Boston City Council Approves $3.3 Million in Police Detective Retroactive Contracts

BOSTON — May 13, 2026 — Boston City Council approves $3.3 million in retroactive police detective contracts and clears more than a dozen grant dockets. The council voted 12-0 on all four dockets covering new collective bargaining agreements with the Boston Police Detectives Benevolent Society and its Superior Officers Unit, covering contracts that had lapsed since July 2025 and providing a 2 percent base wage increase, updated hazardous duty pay, and a new name-tag transparency requirement. Councillor Ben Weber, chair of Ways and Means, reported that the FY27 police overtime budget is set at $55.6 million against a recent historical average overspend exceeding $100 million, calling the gap a central budget concern. A motion by Councillor Edward Flynn to adjourn over 12 outstanding Section 17F oversight orders failed 10-2. Councillor Julia Mejia's resolution calling for a temporary pause on White Stadium's $325 million vertical construction — pending a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling — was sent to the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development after Mejia accepted a friendly amendment from Councillor Brian Worrell and withdrew her request for a floor vote. The council also adopted resolutions recognizing Haitian Heritage Month, supporting Governor Maura Healey's Ride Safe Act on e-bike regulation, honoring African American Military Heritage Day, and opposing state legislation that would require ID uploads to access social media.