May Newsletter from City Councilor Lydia Edwards:
Summer is around the corner and we are well into budget proceedings here in the Boston City Council. In last month’s newsletter, I presented just some of my priorities for district one and now I’m excited to share with you what we’ve discovered in each hearing.
I had the opportunity to fight for capital projects in our neighborhoods from trash hokies in the North End, to increased police detail in City Square during North Washington Street bridge reconstruction, to a new senior center in East Boston. I’ve put together a breakdown of questioning from just some of the hearings which you can find below.
Now that we’re heading into second round of hearings, we still want to hear from you and what your top priorities for the FY 2019 budget are. Drop a line to lydia.edwards@boston.gov or call our office at (617) 635-3200 to let us know.
If you’d like more information on upcoming hearings, to watch hearings online, or for general information on the budget, please utilize the Boston City Council website as well as the City of Boston’s budget page. Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates!
Topics in this month’s newsletter include:
- Summaries from budget hearings including schools, building inspections, tax foreclosures, youth & family centers, transportation, police & fire, and parks & recreation.
- New East Boston Master Plan to provide framework for development while preserving quality of life.
- A review of the PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) program in which Boston universities are supposed to compensate the city for property taxes that can’t be collected from tax-exempt institutions.
- Community discussion to determine the future of Little Mystic Boat Ramp in Charlestown – should it be green space? development? both?
- Whether or not Boston is ready for Amazon and a focus on more affordable housing.
- Tax relief for residents who fall behind on property taxes.
Read more about these topics and see upcoming community meetings in the full newsletter.
