BOSTON – Boston Councilman Ed Flynn said, “It’s a great job, Mayor of Boston.”
And he should know. His father Ray was mayor from 1984 to 1993, and Ed Flynn openly muses about a possible challenge to Mayor Michelle Wu next year when she is up for re-election.
Flynn joined WBZ-TV this week for a one-on-one interview for Sunday’s “Keller At Large.”
First-term Boston Mayor Michelle Wu
What is his criticism of Wu’s first term?
“I am concerned about some of the issues we are focusing on now, issues related to Boston public schools, such as the late arrival of the buses and safety issues that are critical to residents,” he said.
“I think we also need to make sure that we work closely with state officials and people who have been convicted of a crime, especially a violent crime, are going to jail or going to prison. I think there needs to be some reform in the criminal justice system, but those are issues and challenges that I have worked on my entire life, and I want to remain active and involved in the city of Boston. Whether I serve on city council or run for higher office, I want that to be part of the solution.”
The Wu administration will face a key test this week when the Senate acts on the mayor’s request for authorization to raise the legal cap on commercial property tax rates, a move prompted by a post-pandemic collapse in downtown commercial real estate values and the shortfall in tax revenue this is expected to generate.
Boston’s business problems
Flynn was the only council to vote against the petition, arguing that the city needs to tighten its belt before squeezing a crucial economic sector.
“After the pandemic, businesses are still struggling,” he said. “In Boston, vacancy rates are still high in some of our downtown office buildings, reaching as high as 30%. They need our support in these challenging and critical times. They don’t need a tax increase.”
Meanwhile, property tax rates will rise, and Wu argues that failure to raise the commercial cap will result in crippling tax increases for local residents.
“We don’t want that, but we can increase the budget by 8 percent? The budget has to be cut, and an 8 percent budget increase is too high,” he said.
Boston Community Public Safety
Another of Flynn’s concerns: public safety. He has been lobbying for more police presence in Downtown Crossing and the Boston Commonand for stricter sentences for violent criminals.
“We must also recognize the overt drug dealing that takes place on Tremont Street, Winter Street or Water Street, right in the heart of downtown, including on the Boston Common. Tourists do not feel safe there, nor do employees. feel safe there. Residents do not feel safe there,” said Flynn.
And Flynn reports that progress is being made on a new security plan for the annual South Boston St. Patrick’s Day parade, which was plagued by criminal behavior last March.
“This is a family event,” he said. “Last year was a shame. We have a good group of people who meet with us monthly to discuss changes, but it will be very different from last year, and we can’t embarrass ourselves again like we did with the shenanigans last year. that has taken place.”
Jon Keller
