OBM) today announced a series of listening sessions in
partnership with the Boston City Council to both educate residents and
solicit public feedback on the FY2023 Operating Budget and FY23-27
Capital Plan, ahead of the Mayor submitting each to the City Council. At
the sessions, OBM will outline the budget process and highlight changes
made through the recent ballot
initiative  | | Boston City Council President Ed Flynn |
vote.
Through its passage, it alters the City Council’s role in approving the
budget and calls for the creation of a participatory budgeting model. The
City will solicit public feedback to inform the annual budget, federal
recovery funding from the American Rescue Plan, and the new participatory
budgeting model.  | | Boston City Councilor Erin Murphy (left)。 |
“This came about after the leadership of
community partners, along with City Councilors, to assure the City
Council would have a larger partnership in ensuring our City’s dollars
are equitably allocated according to the needs, interests and visions of
our residents,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “The community
listening sessions represent an opening up of the process to residents
from the very beginning.”  | Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson,
Chair of the Council’s Committee on Ways and Means |
“It is critical that we develop a budget
for the City of Boston that addresses our long-standing needs, such as
housing affordability and stability, public health, public and pedestrian
safety, climate resiliency and sustainability, and equitable access to
city services,” said Boston City Council President Ed Flynn.
“Thank you to Mayor Wu and her team for working with the City Council and
providing this opportunity for neighbors to offer feedback on the best
use of taxpayer dollars that will continue to help move us forward in
Boston’s economic recovery.” “With great enthusiasm, I look forward
to the commencement of the Budget Listening Sessions on the horizon,”
said Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, Chair of the
Council’s Committee on Ways and Means . “These sessions offer our city
an opportunity to help inform, through the power of the purse, what
policies we want to pursue and community enterprises we want to platform.
I look forward, as Ways and Means Chair, in playing an integral role in the
decision making processes that will distribute our city's resources in an
equitable and progressive manner.” The budget is the most direct way the City
of Boston invests in its residents' quality of life. Community engagement
ensures that the City is spending its resources equitably and that the
process is accessible for residents. Each listening session will be
dedicated to collecting the public’s input, including through a survey.
 | | Budget Director Jim Williamson. |
“It is crucial that we educate
constituents about the City of Boston's budget and the process in which
these resources are allocated,” said Chief of Community
Engagement Brianna Millor. “Engaging our constituents empowers them
to vocalize their needs and ensure that their City is working to address
them.” “OBM looks forward to sharing
information on the annual budget process and welcomes collaboration with
the Boston City Council and the residents of Boston to establish budget
priorities for the next fiscal year,” said Budget Director Jim
Williamson. Residents are encouraged to share feedback
at one of four virtual
listening sessions, organized by City Council district: ·
Tuesday,
February 15, 2022, 6 - 7pm | Districts 5, 6, 8 ·
Saturday,
February 19, 2022, 1 - 2pm | Districts 1, 3, 4 ·
Wednesday,
February 23, 2022, 6 - 7pm | Districts 2, 7, 9 ·
Friday,
February 25, 2022,10 - 11am | Councilors-At-Large The Mayor will submit the recommended
budget to the City Council on April 13. A series of Council hearings will
follow in May-June. The Council will vote to adopt, reject, amend, or
reduce the Operating Budget by June 8, and the budget will be resubmitted
by June 15. The new Fiscal Year starts July 1. Interpretation services can be requested
for the Zoom listening sessions upon registration. CART will be provided on February 15,
19, and 23. Feedback can be
submitted in any language through the survey at bit.ly/3myT0LG, at the listening sessions, or by calling
311. For more information on how to participate, visit boston.gov/budget. |
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