[{"_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",6223960,"mediaKeyId","3557075-71251df5872130e860a349665ef75669","parentId",3557075,"title","Treasury, collecting divisions report high collection rates, digital upgrades and postage pressures in FY26 budget briefing","audioSeconds",2702,"startMs",1044000,"endMs",3746000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3557075-71251df5872130e860a349665ef75669&start=1044&end=3746","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3557075-71251df5872130e860a349665ef75669/thumbnail_1044000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6223960/Boston-City/Suffolk-County/Massachusetts/Treasury-collecting-divisions-report-high-collection-rates-digital-upgrades-and-postage-pressures-in-FY26-budget-briefing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223960-4086e7ff60dc9b5ef3d1bdc8cf97f06c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188436&Signature=F7VpE-bXUJ7eoJ~yqzAw0xHokmzmOjWeJvWjWfwBB-224hDK1kFN5-nA-p6b8Sbld5wWQu3HULQCAoquW6tc7ONAlPeDAF85FQgIj3h8i-DQkmfBbsQewFPPkEyseKiDgAAPDSAQHoNFzPitx88uXG~kvYYlikotMg4yGLns2-SqY3dEDETaGsP8sIBNUsjBiyIsGGYTUzHEp1y4xSp9ygj6HdTs~2NpNm2TThTobPZibujliI--bwJOzCuRR0Y7-huLLGZFmZAw~Ex10gdXotfCH3JVqOcTvByxUwj906oLopjeqQ~OBAZ7b8TdCUyCfrovpUqgagfuojf~W5uOiQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boston City, MA","date","2025-05-27T23:26:13Z","article","City finance leaders told the Boston City Council Committee on Ways and Means on May 27 that the Treasury Department and the Collecting Division continue to maintain near‑complete collection rates while adding electronic payment options and outreach efforts to reduce delinquencies.

Celia Botten, first assistant collector-treasurer, and Tim McKenzie, interim deputy treasurer, presented organizational responsibilities and FY26 budget recommendations. The administration recommended approximately $2,630,000 for the Treasury Department’s operating budget in FY26 and a $2,134,250 operating recommendation for the Office of Participatory Budgeting (presented separately), with most increases driven by wage benchmarking and higher postage costs.

Botten described the collecting division’s mission and operations: maintaining a high collection rate, assisting taxpayers with payment plans and outreach (including work with Age Strong and the Home Center), operating telewindows and online portals, reconciling daily deposits and managing tax title actions. She reported a FY24 collection rate of 99.2% (99.1% in FY22) and said the division had collected roughly $23,100,000 in delinquent taxes, reducing tax-title volume by about 23% year-over-year.

McKenzie explained Treasury functions including cash and investment management, payroll and vendor payments, defined contribution plans, and trust and community preservation oversight. He said Treasury processes roughly $110,000,000 of payroll and $65,000,000 for retirees each month, issues about 55,000 checks and advices monthly, and pays about $200,000,000 a month in vendor payments. He described the FY26 operating recommendation of roughly $2,630,000 as a $37,000 increase over FY25, primarily for wage increases and postage.

Officials told the committee they have rolled forward operational improvements that include an expanded online payment portal, pay-by-phone options, scheduled payment capability and plans to add QR codes on tax bills. Botten said the office also implemented outreach automation to contact taxpayers by email and phone, which she credited with collecting $23,100,000 in delinquent taxes.

Councilors questioned the divisions about several operational details. Councilor Flynn praised the professionalism of collecting-staff interactions with taxpayers. Council members asked whether postage increases (a cited 5¢ federal increase) had been budgeted; officials said the FY26 recommendation includes funding for the postage increase and that about 1,000,000 tax bills are mailed annually because of a state requirement to mail tax bills even when online options are available.

Officials said they are working to expand language access and partner with community groups to reach seniors and residents with limited digital access. Botten described current payment-plan outreach and coordination with the Home Center and Age Strong for residents experiencing difficulty paying taxes. The office also reported an approximately 23% reduction in tax-title filings year-over-year because of improved outreach.

Committee members pressed for additional follow-ups. Treasury and collecting staff agreed to provide the council with a clear inventory and status of trust funds referenced during the hearing, including the law enforcement trust fund balance, and to provide updated figures on outstanding real‑estate taxes and the results of recent operational reviews of collection practices. Tim McKenzie said the pension and trust portfolios are overseen with a consultant (NEPC) and are managed for long-term performance.

The administration also described planned technical improvements intended to reduce manual work and late notices. Officials told the committee they had budgeted for postage increases and wage benchmarking but did not propose new permanent staffing in FY26; they said personnel costs comprise about 80% of operating budgets for these offices.

Committee members and public commenters asked about targeted relief options, such as payment plans or hardship funds, for residents with limited resources. Officials described existing payment-agreement options and outreach to identify taxpayers in hardship and said they can coordinate with the Home Center for additional support. Staff agreed to follow up with more detail on payment-plan volumes and potential program design options for hardship assistance.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Ways & Means FY26 Budget: Treasury Department , and Participatory Budgeting on May 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City finance officials presented the Treasury and Collecting divisions’ FY26 recommended budgets to the Ways and Means committee on May 27, citing a 99.2% collection rate in FY24, $23.1 million in delinquent taxes collected, investments in online payment options and a postage-cost increase that affects up to about 1 million mailed tax bills.","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},6223965,"Boston participatory budgeting pilot funds six projects with $2 million; advocates and some councilors press to grow fund",798,234000,1032000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3557075-71251df5872130e860a349665ef75669&start=234&end=1032","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3557075-71251df5872130e860a349665ef75669/thumbnail_234000.jpg","/articles/6223965/Boston-City/Suffolk-County/Massachusetts/Boston-participatory-budgeting-pilot-funds-six-projects-with-2-million-advocates-and-some-councilors-press-to-grow-fund","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223965-8fdcbed0b25502930a41afd2897198aa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188436&Signature=oZodjO0qe4tSZftmmM70KEb3c9KXsT~puL8MNzIPje-bbJEcJCkVUF1LcRzXH6rLzXL4NKwVThrYfaHpMm3MWY9W7PHs0IlMDiQosWp9bQo6scn04J7kZqjLCIKZ3zc6x982W2~NnN~0EOcPhFi7W9queWRP2gVE2-8h5dHr9RTPtD5y3EB8JyJ65qaFP4Ioea6ug8TexRagSDglLWS2QeAgkfHsVw~-4CJYoh42cK8Iwni~sFLvJx9RMYGRPSgSKHpEx4~7RucVgxRIemE2B9i9N5DCvPaZMHzEZh7ydtBvSytevpOmeb-veH81F72~6Mlvo4JRQOZfYRmSvlHg5Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Boston City Council Committee on Ways and Means Chair Brian Worrell on May 27 heard a report from Renato Costello, director of the Office of Participatory Budgeting, on the office’s pilot year and the administration’s FY26 recommendation: a $2,134,250 operating budget and a $2,000,000 minimum allocation for participatory-budgeting projects, funded through a special revenue fund established by the PB ordinance.

The participatory budgeting, or PB, pilot ran from idea-collection in July 2024 through voting in January–February 2025. Costello told the council residents submitted roughly 1,200 ideas; staff and volunteers organized visioning forums that produced 15 proposals; the final ballot contained 14 projects and generated 4,460 votes. Six resident-chosen projects received awards totalling $2,000,000.

The pilot’s outcomes matter because the PB process was created to expand civic engagement and give residents direct control over a portion of public funds. Costello told the committee city staff and the office used prior appropriations and accumulated balances in a special revenue fund to sustain a $2,000,000 baseline for future cycles so the program can be predictable and not promise amounts it cannot guarantee.

Costello said the office rolled prior-year operating balances into a special revenue fund: about $1,999,000 moved into FY24, combined with an unspent FY24 allocation to create roughly $3,300,000 available; $2,000,000 was allocated to projects in the pilot, leaving an ending special revenue balance of about $2,700,000, and a projected $2,100,000 going into FY26 after the office holds a second-cycle award round.

Costello summarized the pilot’s results and winners. He said the process collected about 1,200 ideas, held three visioning forums (East Boston, Roxbury and Dorchester) with about 100 residents participating in those forums, and produced 14 ballot proposals that received 4,460 votes online and in person. Costello said six projects were funded citywide: expanded access to fresh food ($400,000); rat-prevention initiatives in dense residential areas ($500,000); programs for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth ($250,000); rental assistance for Boston youth ages 16 to 24 ($200,000); support for community gardens ($500,000); and benches at high-ridership public transit stops ($150,000). Costello added the office contracted an external evaluation team and prepared a public dashboard of submitted ideas and voting results.

Resident speakers who testified during the hearing urged a larger PB fund. Kathy Enriquez, an East Boston resident and member of the Better Budget Alliance, said turnout and engagement were strong during idea-collection and forums but that many residents were frustrated by the small size of the citywide pot: “Disappointment is the only word that I can think of right now to describe that energy that I felt afterwards,” Enriquez said, adding that she would like to see at least 1% of the city budget placed under direct resident control. Francesco Otenham, who described himself as a former manager of a youth participatory budgeting process, criticized what he called “process stagnation” and said PB should be a structure for democratic input at every stage rather than a single vote at the end of a narrow process: “Real participatory budgeting is a solution to that. It's not just a vote at the end of the process, but a structure, an infrastructure for democratic input at every stage,” he said.

Council members asked about outreach, sustainability and whether the program could be expanded. Councilor Flynn praised the collecting division staff’s service but said he was concerned about fiscal uncertainty and recommended a $1,000,000 decrease to the PB line as a demonstration of fiscal discipline. Other councilors — including Councilor Braden, Councilor Pepin and Councilor Mejia — spoke in favor of increasing PB funding over time and of working with community partners and council offices to boost turnout in neighborhoods with lower participation.

Costello and Ashley Grafberger, the city’s chief financial officer and chief of the finance cabinet, told the committee the office plans to expand partnerships with community organizations (about 18 groups applied to be partners for cycle 2), to add PB corners at city facilities, to explore BCYF (Boston Centers for Youth & Families) partnerships, and to make phone-line and web submission options available for accessibility. Costello said cycle 2 would kick off in July 2025, with idea review in August–September, proposal development October–December, voting January–February 2026, and project funding beginning in spring 2026.

The administration presented the PB funding approach as a balance between serving community demand and keeping an assured, sustainable baseline for future cycles. Costello said the office intentionally preserved a minimum of $2,000,000 in available project funding so future cycles can rely on a predictable amount even if annual appropriations fluctuate.

The hearing closed with calls from council members and public commenters for the council to consider amendments during the budget process to increase PB funding, and with the office promising quarterly or cycle-based updates and a public dashboard that will track project implementation and timelines.

Cycle 2 is scheduled to start July 2025; voting is planned for January–February 2026, and implementation timelines will be published as departments finalize plans.","At a May 27 hearing of the Boston City Council Committee on Ways and Means, the Office of Participatory Budgeting presented results from its pilot year and a FY26 operating request that keeps a $2 million minimum for resident-chosen projects. Residents and council members said the allocation is too small and urged increases.","actionData","errors"]

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Treasury, collecting divisions report high collection rates, digital upgrades and postage pressures in FY26 budget briefing

Boston participatory budgeting pilot funds six projects with $2 million; advocates and some councilors press to grow fund