City Council Cuts $1.4 Million From Boston Transportation Dept. In Last-Minute Budget Debates

Last night, in a marathon City Council meeting that included a sit-in protest and extended late into the evening, the Boston City Council approved a new fiscal year 2027 budget that will impose $1.4 million in payroll cuts at the Boston Transportation Department.

The Council’s decision could still be vetoed by Mayor Wu, although the Council’s final 12 to 1 vote on the budget (with Councilor Mejia opposed) represents a veto-proof majority.

The cuts to the city’s transportation staff came out of the blue late Wednesday afternoon after the Council had already been debating the budget for weeks in committee hearings and workshops.

The mayor’s initial budget proposal would have given BTD $45.6 million, a 4 percent increase over the $43.8 million budgeted in the current fiscal year, which is generally in line with inflation.

However, Wu’s budget also would have trimmed the city’s spending on a number of popular programs, including controversial cuts to youth jobs programs, arts grants, and social services.

Under City Council rules, city councilors can propose amendments to increase funding for specific programs, but they must be balanced with equivalent reductions in funding from other budget line-items.

After several weeks of debate, the Council’s Ways and Means Committee proposed to do just that, with a proposal that rolled back some of the Mayor’s proposed budget cuts by reallocating $7.6 million from new cuts in other departments.

The Ways and Means proposal included a $650,000 cut from the mayor’s proposed Public Works Department budget, and a $120,000 cut from BTD’s “contracted services” budget.

Council amendment cuts transportation payroll to fund other programs

In a late amendment introduced Wednesday afternoon, Councilor John Fitzgerald (Dorchester) proposed an additional package of changes that took away $1.4 million from the Boston Transportation Department’s personnel budget in order to avoid other cuts to social services, arts and culture programs, and youth jobs programs.

The amendment passed in a 9-3 vote, over the objections of Councilors Coletta Zapata (East Boston), Durkan (Back Bay/Mission Hill), and Council President Breadon (Allston/Brighton).

“My issue with this package is that the pulls from BTD will undoubtedly result in layoffs,” warned Councilor Sharon Durkan.

“I can not fathom giving BTD less resources to make our streets safer,” she added.

Still, all three of those Councilors ultimately voted for the final, amended budget later in the evening.

Staff at risk include planners, engineers, and parking enforcement personnel

Under Mayor Wu’s proposed 2027 budget, the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) would have received $45.6 million for operating expenses for the upcoming year.

About two-thirds that ($30.7 million) would have paid for the salaries and benefits of the city’s parking enforcement agents, parking clerks, traffic engineers, and transportation planners.

With the amended budget passed last night, BTD would only get $29.4 million to pay its employees in the upcoming year.

The BTD’s operating budget does not fund major construction projects, which are covered by the city’s capital budget.

However, many BTD staff conduct the planning and design work that is necessary to advance major capital projects to construction.

The BTD budget also does not include snow removal expenses or Public Works Department payroll costs, which are covered under other budget line-items.

StreetsblogMASS reached out to a BTD spokesperson on Wednesday to ask for more specific details on where the proposed budget cuts would come from, and whether the department is preparing for layoffs.

The office’s spokesperson did not respond to our inquiry before the end of the day; we will update this story if they do.