Executive Summary
The Ways & Means Committee held a hearing on April 23, 2026, to review the FY27 operating budgets for the Office of Labor Compliance and Worker Protections (OLCWP) and the Law Department, as well as the Property Damage Revolving Fund (Dockets #0733-0740, 0748). The OLCWP presented a $1.8 million budget focused on enforcing labor standards, including the Boston Resident Jobs Policy and the new Heat Illness and Injury Prevention Ordinance. The Law Department presented a $10.9 million budget, highlighting its role in defending the city against federal actions, managing over 10,000 public records requests annually, and preserving over $100 million in federal grants. Discussion centered on outside counsel spending, vacancies, and the legal liability of city contractors like Transdev.
Meeting Information
- Governing Body: Boston City Council, Committee on Ways & Means
- Meeting Type: Budget Hearing
- Date: April 23, 2026, at 10:11 AM
- Chair: Councilor Benjamin Weber
- Councilors Present: Benjamin Weber, Erin Murphy, Edward Flynn, Gabriela Coletta Zapata
- Councilors Absent: Liz Breadon, Henry Santana
- Panelists: Michael Firestone (Corporation Counsel), Sam Dinning (Chief of Staff and Policy, Law Dept), Kristen Coveney (Office Manager, Law Dept), Monique Mitchell (Senior Program Manager, OLCWP), Jody Sugarman-Brozan (Deputy Chief, OLCWP)
Office of Labor Compliance and Worker Protections (OLCWP) - FY27 Budget Overview
- Proposed Budget: $1.8 million (a 1.4% decrease of approximately $27,000 from FY26).
- Staffing: 13 total staff members; 10 are dedicated to the Boston Resident Jobs Policy (BRJP) Office.
- Boston Resident Jobs Policy (BRJP):
- Monitored 166 projects in the current fiscal year.
- Performance metrics (July 2025 - March 2026): 19% of work hours to Boston residents, 42% to people of color, and 7% to women.
- The Jobs Bank currently has 400 registered workers.
- Living Wage and Prevailing Wage Ordinance:
- The living wage will increase to $19.36 per hour effective July 2026.
- Monitored over 500 vendors and 1,000 contracts.
- Wage Theft Executive Order:
- Received 22 complaints; 20 were referred to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division.
- Heat Illness and Injury Prevention Ordinance:
- Implementation is underway with a new website (boston.gov/heat-protection) and training sessions scheduled for May and June.
- Worker Rights Initiative:
- Provided $273,375 in funding to worker centers and resource partners.
- Trained over 650 workers in multiple languages (Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Haitian Creole).
Law Department - FY27 Budget and Operations
- Proposed Budget: $10.9 million (a 1.4% decrease from FY26).
- Budget Allocation: 80% for payroll; 20% for contracted services (primarily outside counsel).
- Staffing: 75 total employees with 9 current vacancies. The department operates with fewer than 50 attorneys.
- Outside Counsel: Spent $2.623 million in FY26. Top firms include Stoneman Chandler, Nixon Peabody, and Cahill Gordon.
- Workload: Advises nearly 80 departments; reviews hundreds of ordinances and contracts; manages approximately 10,000 public records requests annually.
- Revenue Collection: Recovered over $7 million in unpaid taxes and $650,000 for injured police and firefighters.
Federal Litigation and Policy Defense
- Grant Preservation: The Law Department's multi-jurisdictional work has preserved more than $100 million in federal grants for housing and port security.
- Boston Trust Act: The city is currently defending the Trust Act in court against a lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice regarding detainer requests and information sharing.
- Amicus Briefs: The city has led 6 amicus briefs in multi-city coalitions and joined 25 others, including challenges to the termination of Haitian TPS at the U.S. Supreme Court.
- HUD Inquiry: The department is responding to an inquiry from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regarding the constitutionality of the city's fair housing agenda.
Docket #0748: Property Damage Revolving Fund
- Purpose: This fund receives recoveries from third parties who damage city property (e.g., vehicles, fences, trees).
- Function: Recovered funds are redeployed to the specific departments whose property was damaged to facilitate repairs.
Councilor Inquiries and Official Actions
- BPS and Transdev Liability: Councilor Flynn and Councilor Murphy inquired about liability in school bus accidents. Corporation Counsel Firestone clarified that while the city has resolved claims for certain tragedies, Transdev (the contracted provider) remains the employer of the drivers and often faces separate active claims.
- 17F and RFI Requests: Councilors Flynn and Murphy expressed frustration over unanswered 17F and RFI requests regarding BHA elevator issues and Transdev insurance. The Law Department committed to following up on these specific document requests.
- Public Records: Councilor Coletta Zapata inquired about reforms to the public records process. The Law Department noted a tripling of requests to 10,000 per year, creating a significant unfunded administrative strain.
- Wage Theft Ordinance: Councilor Coletta Zapata and Chair Weber discussed the upcoming codification of the Wage Theft Ordinance and the formation of an associated advisory council.