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Boston, Massachusetts, Question 1, Budget Approval Process Charter Amendment (November 2021)
| Boston Question 1 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 2, 2021 | |
| Topic City budget and City governance | |
Status Approved | |
| Type Referral | Origin Lawmakers |
Boston Question 1 was on the ballot as a referral in Boston on November 2, 2021. It was approved.
A "yes" vote supported granting the city council the authority to amend a budget proposed by the mayor and to override the mayor's budgetary amendments or vetoes and establishing an office of participatory budgeting by 2024. |
A "no" vote opposed this measure granting the city council the authority to amend a budget proposed by the mayor and to override the mayor's budgetary amendments or vetoes and establishing an office of participatory budgeting by 2024. |
A simple majority was required for the approval of this budget process charter amendment.
Election results
|
Boston Question 1 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
|
|
81,885 | 67.37% | ||
| No | 39,657 | 32.63% | ||
Measure Design
This measure made changes to the budget approval process in Boston by amending section 48 of the city charter. The measure amended the charter to allow the city council to make changes to the mayor's proposed budget before accepting it. At the time of the election, the city council could accept or reject the budget in full, or reduce certain line items. Under the charter amendment, the city council is able to increase or add line items as well (so long as the overall budget does not increase).[1][2]
The measure also required that the mayor approve or return the city council's budget within seven days. If the mayor takes no action on the budget in seven days, it becomes effective as if the mayor had signed it under the measure. If the mayor returns the council's budget with amendments or rejects it entirely, the measure gave the city council the ability to override the mayor with a two-thirds majority vote.[1][2]
The amended charter also required the creation of the Office of Participatory Budgeting by fiscal year 2024. The office was designed to "create and oversee an equitable and binding decision-making process open to all Boston residents" to allow citizens to more directly influence the city's budget.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Question 1 was as follows:
| “ | Shall this city approve the charter amendment proposed by the city council summarized below? | ” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary for this measure was:
| “ |
The proposed amendment to the Boston City Charter would change the City of Boston’s budget process in several ways. Under the proposed amendment, the Mayor and City Council would hold budgetary powers together, with the power to modify and amend appropriation orders. As is the case now, under the amendment only the Mayor may initially submit a budget or appropriation order. Currently, the City Council can adopt or reject a budget, or reduce specific items in a budget. Under the proposed amendment, the City Council would have the ability to amend the budget by reallocating funds among existing or new line items. The total amount of the City Council’s amended version of the budget, however, could not exceed the total amount of the budget proposed by the Mayor. The Mayor could accept or reject the City Council’s version of the budget, or amend any line item in the City Council’s version of the budget. The City Council would have the ability to override the Mayor’s veto or amendments by a two-thirds vote. In addition, the Mayor and City Council would also be able to amend the Boston Public School budget, subject to existing laws providing that only the Boston School Committee may originate a school budget or allocate spending within a school budget. The proposed amendment also requires the City Council and Mayor to create by ordinance an independent Office of Participatory Budgeting, including an external oversight board, to further public engagement with public spending. Under the proposed amendment, the office could create and oversee an equitable and binding decision-making process open to all Boston residents. The structure of the office and oversight board, and the binding decision making process on the budget, would be described in the future ordinance enacted by the City Council and Mayor. | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Support
Supporters
- Boston Mayor Kim Janey[3]
- City Councilmember Lydia Edwards[3]
- City Councilmember Kenzie Bok[3]
- Director of Campaigns for the Center for Economic Democracy Armani White[4]
- Executive director of the Chinese Progressive Association Karen Chen[4]
- Families for Justice as Healing Executive Director Andrea James[3]
- Right to the City Alliance Member Andres Del Castillo[3]
Arguments
City Councilmember Lydia Edwards: "This change would allow for the council to respond to public feedback with actions other than simply rejecting the budget. In addition to enhancing discussion of any new proposed or desired spending this change would give the city council more nimble tools in responding to budget cuts in the time of fiscal austerity and allow for public deliberation on what services could or should be reduced without lasting harm."[5]
Boston Mayor Kim Janey: "On my first day as Mayor, I promised to bring new voices to the table and include those who felt shut out by City Hall...Signing this charter amendment delivers on that promise and creates a path forward for city budgeting that is more democratic, inclusive, and transparent."[3]
Right to the City Alliance Member Andres Del Castillo said of the effect on budgeting processes on communities of color, "Poor fiscal policy affects our communities the most...[It] leads to cuts in education, in housing, in all the things that are critical and necessary to our communities."[3]
Opposition
Opponents
Organizations
- Boston Municipal Research Bureau[3]
Arguments
The Boston Municipal Research Bureau argued that the amendment would create "great uncertainty and dysfunction [in] Boston, threatening its fiscal stability and ability to deliver basic services."[5]
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through an 11–0 vote of the Boston City Council on May 19, 2021. The measure was originally approved by the City Council in December 2020, but when it was sent to Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey for review, it was returned with suggestions on how to avoid conflict with city and state law. After the revised version of the charter amendment was approved by the city council on May 19, it was transmitted to the mayor for approval. Acting Mayor Kim Janey approved the ballot measure on June 7, and Attorney General Healey approved it on July 2, 2021.[3][6][7][8]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Boston City Council, "Written Request Pursuant to G.L. c. 43b §10, to Amend the Charter of the City of Boston by Submission of a Question for Approval by the Voters," April 28, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Boston City Council, "Boston City Charter," accessed August 5, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 GBH News, "With Janey's OK, Boston Moves Toward Giving The City Council More Budget Power," June 7, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Bay State Banner, "Janey signs off on changes to city charter," June 10, 2021
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Boston Globe, "Boston City Council passes ballot question to change budget process," May 19, 2021
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedbridge - ↑ Boston.com, "Boston City Council opts to put budget process charter overhaul to voters in 2021," December 10, 2020
- ↑ City of Boston, "Minutes May 19, 2021," accessed August 6, 2021
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