FY2023 City Council Legislative Budget Review

About the Process

Creation and Approval of the Municipal Budget

The Boston City Charter lays out the responsibilities and timeline for creation and approval of the City budget. The Mayor is in charge of creating the annual City operating budget, and submitting it to the City Council no later than the second Wednesday in April of each year. The City Council is responsible for reviewing this budget proposal, and voting on it no later than the second Wednesday in June. The Mayor also submits to the Council:

appropriation orders for public realm improvements, and
authorizations for land acquisition and loan orders, which support the City’s Capital Plan.

The City’s fiscal year runs from July 1 – June 30. We are currently in FY22. The upcoming fiscal year will be FY23.

FY23 City Council Review Process

The City Council reviews the Mayor’s budget proposal for approximately six weeks. This process is run by the Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means, Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson. This year, the process will involve approximately 30 public hearings, during which time the Council will hear from the departments that comprise the greatest percentage of the operating budget, as well as a few smaller departments. These hearings will also cover revolving funds and other budget-related appropriations.

All the Council hearings will be held in the Iannella Chamber, Fifth Floor, Boston City Hall. The public is encouraged to watch all the hearings and working sessions via livestream or broadcast on Xfinity Channel 8, RCN Channel 82, and Fios 964.

Public testimony is welcome and encouraged at all departmental hearings, as well as at dedicated public testimony hearings. See below for the hearing calendar and ways to testify!

AMENDMENT of the Municipal Budget, Return and Modification

The Charter Amendment passed by the Council and approved by voters in 2021 granted the Council new authority to amend the Mayor's proposed budget. Using this authority, the Council passed an amended budget on June 8, 2022.

The Charter then provides the Mayor an opportunity to return the Council's amended budget with modifications, which occurred on June 15, 2022.

Upcoming sessions

The Committee will hold sessions to review and discuss the return and modifications on the following dates:

Read the Budget Proposals

Pursuant to the Charter, the budget proposal may go through several versions.

Docket #0480 (as filed)

Read the Mayor's Budget Proposal (April 13)

Docket #0480 (as passed in a new draft)

Read the Council's Amended Draft (June 8)

Docket #0763

Read the Mayor's Modification (June 15)

Docket #0762/0763 as Overridden in Part

Read the Council's Partial Override of the Mayor's Modifications (June 29)

Upcoming Hearings

More FY23 Budget hearings

Full schedule

Topic	Public Notice
Admin & Finance: Budget Overview Presentation (including Revenue Overview)	Monday, April 25, at 10 a.m.
Capital Overview Public Facilities Department (PFD)	Monday, April 25, at 2 p.m.
Boston Public Schools (BPS): Budget Overview Presentation	Tuesday, April 26, at 10 a.m.
Public Testimony	Tuesday, April 26, at 6 p.m.
BPS - Schools Weighted Student Funding Enrollment Projections Schools with Declining Budgets Opportunity Index Transformation Schools	Thursday, April 28, at 10 a.m.
BPS - Academics Opportunity and Achievement Gap Curriculum Code of Conduct English Learners Special Education and Inclusion Literacy Early Education/Universal Pre-K Special Curricular Programs (AP, Credit Recovery, Age 22) Vocational Education Graduation and Career Readiness Libraries MCAS Office of Elementary Schools Office of Secondary Schools	Thursday, April 28, at 2 p.m.
BPS - Enrichment Arts and Music Athletics After School Programming Tutoring Summer Learning Partnerships	Monday, May 2, at 10 a.m.
BPS - Social Emotional Learning/Student Supports Behavioral and Mental Health Supports Homeless Education Resource Network Trauma/Crisis Response Family Liaisons, Social Workers, School Psychologists, Nurses Early Interventions Hub Schools	Monday, May 2, at 2 p.m.
BPS - Operations School Admission and Assignment System BPS Transportation Food & Nutrition Services School Safety Admin Budget/Central Office Human Capital (including Diversity, Recruitment, Evaluation, Staff Retention) Procurement BPS Revolving Funds	Thursday, May 5, at 10 a.m.
Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS) Office of Language and Communications Access (LCA)	Thursday, May 5, at 2 p.m.
Public Works Department (PWD) Transportation Department (BTD)	Monday, May 9, at 10 a.m.
Inspectional Services Department	Monday, May 9, at 2 p.m.
Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH) Office of Fair Housing and Equity (OFHE)	Tuesday, May 10, at 10 a.m.
Boston Fire Department (BFD)	Tuesday, May 10, at 2 p.m.
*Amendments Working Session*	Wednesday, May 11, at 3 p.m.
Boston Police Department (BPD) Police Commissioner’s Office Bureau of Professional Development Bureau of Professional Standards Bureau of Community Engagement Bureau of Field Services BPD Revolving Funds	Thursday, May 12, at 10 a.m.
Boston Police Department (BPD) Bureau of Admin and Technology - Operations Bureau of Admin and Technology - Admin & Technology Bureau of Investigative Services Bureau of Intelligence and Analysis	Thursday, May 12, at 2 p.m.
Boston Centers for Youth & Families BCYF Revolving Fund	Monday, May 16, at 10 a.m.
Youth Engagement & Employment	Monday, May 16, at 4 p.m.
Boston Public Health Commission Child, Adolescent and Family Health Community Initiatives Infectious Disease	Tuesday, May 17, at 10 a.m.
Boston Public Health Commission Emergency Medical Services Homeless Services Recovery Services	Tuesday, May 17, at 2 p.m.
*Amendments Working Session*	Wednesday, May 18, at 3 p.m.
Office of Equity Office of Resiliency & Racial Equity Human Rights Commission	Thursday, May 19 at 10a.m.
Immigrant Advancement (MOIA) Women’s Advancement (MOWA)	Thursday, May 19, at 2 p.m.
Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) PEG Access Fund	Thursday, May 26, at 10 a.m.
Environment Department Parks and Recreation Department Environment Revolving Funds Parkman Fund	Thursday, May 26, at 2 p.m.
BPS - BuildBPS and Future Capital Planning	Tuesday, May 31, at 10 a.m.
Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA)	Tuesday, May 31, at 2 p.m.
Office of Economic Opportunity & Inclusion (OEOI) Office of Tourism, Sports & Entertainment Office of Arts & Culture Equity Fund Tourism Revolving Fund Arts & Culture Revolving Funds	Wednesday, June 1, at 10 a.m.
*Amendments Working Session*	Thursday, June 2, at 10 a.m.
Public Testimony (VIRTUAL)	Thursday, June 2, at 6 p.m.
Office of Human Services	Monday, June 6, at 10 a.m.
Library (BPL)	Monday, June 6, at 12 p.m.
*Amendments Working Session*	Tuesday, June 7, at 10 a.m.
Return and Modifications Hearing	Wednesday, June 22, at 10 a.m.
Return and Modifications Working Session	Thursday, June 23, at 10 a.m.
Return and Modifications Working Session	Monday, June 27, at 10 a.m.

Get Involved

How to Testify

How to Watch

Watch It Again

Learn More About the City Council