Now that the House took concrete steps to rein in competitive suppliers through the current energy legislation under debate, there could be a path forward this year to taking action.
Michelle Wu
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: Wu and Rooney on collision course, again
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce chief Jim Rooney are cruising toward another political fight that could strain their sometimes-friendly, sometimes-cool relationship. Over the course of the past week, Wu came out in support of a rent control ballot question, while Rooney’s organization joined the real estate-led campaign seeking to defeat the measure.
Posted inGovernment
Boston tax relief response, ballot question reform emerge for Senate action
As political fallout from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s ill-fated property tax plan continues, the Senate prepares to vote on a relief plan of its own, plus a measure to impose new scrutiny on ballot question electioneering.
Posted inThe Codcast
A showdown over Boston property tax rates
This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith talks with Greg Maynard, executive director of the Boston Policy Institute, as Boston the city council prepares for a Wednesday vote expected to raise taxes on single-family homes. Maynard says the administration is not moving quickly enough to inform the public about dire revenue forecasts or adopt new measures which could make up the difference.
Posted inPolitics
Competitive mayoral races abound, just not in Boston
For the real bare-knuckle action in mayoral contests these days, you need to look outside the state’s capital city, where incumbents don’t just often face serious challenges, but lose with some regularity.
Posted inPolitics
‘No Kings’ Boston rally draws thousands of protesters, few clashes
“The demonstrations were organized to push back against the Trump administration as it uses federal power to indict critics, deploy troops to Democratic-run cities, and strip funding from universities with policies aimed at fostering diversity.”
Posted inPolitics
Kraft 2.0 looks a lot like the first version
Boston mayoral challenger Josh Kraft is looking to recharge his struggling campaign, but it’s not clear how a speech he delivered on Sunday does much to juice his candidacy.
Posted inGovernment
Falling office building values still a concern for Boston’s budget, think tank says
The revenue picture now “looks worse than we expected,” according to the report’s author.
Posted inPolitics
Two companies, one roof, and the Boston mayoral race
On a tree-lined street in Medford, tucked away inside a strength training gym, there’s an office that’s been doing some heavy lifting in the Boston mayor’s race.
Posted inPolitics
City finances top of mind in early days for Boston mayoral candidates
FOUR YEARS AGO around this time, mayoral candidates in Boston and elsewhere found themselves staring at computer screens and pitching themselves to voters who were considering who should succeed Marty […]
Posted inPolitics
Wu administration puts City Hall attorney on leave amid his mayoral run
A City Hall spokesperson said the law department must be perceived as non-political by the mayor’s cabinet chiefs.
Posted inPolitics
Wu challenger emerges from inside Boston City Hall
He is currently in-house counsel for City Hall’s treasury department, which handles money, property, and securities acquired by the city.
Posted inPolitics
New Balance chairman drops $1 million on Josh Kraft super PAC
Super PACs are expected to play a large role in this election cycle, as political operatives consider them more impactful at the local level. While donors are limited to contributing $1,000 to a candidate’s campaign committee in a calendar year, super PACs offer the opportunity to donate a larger sum.
Posted inPolitics
Super PAC aligned with Mayor Wu receives six-figure donation
AN OUTSIDE GROUP that worked to help Boston Mayor Michelle Wu elect a slate of City Council candidates two years ago has received a six-figure infusion of cash as she […]
Posted inPolitics
Boston developer Tom O’Brien decides against mayoral run
O’Brien’s friends and acquaintances said he has long wanted to run for the top job inside City Hall.
Posted inPolitics
‘Are you out of your mind?’: Five moments from Mayor Michelle Wu’s immigration testimony
Mayor Michelle Wu offered a forceful defense of the city’s decade-old Trust Act, a policy that limits Boston police cooperation with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, during a testy House Oversight hearing in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.
Posted inPolitics
More than a year in the making, Josh Kraft launches mayoral bid
The face-off between Josh Kraft and Michelle Wu has no precedent in modern Boston politics.
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: New nonprofit swings into action on unemployment insurance
How a problem is explained in a poll can sometimes contribute to the result.
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: Super PACs could make a big comeback in Boston
Prior election cycles in Boston offer a possible preview of what’s to come in this year’s mayoral contest.
Posted inState Government
In Boston tax drama, Collins steps into the spotlight
A player who has avoided prime time finally stepped out into the open this week.
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: Golden Gate earthquake felt in Boston
When the fog in San Francisco lifted and the mayoral election tally rolled in, the outcome caught the attention of some people 3,000 miles away in Boston.
Posted inOpinion
Wu’s tax shift is no compromise
Boston’s double-digit office vacancy rates—driven in part by remote work—are among the highest in the nation and unlikely to decrease in the near future, curbing demand for office space and straining city revenues as companies opt for less space when leases expire. Rising construction materials costs and interest rates further cloud the outlook.
Posted inGovernment
Wu, business leaders reach compromise on property tax shift
Business leaders and analysts say the compromise is a short-term solution to a problem that isn’t going away.
Posted inState Government
Spilka hosts opposing camps on Wu’s property tax shift proposal
The meeting in Spilka’s office, which lasted about an hour, included Wu as well as her chief financial officer and assessing commissioner, and business community leaders, such as Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Jim Rooney and the Boston Municipal Research Bureau’s Marty Walz, a former House lawmaker, who have said there could be alternative approaches to Wu’s proposal, such as budget belt-tightening.