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Mayor Wu raises concerns about City Council proposal to raise taxes on big apartment buildings
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It's Friday! The annual Snowport Holiday Market kicks off its 52-day run in Boston's Seaport today — even if there are still leaves on the tree and Mariah Carey's elves are on strike. The outdoor market opens at 11 a.m. Friday through Sunday, and at 3 p.m. on other days. There's also live music this year on Monday nights.
But first the news:
The new tax hike debate: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu says she has some concerns about a City Council proposal to raise property taxes on apartment buildings. In a new interview with WBUR's Morning Edition host Tiziana Dearing, Wu said she appreciated the intention behind the idea, but worried it could have "unintended consequences."
- Catch up: Last week, City Councilor Brian Worrell proposed reclassifying apartment buildings with at least 30 units as commercial properties — which would subject them to a higher tax rate. Worrell pitched the idea as a way to provide relief to individual homeowners, after the Senate blocked Boston's proposal to shift more of its property tax share onto businesses last year. The contentious debate came amid worries that declining office values would force homeowners to shoulder more of the city's property tax burden. (Wu took another shot at the tax shift bill this year, but it got no traction on Beacon Hill.)
- The case for it: Worrell said his plan would save homeowners $1,000 a year on average and make “corporate landlords” pay their “fair share.” "Homeowners and small landlords are carrying a heavier load, while large apartment owners often pay less taxes per unit — sometimes far less," said the Mattapan councilor.
- The case against it: During the City Council's meeting last week, Councilor Sharon Durkan, a Wu ally, argued that Worrell's proposal would be a disincentive for developers, at a time "we urgently need to build more housing." Wu also said she was concerned apartment building owners could pass the tax hike onto renters. "Maybe there are ways that the policy could prevent that or mitigate that," she told Tiziana. "And so I'm not closing the door. We need to get more into the sausage making and the details in order to be sure that this wouldn't have unintended consequences."
- Go deeper: Click here to read more highlights from Wu's interview on Morning Edition, including her thoughts on New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
Up in the air: Today is the first day the FAA will reduce air travel at 40 airports across the country. And we found out yesterday that Boston's Logan Airport is on the list. The FAA said it is reducing flights by 10% as a safety precaution because of a staffing shortage among air traffic controllers due to the federal government shutdown.
- A spokesperson for Massport, which operates Logan, said yesterday that they expect delays and cancelations as a result of the move — though they were still waiting for information from the FAA about which flights will be affected. So far this morning, the website FlightAware reports 38 cancelations and 28 delays at Logan.
- Know before you go: Massport "strongly" urged anyone with a flight in the near future to check with their airline before heading to the airport. Many airlines were already alerting affected travelers; a number are offering refunds.
- Looking ahead: NPR has more here on what this week's move and the government shutdown in general could mean for Thanksgiving travel.
For the second time in five years, Boston's three exams schools are getting a new admissions policy. The city's school committee approved a proposal Wednesday that will take effect next year, ahead of the 2026-27 school year.
- What's changing: Currently, the admissions policy sorts applicants into tiers based on their neighborhood and compares them to other students within that tier. The new policy keeps that tier system for 80% of exam school slots, but reserves 20% for the students with the best grades and test scores citywide. It also eliminates bonus points that were given to applicants from majority low-income schools and reduces bonus points for kids without stable housing.
- Why it matters: As WBUR's Suevon Lee reports, the new policy is expected to result in fewer Black and Hispanic students getting into the selective schools, which have become more diverse and representative of the district’s student population under the current rules. But BPS leaders say it will be more equitable; Superintendent Mary Skipper said it's currently “sometimes mathematically impossible” for a high-performing student to earn an exam seat because of where they live. Suevon has more here on the expected effects of the new policy.
P.S.— What Massachusetts city made history this election by electing its first-ever mayor of color? Take our Boston News Quiz and see if you know the answer.
