FY2026 City Council Legislative Budget Review
We'll be updating this page with information regarding the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget review process.
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Have questions? Contact:
City Council
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 dockets related to spending and borrowing money and acquiring land to support the City's Capital Plan.
The City’s fiscal year runs from July 1 – June 30. We are currently in FY25. The upcoming fiscal year will be FY26.
FY26 City Council Review Process
The City Council begins planning and advocating for the budget in January. After the Mayor submits her budget proposal in April, the Council reviews the Mayor’s budget proposal from the middle of April until June. This process is run by the Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means, Councilor Brian J. Worrell. This year, the process will involve approximately 35 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. The Council will also have working sessions to discuss Councilors' budget priorities and potential amendments.
Council hearings will be held in the Iannella Chamber, on the fifth floor of Boston City Hall. The public is encouraged to watch all the hearings in person or via livestream or broadcast on Xfinity Channel 8, RCN Channel 82, and Fios 964.
Public testimony is welcomed and encouraged at all departmental hearings, as well as at dedicated public testimony hearings. See below for the hearing calendar and ways to testify!
Full Schedule
Schedule| Topic | Public Notice |
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| Working Session: BPS RFI | Monday, February 3, at 10 a.m. (Piemonte Room) |
| Working Session: Departmental RFI | Monday, February 10, at 2 p.m. (Piemonte Room) |
| Public Testimony | |
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Working Session: BPS Budget Priorities |
Monday, February 24, at 10 a.m. (Curley Room) |
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FY26 Revenue + FY25 Revenue to Date |
Thursday, February 27, at 10 a.m. (Iannella Chamber) |
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Working Session: BPS Budget Priorities (with BPS)
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Monday, March 3, at 2 p.m. (Piemonte Room) |
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Working Session: Departmental Budget Priorities |
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Working Session: Departmental Budget Priorities #2 |
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Public Testimony |
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Working Session: Budget Data |
| Topic | Public Notice |
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Boston Public Schools (BPS)
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Boston Public Schools (BPS)
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Boston Public Schools (BPS)
BPS Facilities Revolving Fund BPS Transportation Revolving Fund |
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Boston Public Schools (BPS)
BPS Technology Revolving Fund |
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| Operating Overview | |
| Capital Overview | |
| Public Testimony | |
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Office of Equity Black Male Advancement Fair Housing and Equity Women’s Advancement |
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Immigrant Advancement Language and Communications Access (LCA) Commission for Persons with Disabilities Human Rights Commission LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement |
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Economic Opportunity and Inclusion (OEOI) Supplier Diversity |
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Consumer Affairs and Licensing Tourism, Sports and Entertainment Tourism Revolving Fund |
| Topic | Public Notice |
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Department of Innovation & Technology (DOIT) PEG Access Fund |
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Environment Department Office of Food Justice Conservation Commission Revolving Fund Distributed Energy Revolving Fund |
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| Working Session | |
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Inspectional Services Department (ISD) Property Management Public Facilities Department (PFD) |
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| Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT) | |
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Boston Centers for Youth and Families (BCYF) Office of Human Services
BCYF Revolving Fund |
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Boston Public Library (BPL) Arts & Culture Revolving Fund |
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Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC)
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Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC)
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| Planning Department | |
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Labor Compliance and Worker Protections Law Department Third Party Property Damage Revolving Fund |
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| Boston Fire Department (BFD) | |
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People Operations Election Department |
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Boston Police Department (BPD)
Canine Revolving Fund Fitness Center Revolving Fund |
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Boston Police Department (BPD)
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| Working Session | |
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Treasury Department
Participatory Budget (PB) |
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| Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH) | |
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Parks and Recreation Parkman Fund |
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Boston Transportation Department (BTD) Public Works Department (PWD) |
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Age Strong Veteran Services |
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Office of Human Services
Office of Workforce Development Youth Employment and Opportunity |
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Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS)
SPARK Boston |
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Office of Human Services
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| Capital Overview | |
| Public Testimony | |
| Working Session | |
| Working Session |
| Topic | Public Notice |
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| Working Session | |
| Working Session |
Letters from the Chair
Letters from the ChairHearing Materials
Hearing MaterialsOrders for the FY26 Operating Budget, including annual appropriations for departmental operations, for the School Department, and for other post-employment benefits:
- Docket #0822, message and order for annual appropriation and tax order for FY2026.
- Docket #0823, message and order for annual appropriation for the School Department for FY2026.
- Docket #0824, message and order approving an appropriation of Forty Million Dollars ($40,000,000.00) to the Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) Liability Trust Fund.
Orders for capital fund transfer appropriations:
- Docket #0825, message and order approving an appropriation of Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00) from the City’s Capital Grant Fund to address the impact of transportation network services on municipal roads, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure or any other public purpose substantially related to the operation of transportation network services in the city. Such funds will be transferred and credited to the Capital Grant Fund from revenue received from the Commonwealth Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund.
- Docket #0826, message and order authorizing an appropriation Order in the amount of Three Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($3,500,000.00) from Surplus Property Disposition Fund, credited to the Capital Fund for planning, design, and construction, for Dorchester Field House, General Parks Improvement, Restroom Facility Improvements at the Boston Common, and the Municipal Animal Shelter.
- Docket #0827, message and order approving an appropriation order in the amount of Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00) from the Parking Facility Fund, credited to the Capital Fund for planning, design, maintenance and construction, for the parking facilities.
Orders for the Capital Budget, including loan orders and lease-purchase agreements:
Orders authorizing limits for departmental revolving funds for FY26, including Arts & Culture, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, Boston Public Schools, Boston Police, Law, Tourism, and Environment, and other budget-related dockets:
- Docket #0831, message and order authorizing a limit for the Boston Public Schools revolving fund for Fiscal Year 2026 to support the maintenance and repair for BPS facilities, including custodial and utility costs for extended building time, floor refinishing, landscaping and building repairs, with expenditures not to exceed Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00).
- Docket #0832, message and order authorizing a limit for the Boston Public Schools revolving fund for the Fiscal Year 2026 for Boston Public School Transportation costs, including bus and public transportation costs, with expenditures not to exceed One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00).
- Docket #0833, message and order authorizing a limit for the Boston Public Schools revolving fund for Fiscal Year 2026 to repair and purchase Boston Public Schools computer technology, including computers, mobile devices, and instructional software, with expenditures not to exceed Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00).
- Docket #0834, message and order authorizing a limit for the Mayor's Of ice of Tourism revolving fund for Fiscal Year 2026 to purchase goods and services to support events and programming on and around City Hall Plaza to advance tourism and promote participation in public celebrations, civic, and cultural events, with expenditures not to exceed One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00).
- Docket #0835, message and order authorizing a limit for the Environment Conservation Commission revolving fund for the Fiscal Year 2026 for the purpose of securing outside consultants including engineers, wetlands scientists, wildlife biologists, or other experts in order to aid in the review of proposed projects to the Commission, per the City’s ordinance protecting local wetland and promoting climate change adaptation, with expenditures not to exceed Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00).
- Docket #0836, message and order authorizing a limit for the Distributed Energy Resource Revolving Fund for Fiscal Year 2026 to facilitate the purchase of of sets of greenhouse gas emissions which shall be associated with a portion of the electricity consumed by the City annually, and to operate, maintain, monitor, and expand the City's existing solar arrays and Boston Public Schools' combined heat and power facilities, with expenditures not to exceed One Hundred-Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00).
- Docket #0837, message and order authorizing a limit for the Boston Centers for Youth and Families revolving fund for Fiscal Year 2026 to pay salaries and benefits of employees and to purchase supplies and equipment necessary to operate the City Hall Child Care, with expenditures not to exceed Nine Hundred Thousand Dollars ($900,000.00).
- Docket #0838, message and order authorizing the Law Department revolving fund for Fiscal Year 2026 to purchase goods and services for repairs to city property, with expenditures not to exceed Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000.00).
- Docket #0839, message and order authorizing a limit for the Boston Police Department revolving fund for Fiscal Year 2026 to pay salaries and benefits of employees and to purchase supplies and equipment necessary to operate the Police Department Fitness Center, with expenditures not to exceed One Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Dollars ($125,000.00).
- Docket #0840, message and order authorizing a limit for the Boston Police Department revolving fund for Fiscal Year 2026 to support the Canine Unit’s training program for of icers and police dogs from non-City of Boston law enforcement agencies, with expenditures not to exceed One Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Dollars ($125,000.00).
- Docket #0841, message and order authorizing a limit for the Mayor's Of ice of Arts and Culture revolving fund for Fiscal Year 2026 to purchase goods and services to support public art to enhance the public realm throughout the City of Boston, with expenditures not to exceed Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars ($800,000.00).
- Docket #0842, message and order authorizing a limit for the Mayor's Of ice of Arts and Culture revolving fund for Fiscal Year 2026 to purchase goods and services to support the operation of the Strand Theatre, with expenditures not to exceed Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000.00).
- Docket #0843, message and order authorizing a limit for the Mayor's Of ice of Arts and Culture revolving fund for Fiscal Year 2025 to purchase goods and services to support the operation of the Strand Theatre, with expenditures not to exceed Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000.00).
- Docket #0844, message and order authorizing an appropriation of Three Million Six Hundred Thousand Dollars ($3,600,000.00) from the 21st Century Fund, also known as the Public, Educational, or Governmental (PEG) Access and Cable Related Fund, pursuant to Section 53F 3⁄4 of Chapter 44 of the General Laws for cable related purposes including supporting PEG access services, monitoring compliance with the cable franchise agreement, and preparation of renewal of the franchise license.
- Docket #0845, message and order authorizing an appropriation of One Million Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,300,000.00) from the George Francis Parkman Fund for the maintenance and improvement of Boston Common and parks in existence since January 12, 1887.
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Have questions? Contact:
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