Boston mayor responds after lawmakers try to slash police budget, veteran services

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu rejected a City Council proposal that would have cut funding for the city's police department and veteran services.

"Our budget must be responsive to the needs of our constituents, fiscally responsible, and built on a foundation of effective delivery of City services that are central to our resident’s quality of life," Wu said in a letter to members of the Boston City Council on Friday, according to a report from the Boston Globe.

The Democrat mayor's letter comes after the council approved a $4.2 billion operating budget for the city that would have reduced funding for the Boston Police Department by $31 million and $900,000 in cuts to veteran services. Along with the proposed cuts was an $8 million increase in funding for participatory budgeting, a city process that allows for more engagement on how Boston residents spend tax dollars.

The veto means the budget will now be sent back to the council where it will need two-thirds of the members to override Wu. With 12 members serving on the council, that would mean eight members would have to vote to override the veto. Seven of the 12 members voted to approve the proposal sent to Wu.

Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, chair of the city's Ways and Means Committee, told the Boston Globe on Friday that the council's proposed cuts would not have led to any city employees losing their jobs, instead arguing that her analysis found the Boston Police Department could have close to $25 million in extra funds next year.
Fernandes Anderson also blasted the Wu administration for not providing more transparency, saying the "administration does not work well with the council."