Boston City Council demands timeline transparency in $4.7 billion capital plan

BOSTON — December 5, 2024 — Boston City Council presses administration over stalled projects and opacity in $4.7 billion capital plan. The Committee on Ways and Means, chaired by Councilor Brian Worrell, held a hearing Thursday on Docket 1131, sponsored by Councilor Liz Breadon, examining the FY2025-29 capital plan — $500 million larger than its predecessor and covering 427 projects across all neighborhoods. James Williamson of the Office of Budget Management told councilors that general obligation bonds supply 76 percent of capital revenues and that debt service is trending toward the city's 7 percent policy cap. Chief of Operations Dionne Irish cited construction cost inflation of roughly 50 to 63 percent on recent projects, including a jump from $19 million for the Adams Branch Library in 2021 to a $31 million estimate for the Fields Corner Branch Library today. Kyle Weberg of the Government Finance Officers Association, appearing via video, called Boston's debt management "as good as national standards" but said the capital plan's project selection criteria and equity considerations are "not as transparent as maybe it could be." Breadon argued that councilors "just vote on a number" that is "not a predictor of what actually gets done," citing an emergency operations center tagged at $18 to $19 million as far back as 2012 that remains unbuilt. Schools represent 23 percent of the capital budget — the second-largest category after streets — and the $193 million housing allocation was confirmed to include Boston Housing Authority elevator repairs.