Straight out of left field: Krafts should fork over tens of millions for a new high school stadium in Boston, Globe columnist suggests | Construction of new homes, apartments grinds to a halt in Boston | Newton mayor makes big announcement | Downtown Boston struggles as city workers stay remote |
Remote work hypocrisy? Boston is spending millions to help city employees work remotely, even as it pushes companies to return to their downtown offices
When it comes to the Wu administration and the growing disaster formerly known as downtown Boston, is it the right hand not knowing what the left is doing?
Or is something more cynical going on?
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has been one of the biggest cheerleaders for a return to the office on part of the companies and businesses that drive the city’s economy, touting rising office occupancy numbers earlier this fall.
Yet the city of Boston, the largest employer by far, has made no major efforts to bring its own workers back to City Hall, depriving local restaurants and business of desperately needed customers, critics say.
Adding insult to injury, the Wu administration is ramping up tech department spending by nearly 20 percent as it looks to “ensure the tools that keep remote work working are well supported,” according to the city budget.
It’s not clear how much of that increase is due to work on infrastructure related to remote work, as opposed to other projects. There are also plans as well for a “multi-year computer replacement plan for employees.”
Overall, Boston’s tech department’s budget is slated to increase to $53 million, up from $44.5 million previously, with roughly $3 million of the increase related to core infrastructure work.
But the additional spending and the efforts to further facilitate remote work on part of city employees have not gone over well.
Not only is downtown Boston hurting, but Wu has repeatedly insisted there are no room for any cuts, despite an 8 percent increase in the city budget and an expected rise in tax bills for city homeowners.
“If people aren’t coming to work … that’s costing City of Boston small businesses, local restaurants, and other local establishments additional revenue,” Paul Jenney, a vice president at Charles River Development and a member of the Small Property Owners Association, said at a recent City Council hearing. “So it’s just not helping. You need to work within the budget.”
For his part, City Councilor Ed Flynn, whose district includes downtown, has been pushing the Wu administration for two years to start bringing city employees back to the office.
As an incentive, he’s even proposed a four-day work week for city workers who return to the office, but has been unable to get the Wu administration to play ball.
“We can no longer afford all sectors of our economy to work from home indefinitely and continue to contribute towards falling commercial property values,” Flynn said in a statement provided to Contrarian Boston.
Meanwhile, Wu is closing in on final approval for her plans to shift more of the city’s tax burden onto commercial properties and the owners of struggling downtown Boston office buildings.
The state Senate is expected to take up her plan on Thursday, which would head off an even bigger increase in residential taxes by hiking commercial tax rates.
What a deal: Krafts should share proposed soccer stadium with new women’s pro team and build Boston a new school athletic complex, Globe columnist suggests
Monday morning saw quite the lovefest break out on GBH’s Boston Public Radio.
The object of all the adoration by hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan? Well, none other than Globe columnist Shirley Leung and her latest column suggesting Boston’s new pro women’s soccer team should reconsider its Boston stadium plans.
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