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City Council approves amended FY26 operating budget after 51 hearings, touts investments in youth jobs and housing
Summary
After an extensive budget process that the council chair said included 123 hours and 51 hearings, the Boston City Council approved an amended fiscal-year 2026 operating budget that members said increases funding for youth jobs, housing vouchers, English-language services and other programs.
The Boston City Council on Wednesday approved an amended fiscal-year 2026 operating budget after a months-long review and multiple public hearings.
Councilor Brian Worrell, chair of the committee on Ways and Means, told colleagues the budget process included “123 hours, 53 minutes, and 18 seconds across 51 hearings,” and said the council’s amendments aim to protect services while preparing for potential cuts in federal funding.
“This year's budget process was especially critical,” Worrell said, and “we delivered a budget that doesn't just maintain the status quo. It pushes us forward.”
Council members said the amended budget increases funds for youth jobs, rental vouchers and English-language instruction for newcomers, and includes investments in veterans services, firefighters’ occupational health programs and the city’s pest-control and traffic-enforcement efforts. Several councilors singled out new or expanded investments in housing vouchers and youth employment as priorities shaped by council amendments.
Councilors praised the process and central staff for enabling sustained public input; the chair said the committee held evening hearings and neighborhood listening sessions to accommodate residents. Councilors also noted that the budget is an iterative step and that continuing work — including tracking and implementing amendments — will be required after the vote.
Councilor Worrell moved acceptance of the committee report and passage of docket 0822 in an amended draft. The council conducted a roll-call vote; the amended FY26 operating budget passed unanimously.
