Council refers BPS oversight petition, expands condo conversion protections

City Council · Meeting of September 16, 2026

Boston councilors advanced fiscal oversight of BPS spending and expanded condo conversion tenant protections in a marathon Wednesday session. Councilors Erin J. Murphy and Edward M. Flynn filed a home rule petition seeking ongoing council oversight of the nearly $1.8 billion Boston Public Schools budget after a state Inspector General report found $857,000 in improper spending; a companion hearing order from Benjamin J. Weber and John FitzGerald was referred to the Committee on Post Audit. "The question is, do we have the courage to do it?" Flynn asked.

Council President Liz Breadon and Gabriela Coletta Zapata's ordinance would extend condo-conversion protections to triple-deckers, raising relocation aid to $15,000 for vulnerable tenants. The council also passed, 12-0, a resolution backing Medicare for All, adopted a resolution for striking Encore Boston Harbor workers, and rejected a records request on Election Department procedures, 5-4, with four members present.

In the full story:

• Opening Recognitions
• Public Safety and Police Budget Items
• Grant Approvals: Culture, Transportation, Early Childhood and Food Access
• Fire Apparatus Procurement Contract
• Board and Commission Appointments
• Boston Public Schools HVAC Status
• Condominium Conversion Ordinance Expansion
• Codifying Abutters Meetings
• BPS Fiscal Oversight: Home Rule Petition and Inspector General Hearing
• Melvin Cassius Police Age-Waiver Petition
• Nonprofit Property Tax Relief
• San Francisco Inclusionary Housing Comparison
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 3,647 words

Source: the City Council meeting of September 16, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.