Read on Twitter
Going to be reading through the @CityOfBoston FY22 proposed budget today, will live-tweet anything interesting I find.
To start off, this document uses the word "robust" 8 times.
#bospoli
To start off, this document uses the word "robust" 8 times.
#bospoli
It's a 1000 page document and I'm a slow reader so I don't expect to fully absorb all the details but hey it's a start
Spending is up $142 million (3.9%) from last year. Most of this is from federal funding known as American Rescue Plan (ARP). "ARP" is also the noise I make when I stub my toe on my dresser at 3am.
We should expect around $215 million from federal government. $100 mil goes to offsetting revenue declines and $115 million goes to a new Equitable Recovery Resources Committee. Hoping to hear more about what that is.
Where's the City getting its money from? Well according to this document, 73% of it comes from net property taxes, 13% from state aid, 4% from excise taxes (those are little fees that the government adds to the sale of goods (think bag tax))
The rest is from other stuff
The rest is from other stuff
Idk if I mentioned it before but the total operating budget is 3.75 billion dollars. The city has become increasingly reliant on property tax to fund the city
Ok so something that literally only ever comes up during budget season is something called Proposition 2.5.
It allows cities to raise property taxes by no more than 2.5%. Looks like Boston is going full send this year
It allows cities to raise property taxes by no more than 2.5%. Looks like Boston is going full send this year
I'll get to total dollars and cents in a sec, but it looks like BPS is seeing 66 million more in funding, but it says that "BPS level services budget is decreasing slightly, driven by central office officiencies."
Idk what that means but I hope to find out
Idk what that means but I hope to find out
Total public safety spending is up 1.4%
Around $1 million dollars is going to Office of Police Accountability and Transparency, which @juliaforboston had a hand in legislating. Unclear as of yet where each dollar and cent goes towards
Around $1 million dollars is going to Office of Police Accountability and Transparency, which @juliaforboston had a hand in legislating. Unclear as of yet where each dollar and cent goes towards
Public Health Commission spending is up 4% and will include "infectious disease sustainable infrastructure."
The word "sustainable" is used 18 times throughout the document
The word "sustainable" is used 18 times throughout the document
Boston has something called a AAA Bond rating and honey they want you to KNOW
I may have not mentioned it before, but we have an OPERATING budget and a CAPITAL budget.
Operating Budget is personnel services (like my salary, thanks y'all) and programming costs (it keeps the lights on)
Capital Budget is infrastructure
Operating Budget is personnel services (like my salary, thanks y'all) and programming costs (it keeps the lights on)
Capital Budget is infrastructure
In FY22, 62% of our operating budget goes to personnel services and 14.3% goes to health benefits for city employees (not just folks who work in City Hall btw, it's also the hardworking folks who clean our streets, teach our kids, etc).
Healthcare costs are going up, and the city has an obligation called Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) which is a non-pension fund the city pays into to help retired city workers
For FY22, energy costs (literally keeping the lights on) are $46.1 million. Electricity makes up 55% of that budget, natural gas makes up 27%, and diesel/petrol makes up 8%.
The rest goes to water, sewer, heat, and steam (also the name of my city Earth, Wind, and Fire cover band)
The rest goes to water, sewer, heat, and steam (also the name of my city Earth, Wind, and Fire cover band)
Funding for new departments is $4mil
3 mil goes to new Equity and Inclusion office
1 mil goes to OPAT (previously mentioned)
3 mil goes to new Equity and Inclusion office
1 mil goes to OPAT (previously mentioned)
