Wu Approves $4.8B Budget for Boston’s 2026 Fiscal Year

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu officially approved a $4.8 billion budget for the city's 2026 fiscal year on Monday, June 9. The approval included multiple amendments that the City Council made to Wu's preliminary budget proposal earlier this year. The city's budget spending plan goes into effect on Tuesday, July 1.

Boston City Council voted unanimously during the week of June 2 to pass approximately $9 million of line-item changes to Wu's budget. These additional funds were directed to housing support, jobs for youth, and mental health support services.

“Although we're facing the same uncertainty that cities everywhere are dealing with right now, the reality is that Boston is in the best possible position to weather this moment,” Wu said in a statement shared with The Boston Globe. “We are going to continue to double down on what our residents expect and demand from the city, which is excellent services, stability, a basic foundation of health and safety, and opportunity for everyone.”

“I'm very proud to work with all my colleagues who have delivered an amendment package that reflects the values of our residents,” said City Councilor Brian Worrell in a Boston Globe statement. “I'm also glad that the mayor has accepted this package, recognizing the collaborative work that went into delivering these investments.” 

According to The Boston Globe, this year's budget deliberations went smoother than last year. In 2024, the City Council became embroiled in conflict with Wu and her administration following her veto of most of the changes the council had made to her budget for the 2025 fiscal year.

During a drawn-out budget hearing with the City Council, councilors eventually regained about $6.2 million of the $13.3 million in revisions that Wu vetoed.