Boston City Council Hears FY27 Budget Warning as Spending Freeze Takes Effect

BOSTON — March 23, 2026 — Boston City Council Ways and Means Committee hears stark FY27 fiscal preview as citywide spending freeze takes effect. Chair Benjamin J. Weber convened the March 23 hearing with CFO Ashley Roffenberger and OBM Director Jim Williamson, who reported that Boston closed FY25 with a $22 million surplus — down sharply from roughly $90 million in FY24 and more than $100 million in FY23. A March 12 spending-freeze memo, which councillors complained had not been shared with them for 10 days, freezes 100 percent of available balances in travel, food, office supplies, furniture, equipment, and special appropriations across nearly all city departments, with 50 percent freezes on repairs and contracted services. Health insurance premiums are set to rise 22.6 percent in FY27, driven by two individual claims of $3.5 million each and rapid GLP-1 drug cost growth. The city expects to receive approximately $12.5 million of a $46 million federal FEMA grant for World Cup expenses, below the nearly $24 million applied for, with revenue gap analysis ongoing. The FY27 operating budget is due April 8.