Boston Policy Notes

bostonpolicynotes.substack.comBoston Policy Notes on Substack | SubstackBPI has joined the Pioneer Institute’s City Initiative! Boston Policy Notes will continue to provide all the Boston & MA focused research, analysis, and updates you've come to expect from BPI. Click t...

Looking for more? Join BPN's email list: 🗣️WEEKLY TRANSCRIPT ROUND-UP every Friday; 📜GREEN SHEETS every Tuesday or Wednesday before the Council's 33 regular meetings in 2026; 💸FY27 BUDGET SEASON starting when the FY27 budget is released 4/8/26; 🎙️Previews of impt hearings. Sign up on our website:

This is Gregory Maynard, the co-founder and executive director of Boston Policy Institute, with some very important news: today, BPI, and I, are joining the @pioneerinstitute.bsky.social! #mapoli #bospoli

bostonpolicynotes.substack.comBoston Policy Institute is joining the Pioneer InstituteBoston Policy Institute’s work is continuing as the Pioneer City Initiative; Thank you to our readers - this work is not only continuing, it is expanding!

Read the whole post & press release: bostonpolicynotes.substack.com/p/boston-pol...

25 Aug

MA's partisan primaries on 9/01/26, and there are 2 congressional races, 11 down-ballot contests, and state-wide turnout, all of which could have a big impact on the local policy conversation. Who do you think will win? BPI put together a #mapoli prediction game!

forms.gle#MApoli Election Predictions: 2026 Primary EditionBoston Policy Institute is continuing the proud tradition of election guessing games past (RIP #mapoli twitter, David Bernstein's Phoenix column, & Blue Mass Group) & is thrilled to launch a fresh rou...

25 Aug

Enter your predictions here: forms.gle/vhGW1fukZK5s...

12 June

This wk’s newsletter breaks down all the budget action, including every budget vote on 6/10 and how a letter from CFO Ashley Groffenberger could be a veto threat: it lays out the Wu administration’s case against a number of changes approved by the Council. #bospoli #mapoli

bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.comWeekly Transcript Round-up for 06/12/26Council approves $4.9B FY27 Operating Budget with just $11.8M worth of amendments; Every amendment at 6/10/26 Council meeting; Is Groffenberger's letter a veto threat?

12 June

Read the whole newsletter: bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.com/p/weekly-tra...

8 June

The @BOSCityCouncil is hosting its last budget working session before the City Charter-required vote on the FY27 Operating Budget on June 10. The City's CFO sent a letter warning against a # of proposed cuts & BPI is providing a liveblog. #mapoli #bospoli

bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.comFY27 BUDGET SEASON: At 12 PM, BPI liveblogs Council's 7th Budget Working SessionJune 10 budget vote deadline looms for this, the 2nd 'last' budget working session of FY27 budget seasons

8 June

Find the letter & the liveblog through the link: bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.com/p/fy27-budge...

4 June

The @bostoncitycouncil.bsky.social hearing on a proposed text amendment that would abolish parking minimums in Boston just got started. This is first real "Abundance" style reform proposed in Boston under Mayor Wu, but her administration opposes it. #bospoli #mapoli

bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.comPARKING MINIMUM ABOLITION HEARING: TODAY AT 10 AMWhere does Mayor Wu & City Councilors stand on the most important non-budget legislation currently before the Council?

4 June

Read BPI's preview here: bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.com/p/parking-mi...

bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.comFY27 BUDGET SEASON: BPI liveblogs Council's 4th Budget Working SessionFollow along at the Council's 4th working session of the FY27 Budget Season: Boston Policy Institute is live & in-person!

29 May

Today's budget working session was supposed to start at 10 AM, but has been delayed to 11 AM. While the meeting is technically public, it is not broadcast or video-taped, so BPI is doing a liveblog. #mapoli #bospoli Follow along: bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.com/p/fy27-budge...

31 May

Friday's working session was gaveled in at 11:24 AM and gaveled out at 11:38 AM by Ways & Means Chair @ben4district6.bsky.social. He responded to all the questions from his colleagues by saying “we can answer these questions line-by-line on Monday.” #mapoli #bospoli

26 May

Now the question is: will he be testifying at today's FY27 budget hearing, which includes the Assessing Department. #mapoli #bospoli

Gintautas Dumcius@gintautasd.bsky.social

NEW: Boston Assessing Commissioner Nick Ariniello is leaving after 7 years in the job, 20 years total in department Hinlan Wong stepping in as interim in July

boston.govCity Council Committee on Ways and Means Hearing on Dockets #0733-0740, FY27 Budget: Capital Budget Overview, Assessing, Auditing, Treasury

26 May

Read the whole public notice: www.boston.gov/public-notic...

@bosindicators.bsky.social

21 May

Boston is 10x larger than Plymouth, but issued just 5 more ADU building permits in 2025. If Boston issued ADU permits at the same rate as Plymouth, it would have issued 390, instead of 44. Boston is the only community in MA exempt from the ADU legalization law. #mapoli #bospoli

Boston Indicators@bosindicators.bsky.social

"More than a third of our lots are under 10,000 square feet... and making sure that folks who live on small lots had just as much opportunity as we could muster for them to construct an ADU if they wanted to was really important." Meredith Boericke, Braintree town council

Boston Policy Notes reposted

Boston Indicators

dotnews.comCity budget poses a test of powers between Wu and the councillors - Dorchester ReporterWith less than a month before the deadline for voting on Mayor Michelle Wu’s FY27 budget plan, Boston city councillors are feeling pressured from multiple sides.

This article includes BPI's analysis of how much Boston's budgets changed post & pre 2021 budget power reform (they now change less) and featured BPI's ED talking about Boston's recent history with deficit spending. Check it out! #bospoli #mapoli

DotNews@dotnews.bsky.social

With less than a month before the deadline for voting on Mayor Michelle Wu’s FY27 budget plan, Boston city councillors are feeling pressured from multiple sides and confronting questions about the limits of their powers. www.dotnews.com/2026/05/19/c...

bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.comINSTANT ANALYSIS: 6 Takeaways from Wu Budget Letter & Firestone Budget Memo - CORRECTEDBPI has 6 Takeaways, including that City Hall's deficit can't be solved with spending cuts alone & Corporation Counsel Firestone's claim Council has little ability to stop Mayor's budget

Looking for that analysis of budget changes around the 2021 budget power reform? Here it is: bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.com/p/instant-an...

bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.comGREEN SHEETS: Preview of 5/20/26 City Council MeetingWu needs Council approval for $70M to balance FY26; Amid mayoral pushback, Council budget amendment process subject of multiple dockets

Looking for that analysis of Boston's deficit spending? Check it out here: bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.com/p/green-shee...

Today @bostoncitycouncil.bsky.social had a rare & unusual budget working session called on 48 hours notice, the same day as a regular Council meeting. It comes as Wu & Council face off over the FY27 budget & days after City Hall submitted a $70M to close the FY26 deficit. BPI liveblogged it.

bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.comFY27 BUDGET SEASON: BPI liveblogs Council's 2nd Budget Working SessionFollow along at the Council's 2nd working session of the FY27 Budget Season: Boston Policy Institute is live & in-person!

There were fierce disagreements over a number of issues, including Chair Weber's proposed amendment process, and whether or not to reject the FY27 budget in its entirety. Read it here: #mapoli #bospoli

bostonherald.comBoston Mayor Wu tries to quell rebellion, as City Council mobilizes to reject her $4.9B budget due to cuts

15 May

BPI live-blogged the Council's working session 2 weeks ago where @brianworrell.bsky.social pitched this idea to his colleagues.

Boston Herald@bostonherald.com

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu took action to try to tamp down a revolt after learning that “some” councilors were mobilizing to vote against her $4.9 billion budget and seek additional funding to prevent painful cuts.

bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.comFY27 BUDGET SEASON: BPI liveblogs Council's 1st Budget Working SessionFollow along at the Council's 1st working session of the FY27 Budget Season: Boston Policy Institute is live & in-person!

15 May

24 Apr

This wk saw 3 @bostoncitycouncil.bsky.social budget hearings, but the major action was at 4/22's hearing on 3 transportation-related dockets, which was impt but saw little new info. BPI has 6 reasons why - #1 is abt @bostonglobe.com's reporting! Read more in the latest "Weekly Transcript Round-Up"!

bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.comWeekly Transcript Round-up for 04/23/26RFIs & transcripts from 5 offices that had budget hearing this week; 6 takeaways from unusual transportation policy hearing; ICYMI: BPI in Vennochi column

24 Apr

Read WTR here: bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.com/p/weekly-tra...

16 Apr

There are a LOT of important topics to cover in the 3 @bostonschools.boston.gov budget hearings happening today and tomorrow before the @bostoncitycouncil.bsky.social. Check out BPI’s preview, including 4 issues to watch, 4 q's to answer, and both top-line and under-the-hood #’s. #mapoli #bospoli

bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.comFY27 BUDGET SEASON: Preview $1.7B Boston Public School Budget hearings today & tomorrow3 hearings set for Boston Public Schools' FY27 Budget; BSC Chair Robinson's audit call looms; What are Boston's school building plans? PLUS more numbers & questions

16 Apr

Read the whole preview here: bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.com/p/fy27-budge...

Really interesting final note at the 10 AM FY27 Operating Budget hearing: Chair @ben4district6.bsky.social asks about Mayor Wu ignoring the Council’s budget amendments. In 2 different places in the FY27 Budget Book there is reference to that: #mapoli #bospoli

drive.google.comFY27 Budget Book on 04.14.26

On p. 51 the FY27 Budget Book notes: “the removal of the City Council amendment for Fair Housing Testers.” On p. 60 the FY27 Budget Book notes “removal of the Affordable Commercial Assistance Fund program as well as the removal of prior city council amendments.” #mapoli #bospoli

Look for more on that as BPI continues it FY27 Budget coverage! #mapoli #bospoli

The @bostoncitycouncil.bsky.social's FY27 budget hearings got started today. Check out BPI's preview of today's hearing on the $4.9B Operating Budget & $4.4B Capital Budget: #mapoli #bospoli

bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.comFY27 BUDGET SEASON: Preview today’s $4.9B Operating & $4.4B Capital Budgets hearingsHearings on Boston's FY27 Operating Budget and Capital Budget kick off the start of Council budget hearings; BPI has 2 issues to watch for each hearing, PLUS budget numbers & questions

Read the whole post here: bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.com/p/fy27-budge...

youtu.beBPI on "Talk of the Neighborhoods" to talk Boston's FY27 BudgetYouTube video by Boston Policy Institute, Inc

11 Apr

BPI’s ED was on BNN's “Talk of the Neighborhoods” on 4/09/26 to talk about Boston’s FY27 budget. The interview unpacked what is the budget & what is driving budget decision-making from layoffs at BPS to the possibility of a Prop 2.5 override. Watch it here: #bospoli #mapoli

9 Apr

BPI has a Letter to the Editor in today's @bostonglobe.com & @globeopinion.bsky.social about Boston's current fiscal crisis, and it makes an important point: City Hall was warned that this was coming & those warnings were dismissed. #mapoli #bospoli

bostonglobe.comWatchdog on Boston budget crunch: Don’t say we didn’t warn you - The Boston GlobeThe Boston Policy Institute has spent more than two years warning Boston City Hall about falling revenue.

9 Apr

Read the LTE here: www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/09/o...

trib.alBoston pays $12 million settlement to man freed from prison amid revelations of police misconduct - The Boston GlobeShaun Jenkins filed a federal lawsuit against the city and several Boston police detectives in 2023, after previously unreleased documents showed the detectives had paid key witnesses and prosecutors had buried evidence that could have implicated another suspect.

6 Apr

Settlements like this are counted as "Execution of Courts" in Boston's budget. If the City paid when the case was settled in October 2024, that means the $12M would be in FY25, costing 6x what was budgeted. #mapoli #bospoli Graphic is p. 636: www.boston.gov/sites/defaul...

The Boston Globe@bostonglobe.com

The city of Boston paid a $12 million settlement to a man who spent nearly 19 years in prison for a murder he said he did not commit, agreeing to the enormous sum years after a judge threw out his conviction.

drive.google.comFY26_FY27 Year-End Transition Memo.pdf

23 Mar

This spending freeze memo was made public at a @bostoncitycouncil.bsky.social Ways & Means hearing on the FY27 budget this morning. Read it here: drive.google.com/file/d/1QsLm...

Boston Herald@bostonherald.com

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is freezing city spending on office supplies, food, travel and renovations amid a budget crunch, the Herald has learned.

bostonherald.comBoston Mayor Wu freezes City Hall spending, delays hiring amid budget crunch

drive.google.comFY26_FY27 Year-End Transition Memo.pdf

23 Mar

This spending freeze memo was made public at a @bostoncitycouncil.bsky.social Ways & Means hearing on the FY27 budget this morning. Read it here: drive.google.com/file/d/1QsLm...

Kelly Garrity@kellygarrity.bsky.social

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration told department heads it’s freezing some spending for the rest of the fiscal year amid a city budget crunch. #bospoli www.bostonglobe.com/2026/03/20/m...

bostonglobe.comWu administration tells department heads its freezing some spending amid budget crunch - The Boston GlobeCity of Boston department heads must “limit overtime spending to non-discretionary duties,” and the city is strictly limiting “non-personnel” spending, according to a memo obtained by the Globe.

25 Feb

Why is @clrhenrysantana.bsky.social refiling 2 dockets to legalize ADUs, duplexes, triple deckers, & 4 families when City Hall has emphatically rejected these ideas? That was the q that BPI was hoping the Clr answered at today's Council hearing.

bankerandtradesman.comWu Backs Rent Control, Rejects Citywide RezoningBoston's mayor threw her support behind a ballot question legalizing rent control, while rejecting any moves to legalize denser housing in single-family districts.

25 Feb

These dockets were both heard at an 11/19/25 @bostoncitycouncil.bsky.social hearing & city officials said there were no plans to pursue this kind of city-wide legalization. Wu put a finer point on that message on @wgbh.org, explicitly rejecting following Somerville & Cambridge's upzoning.

bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.comGREEN SHEETS: Preview of 2/25/26 Boston City Council MeetingAgenda has 78 dockets; Resolutions to roll-back housing rules, support fare-free buses, & PROTECT immigrants promise to capture attention; Louijeune asks for World Cup plan promised since last spring

25 Feb

Santana's decision to not speak today on either refile keeps this conversation in limbo: technically on the agenda, while clearly out-of-favor with the Planning Dept & Mayor Wu. #bospoli #mapoli Read more in BPI's GREEN SHEETS preview of today's meeting:

bostonpolicyinstitute.orgBoston Policy InstituteBPI is focused on providing non-partisan information and in-depth analysis about the most important issues facing Massachusetts and the City of Boston.

23 Feb

Looking for more? Join BPI's email list: 🗣️WEEKLY TRANSCRIPT ROUND-UP every Friday; 📜GREEN SHEETS every Tuesday before the Council's 33 regular meetings in 2026; 💸FY27 BUDGET SEASON starting when the FY27 budget is released 4/8/26; 🎙️Previews of impt hearings. Sign up on our website:

The @bostoncitycouncil.bsky.social has a regular meeting today. BPI sent our preview of the meeting GREEN SHEETS yesterday. Here are some of the highlights! #mapoli #bospoli

View full thread

bostonglobe.comBPS chief proposes budget with job cuts, will seek exemptions from graduation requirement - The Boston GlobeBoston Public Schools chief Mary Skipper proposed cutting 300 to 400 teachers and other staff as part of a $1.7 billion plan for fiscal 2027.

Docket #0337 (p. 46-47) is a hearing order from CAL Erin Murphy for a "full independent audit" of BPS after news the district was running a ~$50M deficit - about 3% of the $1.7B budget - in the FY26 budget. This echoes a call from parent leaders: #mapoli #bospoli

bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.combostonpolicyinstitute.substack.com

Read more in GREEN SHEETS: bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.com/p/green-shee...

The @bostoncitycouncil.bsky.social has a regular meeting today. BPI sent our preview of the meeting GREEN SHEETS yesterday. Here are some of the highlights! #mapoli #bospoli

View full thread

Dockets #0128 & #0129 (p. 15-20) is approval of $9.5M for repairs at 4 schools. This had a hearing Monday, but no @bostonschools.boston.gov staff attended & City Hall staff couldn't explain how the repairs fit BPS or Boston’s overall capital plans.

bostonglobe.comOne-third of BPS seniors risk not graduating high school in June - The Boston GlobeMore than a third of BPS seniors are not on track to complete required MassCore classes.

Docket #0330 (p. 36-37) is a hearing order from @clrhenrysantana.bsky.social abt MassCore & BPS. This docket appears prompted by the Boston Globe report last Wednesday that ⅓ of Boston seniors were not on track to meet MassCore graduation requirements. #mapoli #bospoli

The @bostoncitycouncil.bsky.social has a regular meeting today. BPI sent our preview of the meeting GREEN SHEETS yesterday. Here are some of the highlights! #mapoli #bospoli