Boston City Council Scrutinizes Parks Budget Ahead of 2026 Anniversary Celebrations

BOSTON — May 20, 2025 — Boston City Council reviews FY26 Parks and Recreation budget amid calls for more funding and a permanent commissioner. The Committee on Ways and Means, chaired by Councilor Brian Worrell, heard Tuesday from Interim Commissioner Brian Swett, who reported the department issued more than 5,000 event permits in the last fiscal year, planted nearly 2,000 trees, and surpassed 100,000 rounds of golf at the city's two municipal courses, all while operating on less than 1 percent of the city's total budget. Councilor Benjamin J. Weber pressed Swett on the absence of a long-term plan for Jamaica Pond, where a prior $4 million investment by a predecessor has not been followed by sustained planning; Swett said a plan could potentially be prioritized in FY26. Public testimony from the Friends of the Public Garden called for a permanent restroom on Boston Common, where the Friends have already spent $1.5 million on a temporary trailer, and requested a downtown park administrator recommended by the Boston Common Master Plan. Swett confirmed a permanent parks commissioner announcement is expected within two months and that the Boston Animal Shelter will receive an HVAC overhaul this summer while the city searches for a site for a new, purpose-built facility.