[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6271405,"mediaKeyId","3028922-7c00c0ca0e01ad8d052170381177fa19","parentId",3028922,"title","City Council debates waiving special election for District 7 as community leaders press for regular-cycle vote","audioSeconds",3110,"startMs",2888000,"endMs",5998000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3028922-7c00c0ca0e01ad8d052170381177fa19&start=2888&end=5998","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3028922-7c00c0ca0e01ad8d052170381177fa19/thumbnail_2888000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6271405/Boston-City/Suffolk-County/Massachusetts/City-Council-debates-waiving-special-election-for-District-7-as-community-leaders-press-for-regular-cycle-vote","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6271405-47efd4f25da09b370d4a9b23207e5904/orig.mp4?Expires=1771181617&Signature=ffIRdxKt6nG4dCt4cEWrB1MQFLwGk8y~BRjHb7QQQbLlbcqxvWGjYU-lVaYaEYzOd4d1uWtCT6b~Hpr~bl0lbwznLQhsN7APeNfQVaEZCM1EDL7o8PjPC38wMl-0aoi1wxY~hCBw1tx32zVkOpweLLHtFBJIhmNrAA~Ty6izW2fFAu~FH10yLOm5kTRJ6QTba5JkqKBfJCl1oc5DgPRqX0Lh~uFl3QWWWcwzb1UpqLPOOhWMLgvtrcaSaWtWg-GWnVu8nQbEKU-TpFoXo17~UbgVN3G5-y7aQTgy37ffR521CnOJXSTUQMIxr-96jEvumzhbzdiMww5dxU21eCnItw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boston City, MA","date","2025-04-17T00:49:09.36Z","article","Council President Louie Jen on Wednesday filed a Home Rule petition asking the City Council to waive a summer special election that would be triggered if the District 7 council seat becomes vacant and to instead seat whoever wins the November election as soon as results are certified.

The request, offered as docket 0901, drew lengthy debate among councilors representing or allied with Roxbury and neighboring neighborhoods, and prompted objections from other members who said the charter’s special-election rules should be followed. After more than two hours of discussion, the council referred the Home Rule petition to the Committee on Government Operations for further consideration. Separately, Councilor Lydia Murphy filed a resolution (docket 0911) calling for the prompt scheduling of a special election; that measure was referred to the Committee on the Whole.

Why it matters: Supporters of the Home Rule petition said a summer special election would produce low turnout in a district they described as historically underrepresented and could advantage well-resourced candidates. They argued community groups in Roxbury asked council leadership to seek predictability and to avoid a rushed, low-turnout vote in the middle of summer. Opponents — including several councilors who said they had won earlier races in special elections — said the charter provides a timeline and that cancelling a special election would deny residents representation.

Key points from council debate:
- Council President Louie Jen said the filing came at community request and that waiving a special election would \"provide certainty to Roxbury residents\" and avoid the low participation often seen in off-cycle contests.
- Councilors Mahir (spoken as \"Mahir\" in the record), Mejia and Santana supported the petition, stressing community outreach and concerns that special elections favor better-resourced candidates.
- Councilor Murphy objected to suspending the usual process and argued a special election preserves timely representation; she cited precedents where special elections put members in office sooner than delaying to a regular cycle.
- Several councilors recommended the matter be aired in Government Operations so the council can balance turnout, cost, legal timing, and community preference.

Process and next steps: Councilors voted to refer the Home Rule petition to the Committee on Government Operations. Councilor Murphy’s resolution asking the council to be ready for a special election if and when a vacancy is declared was placed in the Committee on the Whole. The clerk noted that, under the charter, a notice of vacancy triggers the special-election timeline.

Context and constraints: Council members repeatedly referenced the City Charter’s timing rules (noted on the floor as \"section 15a of the charter\") and the Secretary of State’s office signaled concern about the cost and feasibility of a special election this summer. Several speakers also urged reform of the charter’s vacancy timeline so the issue does not repeatedly come before the council as a one-off.

Community voices and uncertainty: Multiple community organizations and elected state legislators told council leadership they prefer the November election cycle for District 7; other participants urged strict adherence to the charter and timely replacement. The council did not make a final policy change; the Committee on Government Operations will hold hearings before any vote to adopt a Home Rule petition or other change.

Ending: Because the seat is not yet vacant, the practical trigger for any special election remains contingent. The council’s referral starts a committee process that will allow more community testimony and legal review before a final decision is made.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Boston City Council Meeting on April 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council President Louie Jen on Wednesday filed a Home Rule petition asking the City Council to waive a summer special election that would be triggered if the District 7 council seat becomes vacant and to instead seat whoever wins the November election as soon as results are certified.","taxTitle","Boston City, Suffolk County, Massachusetts","taxId",3381,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6271399,"Council’s Ways and Means opens FY26 Boston Public Schools review; multiple housing and workforce grants filed",480,2096000,2576000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3028922-7c00c0ca0e01ad8d052170381177fa19&start=2096&end=2576","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3028922-7c00c0ca0e01ad8d052170381177fa19/thumbnail_2096000.jpg","/articles/6271399/Boston-City/Suffolk-County/Massachusetts/Councils-Ways-and-Means-opens-FY26-Boston-Public-Schools-review-multiple-housing-and-workforce-grants-filed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6271399-c16c0871950d2bf4ec92fb2dabb396be/orig.mp4?Expires=1771181617&Signature=NdbOb3drrIPuJjrqvN0taxxnqb7xwCBSCkut9jWb7v9qv6ZcHZy0E8yrjh2zp99SI5aJ7fXy9aHtJoh6UrbEcF3L7x0RR~qqjpqdjGSH37OIcgp0CljHWoZiGe8Rcejtt-OD9XDkUuktT43ScqZzlepaauaYXn~jNY9hm39SryV-1l0GfU28aHkJJQZ3ofKuf4pBqbwzTBQB2H8FDvBMw7Zs3LcVW352DQ-w-HTVgW5KkRPIY1lYX6GNWWzkxww~4f4S7A550au0lbCjgzjAsrKTQiGMQFyRiNWzWuaBUsHaWo5Zut008ucglb5esZiSwCnZzMUhDGtzzYOYOZqTHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Boston City Council’s Committee on Ways and Means launched the FY26 budget review for Boston Public Schools this week with four hearings that the committee chair described as a “deep dive” into investments, equity goals and long-term facilities and capital plans.

The hearings, tied to dockets 0822 through 0833 and discussed on the council floor, examined inclusion and multilingual learner supports, wraparound services, school facilities planning (including closures and consolidations), and central-office operations and partnerships. School leaders and district staff briefed councilors on topics including expanded bilingual programs (Cape Verdean and Spanish at Blackstone), inclusion investments, central kitchen plans to reduce food waste, school staffing for nurses and psychologists, and a placeholder $20 million capital allocation for the Blackstone School rebuild.

Why it matters: Councilors pressed Boston Public Schools (BPS) officials on equitable access to bilingual programs, tracking metrics for inclusion and post-secondary outcomes, the community impacts of school mergers or closures, and the district’s management of federal funding reductions. BPS told the committee it had identified roughly $21 million in savings from recent consolidations and noted about 5,200 students experiencing homelessness.

Supporting details and next steps:
- The committee held four hearings April 14–15; dozens of RFIs were submitted by councilors during budget review and answers were placed in the distributed budget folders.
- The committee chair recommended that the budget dockets remain in committee while the council continues working sessions and follow-up requests for data.

Housing and workforce grants: At Wednesday’s meeting the council also received multiple grant messages from the mayor’s office. Dockets read into the record and referred to committees included:
- Docket 0885: Message authorizing the city to accept and expend an estimated $18,000,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from HUD, administered by the Mayor’s Office of Housing; referred to the Committee on Housing and Community Development.
- Docket 0886: Message to accept and expend an estimated $6,000,000 in HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds from HUD for new affordable rental and homeownership production; referred to Housing and Community Development.
- Docket 0887: Message to accept and expend approximately $4,149,200 for the YouthWorks grant (Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development), to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development; referred to Strong Women, Families, and Communities (committee assignment discussed on the floor).
- Dockets 0888–0889: Housing for Persons with AIDS ($4,000,000) and Emergency Solutions Grant ($2,000,000) messages; both referred to Housing and Community Development.
- Docket 0890: Immigrant Advancement Fund grant ($200,000) to support immigrant programs administered by the Office of Immigrant Advancement; referred to Civil Rights, Racial Equity, and Immigrant Advancement.
- Docket 0891: FEMA Hazard Mitigation Plan update grant ($180,000); referred to Public Safety and Criminal Justice.

Several councilors noted the amounts for HUD grants were “estimated from prior years” in the mayor’s messages. The council’s committee referrals are part of the routine process for grant acceptance and expenditure authorization.

Ending: Ways and Means will continue FY26 budget review and working sessions; the council’s committees will examine the grant proposals and hold hearings as needed before final approvals or votes appear on the calendar.","The Committee on Ways and Means held four budget hearings on Boston Public Schools priorities tied to FY26 budget dockets; the council also received multiple grant messages from the mayor’s office for HUD and other federal/state funds and referred them to committee.","actionData","errors"]

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City Council debates waiving special election for District 7 as community leaders press for regular-cycle vote

Council’s Ways and Means opens FY26 Boston Public Schools review; multiple housing and workforce grants filed