Boston Mayor Michelle Wu laid out her vision for the upcoming year, making a number of commitments around housing affordability, public education and green initiatives in her second state of the city address on Tuesday. Speaking at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Wu described the state of the city as “strong,” highlighting prior efforts … Read more
The Boston City Council is kicking off the new year with an $11,500 raise, a bump that will increase each council member’s salary from $103,500 to $115,000. The raises were approved by the City Council in November of last year, but only became effective on Jan. 1, per state ethics laws, which dictate that all … Read more
Ruthzee Louijeune cruised to a 13-0 sweep to become the next president of the Boston City Council, but the vote may have been manipulated by former Councilor Tito Jackson, who reportedly asked another candidate to step aside to make it unanimous. The Herald has learned that another at-large councilor, Julia Mejia, was asked not to … Read more
Outgoing Boston City Council President Ed Flynn said he was forced to make difficult decisions as part of his efforts to provide positive leadership during a tumultuous two-year period for a body tarred by its ethical and legal lapses. As he prepares to hand over the gavel to the body’s undetermined new leader, Flynn points … Read more
Outgoing Boston City Council President Ed Flynn defended his father’s “record on race relations” in the wake of criticism that’s been leveled at former Mayor Ray Flynn as part of a new documentary recounting the 1989 Stuart murder. Flynn said that while he hasn’t seen the documentary, a collaboration between HBO and the Boston Globe … Read more
Outgoing City Council President Ed Flynn said the vote to block $13.3 million in federal counter-terrorism funding for the metro region showed the council was “not serious about public safety,” an attitude he hopes will shift with four new members. Flynn, who had been pushing last week for an emergency meeting to reconsider the funding … Read more
An “embarrassing” vote by the Boston City Council has led to movement on Beacon Hill, where a bill that would strip the body of its authority to approve public safety grants was referred to a legislative committee for review. State Sen. Nick Collins, a Democrat from South Boston, introduced the bill at an informal Senate … Read more
A state senator is seeking a change in Massachusetts law that would strip the Boston City Council of its authority to approve public health and safety grants, after the body’s latest “embarrassing” vote to reject $13.3 million in federal counter-terrorism funding. Nick Collins, a South Boston Democrat, filed a bill Friday that would allow that … Read more
The Boston City Council approved a home rule petition that grants immigrants with “legal status” the ability to vote in local elections, over concerns that the move could jeopardize their path to attaining full citizenship. The 8-4 vote taken Wednesday was described as a largely “symbolic gesture” by Councilor Gabriela Coletta who stated that conversations … Read more
A Wu administration official, on behalf of the mayor, mistakenly sent all Boston city councilors an email Tuesday inviting them to a holiday party that was meant exclusively for “electeds of color,” prompting an apology and mixed reactions. Denise DosSantos, the mayor’s director of City Council relations, told the body’s “honorable members” that, “on behalf … Read more
