Boston City Council Advances Real Estate Transfer Fee Home Rule Petition 11-1

BOSTON -- March 2, 2022, Boston City Council votes 11-1 to send a real estate transfer fee home rule petition to Beacon Hill. Councillor Ricardo Arroyo, chair of the Committee on Government Operations, presented Docket 0222, which would authorize the city to impose a transfer fee of up to 2 percent on property sales above $2 million, with proceeds flowing to the Neighborhood Housing Trust for affordable housing programs; an accompanying provision would immediately expand senior property tax relief under Section 41C once signed by the governor. Councillor Frank Baker cast the lone dissenting vote, arguing the two components should be separated and that the city must be "more prescriptive" in directing housing funds toward large construction projects rather than spreading money across connected developers and programs. The council also unanimously adopted an amended resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, adding a sixth resolve, proposed by Councillor Michael Flaherty, calling on the Biden administration to stop purchasing approximately 600,000 barrels per day of Russian oil. Separately, the council approved a $24.1 million federal SAFER grant to fund a recruit class of 85 at the Boston Fire Department training academy, described by Commissioner John Dempsey as the largest such grant in the country.