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City Council questions neighborhood services on FY27 cuts to block-party grants and liaison vacancies
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Summary
At an April 28 Ways and Means hearing, councilors pressed Office of Neighborhood Services officials on FY27 budget changes that zeroed summer block party and Spooky Streets grants, left three neighborhood liaison vacancies and showed a confusing personnel-services increase for the Office of Civic Organizing.
Ben Weber, chair of the Boston City Council Ways and Means Committee, presided over an April 28 hearing on the FY27 operating budget for the Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS), focusing on 311, Spark Boston and the Office of Civic Organizing.
Councilors centered questions on program cuts and staffing. Councilors were told the summer block party grant (up to $750 per award) and the Spooky Streets grant ($350) are not included in the FY27 operating budget; OCO officials said they are seeking external philanthropic partners to sustain those programs. OCO later quantified the reductions as $60,000 removed from summer block party grants and $10,000 removed from Spooky Streets grants.
"For the summer block parties is up to $750 in terms of funding. For spooky streets, it's 350 flat," Natalia Benitez Perez, director of the Office of Civic Organizing, said when asked to confirm amounts for the programs. She added that partnerships have previously been used to fund some awards and that any committed external funding would be added through the usual acceptance process.
Councilors also pressed ONS about neighborhood liaisons and vacancies. Officials said ONS currently has 14 neighborhood liaisons and three vacancies covering Roslindale, Jamaica Plain and Charlestown; deputies and regional staff fill coverage gaps when positions are open. Councilors said the liaison role has evolved from strictly running neighborhood meetings to more proactive outreach, including coffee hours and door-knocking.
Several councilors sought clarity on a line-item change that appeared to inflate the Office of Civic Organizing's personnel services from $130,000 to $316,000 in the budget book. "We have not changed, added, or, done any type of of change to the positions or salaries," Natalia Benitez Perez said, and ONS staff said they would follow up to resolve discrepancies in the published budget pages.
Councilors repeatedly asked for clearer notification protocols when ONS holds meetings in district neighborhoods, saying district offices sometimes learn about community meetings only after they occur. ONS officials said they work with Intergovernmental Relations to notify councilors and pledged to review notification practices to improve collaboration.
The chair closed the hearing after the second round of questioning; no votes were taken and no public testimony had been submitted for this session.
What happens next: ONS staff said they will provide follow-ups on the personnel line-item question, a list of grants that were cut, and vacancy timelines for specific liaison positions.
