Boston Public Health Commission Pitches 3 Percent Budget Increase Amid Federal Funding Fears

BOSTON — May 8, 2025 — Boston City Council reviews BPHC's proposed FY26 budget, raising alarms over $50.7 million in federal funding. Committee on Ways and Means Chair Brian Worrell convened the May 8 hearing, where Commissioner Dr. Bisola Ojukutu and Budget Director Christopher Valdez presented a proposed 3 percent overall spending increase driven by union contract settlements. Valdez confirmed two CDC grants — a health disparities grant and a community health worker grant — received termination orders this year before being temporarily restored through legal action, and said nothing in the federal portfolio is "set in stone." The commission's Men's Health Initiative, targeting men 25 and older in violence prevention, reached 207 percent of its FY25 enrollment target — 93 clients against a goal of 45. A $500,000 transfer from human services to the newly elevated Office of Violence Prevention for trauma-impacted families drew support from councilors, while BPHC nurses remain without a union contract dating to 2020.