2026-10-08 - Government Operations Committee

00:52THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION.

00:53UM.

00:53UH, I'M I'M HAPPY TO DO.

00:56I'VE BEEN GRATEFUL FOR THE, UH.

01:00UM, ONE OF THE SERVICES FOR

01:03YOUR HERE.

01:04THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO STAYED

01:06IN THAT, UM.

01:23OKAY.

01:23UM, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET

01:24STARTED SOON.

01:25AS I SAID, MY NAME IS.

01:26THE COUNSELOR AND I'M THE CHAIR

01:28OF BOTH CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE

01:29ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS.

01:30TODAY IS OCTOBER 8TH, 2026 AND

01:33THE EXACT TIME IS 1001 AND

01:35ACCORDINGLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH

01:37CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025

01:39MODIFYING CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS

01:40OF THE OPEN MEETING LAWS AND

01:42RELIEVING PUBLIC BODIES

01:42OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS

01:44INCLUDING THE REQUIREMENT THAT

01:45PUBLIC BODIES CONDUCT ITS

01:46MEETING IN A PUBLIC PLACE THAT

01:47IS OPEN AND PHYSICALLY

01:48ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.

01:50THE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE

01:51CONDUCTING THIS HEARING

01:52VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM.

01:53THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED

01:55.

01:55IT IS ALSO BEING LIVE

01:57[email protected].

01:58FORWARD SLASH CITY COUNCIL DASH

02:01TV AND BROADCAST ON XFINITY

02:03CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82

02:05AND FIVE CHANNEL 964.

02:08WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO

02:10THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT SIX

02:14[email protected] AND WILL BE MADE

02:16PART OF THE RECORD AND

02:17AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS.

02:19PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN

02:21AT THE END OF THIS HEARING.

02:23INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON

02:24IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY

02:25SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE TWO

02:26MINUTES TO TESTIFY.

02:27IF YOU WISH TO SIGN UP FOR

02:29PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND HAVE NOT

02:30DONE SO, PLEASE EMAIL OUR

02:31CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON MEGAN AT

02:35NEA N DOT C O R U GETO M A R T

02:44I N AT BOSTON GOV.

02:45FOR THE ZOOM LINK IN YOUR NAME

02:47WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST.

02:49TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET

02:521099 AN ORDINANCE TO REQUIRE

02:54QUARTERLY REVENUE REPORTS TO BE

02:55PROVIDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

02:57THE MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY

02:58COUNCILORS EARL CULPEPER AND

03:00MEJIA AND WAS REFERRED TO THE

03:01COMMITTEE ON MAY 29TH 2026.

03:04TODAY I'M JOINED BY MY

03:05COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ORDER

03:07OF ARRIVAL.

03:08WORRELL LOUIJEUNE FLYNN IN

03:11CULPEPER.

03:12I WILL PASS UM THE MIC OVER TO

03:15COUNCIL ORAL AND MY COLLEAGUES

03:16IF THEY CHOOSE TO FOR ANY

03:18OPENING REMARKS AND THEN WE'LL

03:19GET INTO UM TODAY'S PANEL WE

03:21HAVE UH UM ADMINISTRATION PANEL

03:25AND THEN UH ADVOCATES ALTHOUGH

03:27COUNCIL OR I MAY JUST DEFER TO

03:29YOU TO HAVE EVERYBODY GO ALL AT

03:31ONCE SO JUST LET ME KNOW WHAT

03:32YOU'RE THINKING.

03:33IF NOT, THAT'S FINE.

03:33WE CAN JUST HAVE, UM, BUDGET

03:35DIRECT TO GO FIRST BUT FOR NOW

03:37PASS IT OVER TO YOU FOR YOUR

03:38OPENING REMARKS AND JUST LET

03:39ME KNOW ON ON THAT POINT.

03:40BUT THE FLOOR IS YOURS.

03:41THANK YOU.

03:43UH THANK YOU CHAIR AND I'M OKAY

03:44WITH EVERYONE GOING ALL AT ONCE

03:46.

03:47UM, WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR

03:49BEING HERE.

03:50THE PANELISTS UH, FROM THE

03:52ADMINISTRATION AND UH, THE

03:54EXPERTS UM, AROUND UM, YOU

03:57KNOW, LOOKING AT CITIES, UM,

03:59REVENUES, UM AND EXPENDITURES

04:02UM, AND CURRENTLY THE CITY

04:04CHARTER CALLS FOR THIS

04:06COUNCIL TO RECEIVE QUARTERLY

04:08EXPENDITURE REPORT.

04:09UM, WHEN I WAS WAIT I MEAN

04:12SHARE WE WOULD ASK FOR ALSO

04:13QUARTERLY REVENUE REPORTS AND

04:16THAT'S A PRACTICE THAT I WOULD

04:17LIKE TO SEE UH, CODIFIED UH

04:19THAT'S WHY I FILED THIS

04:21ORDINANCE WHICH IS A BASIC

04:22EFFORT TO ACQUIRE TRANSPARENCY

04:24AND PROVIDE THE COUNCIL AND THE

04:27PUBLIC UH, WITH INFORMATION

04:29AROUND REVENUE ON A QUARTERLY

04:32UM, AND MAYBE YOU KNOW, I WAS

04:34THINKING MAYBE THIS SHOULD ALSO

04:36BE MONTHLY, RIGHT?

04:36INSTEAD OF QUARTERLY.

04:38UH, THIS WILL ALLOW THE

04:39COUNCIL TO SEE THE CITY'S

04:40REVENUE TRENDS, UH, QUARTER

04:42OVER QUARTER IN ORDER TO GET A

04:44BETTER SENSE OF REVENUE

04:46PROJECTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING

04:47FISCAL YEAR.

04:48UM, AND ALSO JUST TO SEE THE

04:50TREND IS WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH

04:52WHERE THERE IS HOTEL SALES TAX

04:54AND ALL THE OTHER REVENUE THAT

04:57WE DO COLLECT.

04:59UM, AS OF NOW, THE WAY THAT IT

05:01IS STRUCTURED, THE PROCESS HAS

05:02BEEN AT THE PLEASURE OF WHOEVER

05:05IS A WAYS AND MEANS CHAIR BUT I

05:06WANT TO PROTECT AGAINST THAT

05:08AND ANY ADMINISTRATION CHANGES

05:10IN THE FUTURE TO CODIFY THIS

05:12PRACTICE MORE FORMALLY I LOOK

05:15AT HOW THE STATE REVENUE

05:16COMMISSION WORKS AND HAVE THEIR

05:17MONTHLY REVENUE REPORTS THAT

05:20INFORM NOT ONLY OUR BUDGET

05:21PROJECTIONS FOR CURRENT

05:22UPCOMING FISCAL YEARS, BUT

05:24AGAIN IT CAN ALLOW US FOR A

05:26REACTION TO AN ON THE GROUND

05:27TREND IN REVENUE CHANGES.

05:29OUR PERMIT FEES DOWN IS THE

05:30MILL TAX DROP IS UM IN WHAT

05:34NEIGHBORHOOD?

05:34AND WHEN WE SEE THOSE TRENDS UH

05:36THE COUNCIL THE CITY CAN TAKE

05:39ACTIONS UM TO TRY TO CORRECT

05:41THE SO THANK YOU UH EVERYONE

05:44FOR JOINING IN ON THIS

05:46CONVERSATION.

05:47I DO THINK THIS IS A BASIC WIN

05:48WIN WITH TRANSPARENCY AND THE

05:50POWER OF DATA, AND I'M HOPING

05:52WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS

05:53ORDINANCE BY THE END OF THE

05:54YEAR.

05:56THANK YOU COUNCILOR WORRELL.

05:59I HAD TO SNEEZE.

06:00SORRY.

06:01UM, COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE, YOU

06:03HAVE THE FLOOR.

06:05GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.

06:07UM, HAPPY TO BE WITH ALL

06:09OF YOU.

06:09UH THANK YOU.

06:10COUNCILOR OUT FOR THE FILING.

06:11LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING

06:14FROM, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION

06:15AND FROM EVERYONE, UM, AND HOW

06:17WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.

06:18THANK YOU.

06:19THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN.

06:25THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

06:26>> I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE

06:29COUNCILOR WORRELL.

06:30COUNCIL CULPEPER

06:31COUNCILOR MEJIA FOR BRINGING

06:33THIS FORWARD.

06:34I BELIEVE THIS IS THE COMMON

06:36SENSE, UM, EXCEPTIONAL

06:39RECOMMENDATION ON HOW WE CAN.

06:43BETTER BE BE PREPARED UH, FOR

06:46THE UPCOMING BUDGET PROCESS BUT

06:48ALSO BE PREPARED FOR, UM,

06:51CHANGES IN REVENUE THAT WILL

06:53IMPACT UM BASIC CITY SERVICES

06:56IN THE BUDGET PROCESS AS WELL.

06:58THIS THIS SHOWS RESIDENTS THAT

07:00WE'RE UH, FOCUSED ON THE FISCAL

07:04STABILITY OF BOSTON.

07:06IT ALSO ENSURES THAT WE'RE

07:07PROVIDING FINANCIAL UM

07:10OVERSIGHT THAT WE'RE PROVIDING

07:12TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY

07:14AND THE POSITIVE LEADERSHIP TO

07:16BOSTON RESIDENTS.

07:17UH, SO AGAIN, WANT TO SAY THANK

07:19YOU TO THE UM MY

07:21COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAVE

07:21BRINGING THIS FORWARD.

07:22THIS IS A COMMON SENSE APPROACH

07:25AND I'D LOVE TO HAVE IT UM,

07:27QUARTERLY CERTAINLY MONTHLY BUT

07:30BUT BUT AT THE LEAST QUARTERLY.

07:32THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

07:35THANK YOU.

07:36COUNCIL CULPEPER.

07:37GOOD MORNING.

07:38THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR FOR

07:40HOLDING THIS HEARING AND I

07:42THANK COUNCIL FOR WELL WELL

07:44WELL FOR FILING THIS UH

07:46ORDINANCE AMENDMENT IT'S TAKE

07:49IT'S CRITICAL UM DURING THIS

07:52PAST BUDGET CYCLE, ONE OF THE

07:54QUESTIONS EVERYONE KEPT ASKING

07:57WAS WHAT IS THE REVENUE OUTLOOK

08:00LOOK LIKE?

08:01WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?

08:03UM, IN TERMS OF REVENUE WHILE

08:05WE WERE TRYING TO PREPARE A

08:07BUDGET, I THINK IT'S JUST

08:09COMMON SENSE TO BE ABLE TO KNOW

08:11WHAT THE REVENUE OUTLOOK LOOKS

08:13LIKE, WHAT THE REVENUE COMING

08:16IN LOOKS LIKE AS WE TRY AND

08:18PREPARE A BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.

08:21SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THIS

08:23UH, CLARIFIED QUICKLY SO THAT

08:27WHEN THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE

08:29COMES WE'LL HAVE REVENUE AT

08:32LEAST QUARTERLY TO LOOK AT AS

08:34WE TRY AND PUT TOGETHER A

08:37BUDGET WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.

08:39SO THANK YOU.

08:39I THINK IT'S FITTING I THINK

08:41IT'S APPROPRIATE I THINK IT'S

08:43TIMELY AND I REALLY THINK IT'S

08:45NECESSARY IF WE'RE GOING TO BE

08:47BETTER ABOUT HOW WE PUT

08:49TOGETHER A BUDGET.

08:50IF YOU REMEMBER THE LAST BUDGET

08:52CYCLE WE WERE ALL OVER THE

08:53PLACE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT AND

08:55YOU KNOW, WE FIFA WAS COMING IN

08:57AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT

08:59WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE AND

09:02FINANCIALLY SO THIS WILL AT

09:03LEAST GIVE US SOME INFORMATION

09:05AS WE PLOT AND PLAN TO PUT

09:07TOGETHER A BUDGET.

09:08THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

09:10THANK YOU.

09:11UM, COUNSELOR CULPEPER JUST

09:13DOUBLE CHECKING TO MAKE SURE I

09:14DIDN'T MISS ANYBODY.

09:22OKAY, UH, WE CAN GO TO OUR

09:25PANELISTS.

09:25UM, UH, WE'LL GO TO OUR BUDGET

09:27DIRECTOR FIRST.

09:27JIM WILLIAMSON UM, FOR ANY

09:29OPENING REMARKS YOU HAVE AND

09:30THEN WE'LL GO TO STEVE AND THEN

09:32WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY, UM, WHO

09:33WE ALL KNOW AND THEN WE'VE ALSO

09:35BEEN JOINED BY.

09:38UH, DAVID.

09:39UM, AND I APOLOGIZE I'M GONNA

09:40SAY LAST NAME WRONG IF YOU'D

09:42LIKE TO CORRECT ME, PLEASE DO.

09:43UH, COULIER FROM THE BRENNER

09:45FREEDOM OF INFORMATION PROJECT

09:46DIRECTOR.

09:47UM, OUT.

09:48OF YOU OUT OF FLORIDA.

09:50UM, SO IF YOU WANT TO JUST

09:51REITERATE YOUR, UH, AFFILIATION

09:53,UM, WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN,

09:54PLEASE DO.

09:55BUT FOR NOW WE'LL GO TO JAMES

09:56WILLIAMSON WHO'S THE BUDGET

09:58DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF BOSTON.

09:59UM, JIM, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.

10:01GREAT.

10:01>> THANK YOU.

10:02CHAIR.

10:03EXCELLENT.

10:03IT'S ABOUT UH AND UH UM UH,

10:05SPONSOR, UH, COUNCIL ORAL AND

10:07OTHER COUNCILORS ON THE CALL.

10:09WE REALLY APPRECIATE UH, THIS

10:11OPPORTUNITY TO TO TALK ABOUT,

10:13UM, THE BUDGET AND AND HOW WE

10:16COMMUNICATE THE BUDGET UH, IN

10:18INTERACT WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.

10:19SO, UH, JUST A QUICK RECAP.

10:21UH, MY NAME IS JIM WILLIAMS AND

10:22I'M THE BUDGET DIRECTOR OF THE

10:24CITY BOSTON AND SORT OF THE THE

10:26FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC

10:27BUDGETING ARE UH, WE WANT TO

10:29ENSURE FISCAL BALANCE

10:31OF SUSTAINABILITY.

10:32THE ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET IS

10:33SUPPORTED BY THE GENERAL FUND

10:34AND IT MUST REMAIN BALANCED AND

10:36FULLY SUPPORTED BY PREDICTABLE

10:38RECURRING REVENUE SOURCES.

10:41WE LIKE UH UM MOST GOVERNMENT

10:44UM BUDGETS UH, HAVE A PUBLIC

10:46PURPOSE DOCTRINE.

10:47THE OPERATING EXPENDITURES

10:48FUNDED THROUGH PUBLIC TAXATION

10:50MUST BE STRICTLY SERVE THE A

10:52DEMONSTRABLE PUBLIC PURPOSE AND

10:54THEN UH, SORT OF KEYING ON UM

10:56THE PURPOSE OF THIS HEARING IS

10:58UH, TRANSPARENCY AND GOVERNANCE

11:01SO PROACTIVE ONGOING PUBLIC

11:03COMMUNICATION OF MUNICIPAL

11:03BUDGET INFORMATION IS ESSENTIAL

11:06TO FOSTERING FISCAL

11:07TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC

11:08ACCOUNTABILITY.

11:09AND UM, UH, WE TAKE PRIDE IN

11:11THE FACT THAT WE HAVE UH MANY

11:14EXAMPLES OF UH WE HAVE A FULL

11:16VOLUME UH THOUSAND PAGE UH

11:19DOCUMENT UM ONLINE UH NOW UH

11:23THAT UM IS VALIDATED BY A THIRD

11:26PARTY SORT OF UH ORGANIZATION

11:28UH AS UH AS UM SORT

11:31OF EXCELLENCE IN BUDGET, UH,

11:33COMMUNICATION.

11:34UH WE HAVE AN INTERACTIVE

11:35WEBSITE UH WITH THE FULL

11:36SUPPORT OF OUR IT DEPARTMENT.

11:39WE ALSO UH, STAGE OPEN DATA ON

11:41AN ENLARGED BOSTON UH, FOR

11:43PEOPLE TO TO, UM, MANIPULATE

11:45THAT DATA ON THEIR OWN.

11:47UH UH, YOU KNOW, UH, WE HAVE

11:49REGULAR, UH,

11:51COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS BOTH

11:51THROUGH PUBLIC HEARINGS LIKE

11:52THIS ONE AND UM, UH THERE ARE

11:56UH INSTANCES WHERE THERE ARE

11:57WRITTEN COMMUNICATION OR

11:58REPORTS FILED UH, WITH THE CITY

12:00CLERK TO UH DELIVER UM IN UP IN

12:03THE BUDGET OFFICE AS PART

12:04OF THE LARGER UH FINANCE

12:07CABINET.

12:07UH, WE PARTICIPATE IN ANNUAL UH

12:10INFORMATION STATEMENTS THAT

12:11ACCOMPANY UM, UH, BOND

12:14ISSUANCES.

12:15UH UH UM WHILE THE AUDITING

12:17DEPARTMENT IS THE LEAD ON THIS

12:19WILL BE UM DOES PARTICIPATE IN

12:21THE IN ANNUAL AUDITED FINANCIAL

12:23STATEMENTS UH AND UM THROUGH UH

12:27RATING AGENCY COMMUNICATIONS UH

12:29,WHICH ARE OFTEN UH THE RATING

12:31AGENCIES UH AN ASSESSMENT

12:33OF THE CITY'S UH FISCAL UH

12:35STEWARDSHIP OF THEIR ANNUAL

12:37OPERATING BUDGET AND ITS

12:38MANAGEMENT OF ITS FIVE YEAR

12:39CAPITAL PLAN.

12:40SO WITH THAT, UH, HAPPY TO TO

12:43ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS OR AND

12:45WE'LL GO FROM THERE.

12:49THANK YOU JIM.

12:50UH, NEXT WE'LL GO TO STEVE POFF

12:51DECK FROM THE BOSS.

12:53UH, HE'S THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

12:55OFFICER OF THE BOSTON MUNICIPAL

12:56RESEARCH BUREAU.

12:57AHEAD.

12:57STEVE.

12:59THANK YOU.

12:59THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

13:01UM, ALSO, UH, IN ADDITION TO

13:03BEING THE PRESIDENT OF.

13:05>> THE BOSTON MUNICIPAL

13:06RESEARCH BUREAU, I'M A, UH,

13:08RESIDENT OF ROSLINDALE.

13:10UH DISTRICT FIVE.

13:11UH, AND YOU CAN CATCH ME ON THE

13:1335 BUS IN THE ORANGE LINE UH,

13:14MOST MORNINGS AND AFTERNOONS IF

13:17,UH IF FOLKS HAVE ANY

13:18QUESTIONS, IT'S, UH IT'S MY

13:20PLEASURE AND THANK YOU.

13:22UH, THANK YOU TO, UH TO THE

13:24PANEL FOR THE INVITATION.

13:25IT'S MY PLEASURE TO OFFER THE

13:27RESEARCH BUREAU'S QUALIFIED

13:28SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED

13:29ORDINANCE.

13:30UH, WE TOOK A LOOK AT A COUPLE.

13:32YOU KNOW, OUR SUPPORT RESTS ON

13:35THREE, UH, CENTRAL TENANTS.

13:36ONE IS, UH, A BIAS FOR

13:39TRANSPARENCY AND DISCLOSURE

13:41EVIDENCE THAT THIS IS BEST

13:44PRACTICE AND AS WELL AS THE

13:46IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING UPDATED

13:47DATA TO THE COUNCIL,

13:49PARTICULARLY DURING LOW GROWTH

13:51PERIODS.

13:51UM, I WOULD SAY IN GENERAL WE

13:53ARE SUPPORTIVE OF ADDITIONAL

13:55TRANSPARENCY AND THIS IS

13:56CLEARLY PART OF THAT.

13:57OBVIOUSLY IF TRANSPARENCY

13:59EXPOSES ANY PROPRIETARY OR

14:01PROTECTED INFORMATION THAT'S

14:02GONE TOO FAR IN THIS CASE WE

14:05THINK IT'S REASONABLE WHAT IS

14:06BEING REQUESTED.

14:07THIS IS SOMETHING THAT UM MANY

14:11PUBLIC ENTITIES ALREADY DO THIS

14:13UH, WE BELIEVE IT'S FEASIBLE

14:15UH, AND I BELIEVE THE OFFICE

14:17OF BUDGET AND BUDGET MANAGEMENT

14:18IS ALREADY DOING THIS ON A

14:19MONTHLY BASIS FOR THEIR OWN

14:21INTERNAL PURPOSES.

14:21SO WE'RE NOT ASKING THEM TO DO

14:23SOMETHING THAT THEY THEY ARE

14:26INCAPABLE OF DOING.

14:26IN FACT, THEY'RE QUITE CAPABLE

14:27AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A

14:29SECOND AND THERE'S NOTHING

14:30PROPRIETARY OR PROTECTED I

14:31BELIEVE AND IF THERE WAS I

14:33THINK IT WOULD BE ON A VERY UH

14:35MINUTER CASE BY CASE BASIS AND

14:36COULD COULD BE DEALT WITH.

14:38UM, I JUST HAD THE PLEASURE OF,

14:39UH, MODERATING A PANEL WITH THE

14:42UH, RATING WITH THE PRIMARY

14:44ANALYSTS FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON

14:45FOR MOODY'S AND MOODY'S

14:47ACTUALLY COMMENDS THE OFFICE

14:48OF BUDGET MANAGEMENT FOR THEIR

14:50FAVORABLE TRANSPARENCY AND

14:52DISCLOSURE.

14:53UH, IT'S ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL

14:54ELEMENTS THAT UH THAT THAT

14:56UNDERPINS OUR TRIPLE-A BOND

14:58RATING AND UM, YOU KNOW, I

15:01THINK THIS.

15:02THIS MOVE ONLY STRENGTHENS THAT

15:05IT ADDS TO THAT STRONG

15:07FOUNDATION THAT I GIVE CREDIT

15:09TO JIM WILLIAMSON AND THE WHOLE

15:11TEAM, UH, FOR BUILDING IT.

15:13ALSO I THINK UM IT'S IMPORTANT

15:16THAT WE MOVE TO FORMALIZING

15:18THIS AS OPPOSED TO HAVING IT

15:19BEING AN INFORMAL PRACTICE.

15:22UM, THERE'S A REAL ASYMMETRY IN

15:23HOW WE DEAL WITH EXPENDITURES

15:25AND REVENUES RIGHT NOW AND IT'S

15:26NOT JUST THE CITY OF BOSTON.

15:27THE STATE STILL HAS SOME OF THE

15:28SAME ASPECTS WHERE ONE IS

15:32REQUIRED EITHER UNDER CHARTER

15:34OR STATUTORY AND THE OTHER IS

15:35AN INFORMAL PRACTICE.

15:37I BELIEVE THE OFFICE OF BUDGET

15:38MANAGEMENT HAS BEEN RESPONSIVE

15:40UH, TO REQUESTS IN THE PAST.

15:42SO I THINK YOU KNOW I WANT TO

15:44RECOGNIZE THAT BUT I ALSO THINK

15:46ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT FEEL LIKE

15:47THIS EVERY DAY JIM UM YOU MAY

15:48NOT BE BUDGET DIRECTOR FOREVER

15:50AND WE CAN'T DEPEND ON YOUR

15:52COMPETENCE AND GOODWILL IN THIS

15:54POSITION.

15:55UM, ALWAYS EXISTING.

15:58I THINK IT MAKES MORE SENSE

15:59THAT WE FORMALIZE THE PRACTICE

16:01AND RESOLVE THIS ASYMMETRY

16:02BETWEEN HOW WE TREAT

16:03EXPENDITURES AND HOW WE TREAT

16:05REVENUES.

16:06I ALSO UM, YOU KNOW, I ALSO

16:08NOTE THAT THE DIVISION OF LOCAL

16:10SERVICES CALLS REVENUE

16:11MONITORING HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

16:14UM, I'LL SUBMIT MY TESTIMONY

16:15IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS.

16:16UM, MANY OF OUR PEER CITIES I

16:19ONLY TOOK A LOOK AT SIX UH UM,

16:22ALL SIX OF THE PEER CITIES THAT

16:24I LOOKED AT IN NEW YORK PHILLY,

16:25DC, ATLANTA, CHICAGO, LA THEY

16:27ALL DISCLOSE AT LEAST ON A

16:29QUARTERLY BASIS.

16:31I WOULD SAY THE MAJORITY

16:32OF THEM DISCLOSE ON A MONTHLY

16:34BASIS.

16:34I'VE INCLUDED LINK IN MY

16:36TESTIMONY IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A

16:37LOOK AT THEIR DOCUMENTS TO GET

16:39A SENSE OF WHAT THEY DO.

16:40UM, THIS STRIKES ME AS BEST

16:42PRACTICE.

16:42LASTLY, UH, IN A PERIOD

16:44OF UNCERTAIN REVENUE GROWTH

16:45WHERE THE COUNCIL IS BEING

16:47ASKED UH POTENTIALLY TO PASS

16:49SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS, WE

16:51THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT

16:52THEY GET UP TO DATE REVENUE

16:54INFORMATION AS WELL.

16:55THREE QUICK QUALIFICATIONS AND

16:57THEN I'LL CLOSE UM, THE DOCKET

17:00RESTATES THAT IT IS THE

17:01ADMINISTRATION'S RESPONSIBILITY

17:03TO PROJECT REVENUES.

17:04UH, WE BELIEVE THAT THAT THAT

17:06SHOULD REMAIN UM WE BELIEVE

17:08THAT THE OFFICE OF BUDGET

17:10MANAGEMENT'S CONSERVATIVE

17:11APPROACH TO PROJECTING REVENUES

17:12IS A STRENGTH, NOT A

17:14SHORTCOMING.

17:15UM, AND WE ENCOURAGE THE

17:17CONTINUATION OF THAT PRACTICE.

17:18WE ALSO THINK WHILE MONITORING

17:21IN YEAR TRENDS IS IMPORTANT,

17:23UM, WE SHOULD NOTE THAT CERTAIN

17:25TRENDS UH, ARE IMPACTED BY

17:27SEASONALITY AND ARE SUBJECT TO

17:29CHANGE.

17:30SO THIS SHOULDN'T BE A FORUM TO

17:32IDENTIFY POSSIBLE SURPLUSES IN

17:34YEAR.

17:34IT REALLY SHOULD BE AN EXERCISE

17:36IN UNDERSTANDING WHERE REVENUE

17:37IS GOING.

17:38SO I CLOSE BY AGAIN OFFERING MY

17:41THANKS FOR THE ABILITY TO

17:42CONTRIBUTE TO THIS DISCUSSION

17:44AND TO RESTATE THE RESEARCH

17:46BUREAU'S QUALIFIED SUPPORT FOR

17:47THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.

17:48THANK YOU.

17:50THANK YOU STEVE.

17:52UM, DAVID BEFORE YOURS.

17:55YEAH.

17:56>> THANKS FOR.

17:56HAVING ME.

17:57>> I'M DAVE COULIER.

17:58UM, DIRECTOR OF THE DIRECTOR

17:59FOR THE INFORMATION PROJECT AT

18:00THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA.

18:02UM, I'VE CONDUCTED RESEARCH

18:04NATIONALLY ON TRANSPARENCY,

18:06PARTICULARLY AT THE STATE AND

18:07LOCAL LEVEL FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS

18:09AND THE BRICKNER CENTER HAS

18:10BEEN AROUND ALMOST 50 YEARS,

18:12UH, DOING RESEARCH AND

18:14EDUCATION.

18:15UM, I'M NOT HERE REALLY TO

18:17SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO YOUR

18:19ORDINANCE PROPOSAL, UH, BUT

18:21PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT NATIONAL

18:24CONTEXT THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO

18:25CONSIDER.

18:26UM, FIRST KIND OF BIG PICTURE I

18:29THINK WHAT MR X SAID IS

18:31ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

18:33UH, THERE'S RESEARCH THAT SHOWS

18:34THAT WHEN MUNICIPALITIES ARE

18:37TRANSPARENT, PARTICULARLY WITH

18:38THEIR FINANCES, IT ACTUALLY

18:40LOWERS THEIR THEIR BOND, UM,

18:43YOU KNOW, AMOUNTS THEY ACTUALLY

18:44SAVE MONEY.

18:46UH, AND UH, TAXPAYERS SAVE

18:48MONEY.

18:48UH, WE FIND THAT, UH,

18:50TRANSPARENCY PRACTICES CAN

18:52REDUCE CORRUPTION, MAKE MAKE

18:55AGENCIES MORE EFFICIENT AND

18:57MAKE SENSE.

18:58UH, ONE STUDY SHOWED THAT FOR

19:00EVERY DOLLAR SPENT ON PUBLIC

19:02RECORDS TRANSPARENCY UM SOCIETY

19:06BENEFITS $287 THAT'S MORE

19:09EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT SAVED

19:10LIVES ALL SORTS OF BENEFITS TO

19:12SOCIETY.

19:13UM WE KNOW THAT TRANSPARENCY

19:16PRACTICES INCREASES THE TRUST

19:18OF THE PUBLIC AND INSTITUTIONS.

19:20SO SO THIS IS ABOUT BOSTONIANS

19:24TRUSTING THE CITY MORE UH, WE

19:26ALSO KNOW THAT UM, UH, WHEN

19:30FINANCIAL INFORMATION IS POSTED

19:32BY MUNICIPALITIES, SERVICES

19:34TEND TO IMPROVE AND INCREASE

19:37UM, BECAUSE UH, AGENCIES FEEL

19:40THAT PRESSURE UH, AND UH I

19:43MIGHT ADD THERE'S ONE STUDY

19:45THAT SAYS MUNICIPALITIES LED BY

19:48FEMALE MAYORS ARE THE MOST

19:49TRANSPARENT.

19:50SO, UH, THAT MIGHT BE

19:52OF INTEREST IN BOSTON AND UM,

19:55AND AND OTHER RESEARCH THAT

19:57I'VE INCLUDED IN UH IN SOME UH

19:59,WRITTEN TESTIMONY, UH,

20:02REGARDING CONTEXT WITH BOSTON

20:07UM, UH, KUDOS TO THE BOSTON

20:10CITY COUNCIL FOR LAST YEAR, UH

20:13,PASSING A RESOLUTION AND

20:15SUPPORTING SUNSHINE WEEK

20:16TRANSPARENCY, GOVERNMENT

20:17TRANSPARENCY.

20:18SO OBVIOUSLY THERE'S AN

20:20INTEREST IN BOSTON IN SERVING

20:21THE PUBLIC UH, OPENLY AND

20:24THAT'S GREAT.

20:26UH, I DO HAVE TO SAY AGAIN,

20:28THIS IS NOT TO BRAG ON BOSTON

20:33OR MASSACHUSETTS, BUT OUR

20:34RESEARCH SHOWS THAT IT IS BEEN

20:37TRICKIER IN THAT IN

20:39MASSACHUSETTS AND BOSTON THE

20:41DATA INDICATE THAT COMPLIANCE

20:43WITH PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS IS

20:45ACTUALLY FAIRLY LOW IN BOSTON

20:48AND MASSACHUSETTS.

20:49UH, MASSACHUSETTS RANKS 31ST IN

20:51THE COUNTRY WHEN IT COMES TO

20:53GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY OVER A

20:55NUMBER OF STUDIES 16.

20:56STUDIES DONE OVER THE PAST

20:58SEVERAL DECADES.

20:59AND I INCLUDED THAT IN THE

21:00HANDOUT AS WELL.

21:01IT'S JUST CONTEXT AND NOT PUT

21:04ME IN DOUBT.

21:05UM, FLORIDA'S JUST AS BAD JUST

21:08UH JUST TO UH JUST TO BE FAIR,

21:11UM, UH, FLORIDA RANKS 31ST SO

21:16UM SO THERE'S A LOT THAT CAN BE

21:18DONE TO IMPROVE THINGS.

21:19UM, IN FACT I ALSO INCLUDED

21:23OTHER STUDIES THAT COMPARE

21:24LARGE CITIES IN THEIR FINANCIAL

21:27TRANSPARENCY PRACTICES.

21:29UH, BOSTON DOES NOT RATE HIGH

21:31UM, THOSE RATES AT THE VERY

21:33BOTTOM AND UH, SO THERE'S ROOM

21:36FOR IMPROVEMENT AND IN FACT I

21:39QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORTS TO

21:42THE CITY COUNCIL IS NOT ENOUGH.

21:44I MEAN, UH, MOST LARGE CITIES

21:48DO FAR MORE THAN THAT AND THAT

21:49MEANS PROVIDING PUBLIC THE

21:51INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE

21:53PROACTIVELY.

21:54UH, EASY TO SEE, EASY TO SORT

21:56THROUGH.

21:57MANY, MANY CITIES ARE DOING

21:58THAT AND HAVE FOR FOR A LONG

22:00TIME AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE

22:02CITY TO CONSIDER UH, DOING EVEN

22:06MORE THAN UH, JUST QUARTERLY

22:08REVENUE REPORTS BUT PROACTIVE

22:10POSTING OF ALL EXPENSE AND

22:13REVENUE DATA THAT THAT YOU HAVE

22:14APPARENTLY UH, GENERATED

22:16MONTHLY AND SO IT MAY NOT CAUSE

22:18ANY EXTRA EXPENSE MIGHT AS WELL

22:20SHINE A LIGHT, LET PUBLIC SEE

22:22AND NOT JUST EVEN THE CITY

22:24COUNCIL AND UM, UH, IT'S UH,

22:27STANDARD PRACTICE I THINK CAN

22:28BEST PRACTICE UH, OF CITIES AND

22:31SO I, UH I HOPE YOU HAVE A

22:33CHANCE TO KIND OF GO THROUGH

22:34SOME OF THAT AND HAPPY TO

22:36ANSWER QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE

22:39ANY UH, BUT UH, I'M ENCOURAGED

22:41THAT UH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT

22:43THIS SO KUDOS.

22:45THANK YOU.

22:47THANK YOU DAVE UM I'LL NOW PASS

22:49IT TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR

22:51QUESTIONS.

22:52UH COUNCILOR WORRELL AND THEN

22:53UM I'LL START WITH THE LEAD

22:54SPONSORS AND THEN GO TO

22:58COUNCILOR CULPEPPER AND JUST

22:59ACKNOWLEDGING WE'VE BEEN JOINED

23:00BY COUNCILOR BEN WEBER.

23:01UM, COUNCIL.

23:01WELL, YOU HAVE BEFORE.

23:03AND THANK YOU, CHAIR.

23:05YOU KNOW WE ARE ASKING

23:06QUESTIONS TO THE WHOLE PANEL OR

23:08THE WHOLE PANEL.

23:09OKAY.

23:10>> UH, YEAH.

23:10GOOD.

23:10AWESOME.

23:11>> UM, YEAH, DEFINITELY WANT TO

23:14THANK, UH, DIRECTOR WILLIAMSON

23:15AND THE WHOLE TEAM OVER THERE

23:17UM, WITH THEIR WORK ON, UH,

23:21CREATING A MORE TRANSPARENT

23:22PROCESS AND WHEN I, UM AND THEN

23:24JUST MAKING SURE THAT THEY GIVE

23:25US ALL THE INFORMATION AS A

23:27COUNCIL AS WE ASKED AND AGAIN,

23:28THIS IS JUST MORE SO JUST

23:30FORMALIZING UH, THESE EFFORTS

23:32UM, INSIDE OF LAW KNOWING THAT

23:35,YOU KNOW, ADMINISTRATIONS CAN

23:36UM CAN CHANGE MY QUESTION.

23:39JIM IS CURRENTLY AND I THINK

23:43I'VE HEARD THIS A COUPLE

23:44OF TIMES ALREADY ARE YOU

23:45REVIEWING PROJECTIONS ON A

23:48MONTHLY BASIS?

23:48REVENUE.

23:52UH, WE DO WE DO UM UH, TAKE A

23:56SNAPSHOT ON A MONTH TO MONTH

23:58BASIS ON FOR REVENUES AND

23:59EXPENSES UH, MORE IN IN

24:02DEPARTMENTS.

24:03ALSO GET.

24:04UM UH THROUGH THE FINANCIAL

24:06SYSTEM AN AUTOMATED STATUS

24:08REPORT OF THEIR OF THEIR BUDGET

24:10STATUS.

24:10UH I THINK THE CITY

24:11COUNCIL EVEN GETS THAT POWER

24:13THAT SAME REPORT WHERE IT GIVES

24:15THEM SORT OF LIKE HOW UM UH

24:17BUDGET TO ACTUAL INFORMATION,

24:20UH, YOU KNOW, PURCHASE ORDERS

24:21THAT ARE OPEN REQUISITIONS THAT

24:24ARE IN PROCESS THE STATUS

24:26OF PAYROLLS THAT HAVE BEEN

24:27POSTED.

24:28UH, AND IF THE DEPARTMENT

24:30ACTUALLY IS INVOLVED IN IN THE

24:32COLLECTION OF CERTAIN UH

24:33REVENUE ITEMS THAT'S ALSO

24:35INCLUDED AND WE DO THAT AND IN

24:37UH IN CONCERT WITH

24:39COMMUNICATION WITH DEPARTMENTS

24:41,UH, MOSTLY WITH THE EYE

24:43TOWARDS MANAGING IT UH UH

24:46TOWARDS SO THROUGH THE THROUGH

24:48THE ONGOING BUSINESS PROCESSES

24:51OF OF OF UH EXECUTING ON A

24:53BUDGET UH DEPARTMENTS ARE UM

24:55REQUESTING TO FILL VACANT

24:58POSITIONS OR UM UH WE WE'RE

25:02REVIEWING UH, PURCHASES AND UH

25:06,RFPS THAT ARE BEING REQUESTED

25:08THROUGHOUT THE UM THE FISCAL

25:10YEAR AND THAT THIS DATA IS USED

25:14TO INFORM LIKE HOW ARE WE DOING

25:15FOR US TO VALIDATE UH, IS IS

25:18THIS ACTIVITY, UH, INITIALLY

25:21CONTEMPLATED WITHIN THIS

25:22BUDGET, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT

25:24IF IT WASN'T UH, THERE IS YOU

25:25KNOW, THERE IS SOME FLEXIBILITY

25:27TO DO THINGS THAT UH WHERE

25:29WE'RE IN THE BUDGET THAT HAVE

25:30TO HAPPEN.

25:31YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE

25:32EMERGENCIES WHERE SOMETHING HAS

25:33TO BE REPAIRED OR OR SOMETHING

25:34LIKE THAT BUT UH UM BUT

25:37GENERALLY THE LARGER, YOU KNOW,

25:40CONSISTENT THINGS ARE ARE

25:42THINGS THAT SHOULD BE

25:43CONTEMPLATED IN THE BUDGET AND

25:44WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF SO THAT

25:45THAT'S THAT'S THE RELATIONSHIP

25:47THAT WE'RE WE HAVE WE'RE

25:49LOOKING AT THE BUDGET UH WE'RE

25:51WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT UM

25:53ACTIVITY FITS WITHIN THAT

25:54BUDGET AND FITS WITHIN WHERE WE

25:56THINK THE BUDGET WILL END.

25:58SO WE'RE SORT OF THINKING ABOUT

25:59HOW IT'LL FIT WITHIN THE

26:01BUDGET.

26:01UH.

26:02>> RECASTING WHERE THERE MIGHT

26:03BE A JUNE 30TH EVERY YEAR.

26:04UH, AND IT IT IT EBBS AND FLOWS

26:06AND AND UM I THINK UH, UM MR.

26:10THAT REFERRED TO SEASONALITY

26:11OF THINGS THOSE ARE ALL THINGS

26:13THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER LIKE

26:14IS IT AN ACTIVITY THAT HAPPENS

26:16FALL WINTER TIME?

26:18UH, AND AND WE ALL EXPERIENCED

26:21UM THE WEATHER THAT WE ENDURED

26:23LAST WINTER AND AND THE NEED TO

26:25THEN GO GET UH, A BUDGET

26:27SUPPLEMENTAL TO UM TO TO TO

26:30DEAL WITH THAT.

26:31I THINK WE WERE NOT UNCOMMON A

26:32LOT OF UH YES CHOOSES MISS

26:35PALS.

26:35WE'RE IN THE SAME BOAT.

26:36UH, IN FACT THE STATE UH, TOOK

26:38A TOOK A UM, STEP TO YOU KNOW,

26:41EVEN TRY TO LIKE MITIGATE THAT

26:43UH, THROUGH SOME OF THE FAIR

26:44SHARE MONEY THAT THEY HAD TO TO

26:47MITIGATE SOME OF THOSE COSTS.

26:48UM, SO, UH, SO THOSE ARE UH

26:51THAT THAT'S WE DO THAT UM, IN

26:53TERMS OF UH, REPORTING THE

26:55DATA, WE ACTUALLY WORK WITH OUR

26:57ORDERING DEPARTMENT TO ACTUALLY

26:58GET THE OFFICIAL DATA EXTRACT.

27:00SO UH, I WOULD DEFER TO THEM.

27:02IT IS IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A

27:04PROCESS.

27:04UM, IT DOES REQUIRE SOME UM,

27:09UH, YOU KNOW, UH SOME

27:11OPERATIONAL RECONCILIATION AND

27:13AT LEAST A MANAGERIAL REVIEW TO

27:14MAKE SURE IT'S ACCURATE NOT

27:16MISSING SOMETHING.

27:17SO IT'S NOT IT'S NOT LIKE A,

27:18UH, INSTANTANEOUS TURNAROUND.

27:20YOU WANT TO HAVE SOME LEVEL

27:22OF OF OF UH UH QA QC BEFORE WE

27:24WOULD LIKE TURN IT OVER BUT UH

27:26BUT BUT GENERALLY IT'S YOU KNOW

27:29IT'S DATA UH THAT THAT CAN BE

27:31MADE AVAILABLE.

27:33AND THEN IN TERMS OF TURNING

27:35THAT DATA OVER TO THE

27:36COUNCIL UM WOULD THERE BE ANY

27:39ADDITIONAL WRITING OR ANYTHING

27:42THAT YOU CAN SEE ON YOUR SIDE

27:45THAT CAN, YOU KNOW, UM, SLOW OR

27:49MAKE IT HARDER FOR YOU TO TURN

27:51INFORMATION?

27:51OH.

27:52IT'S JUST UM, BUILDING IN A

27:54TIME UH, FOR THAT TO MAKING

27:56SURE WE'RE RECONCILING IT TO

27:57MAKE SURE IT'S AN ACCURATE UM,

27:59BECAUSE THE DATA BETTER EXISTS

28:01.

28:01BUT SOMETIMES HOW YOU QUERY IT,

28:03UH, CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

28:05IN THE WORLD LIKE THE

28:05PARAMETERS FOR THE QUERY AND IF

28:07IT EXCLUDES SOMETHING OR UH, OR

28:10SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, UM, WE

28:12WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S CAUGHT

28:14IN UM AND RUN APPROPRIATELY AND

28:16THEN UM, AND THEN JUST YOU

28:18KNOW, HAVING THE THE STAFF TIME

28:20TO BE ABLE TO TO DO THAT UH,

28:22MANAGERIAL REVIEW AND SORT

28:23OF SIGN OFF ON IT.

28:25YEAH.

28:25UH AND THEN THE IDEAL CADENCE

28:28UH, I KNOW THAT THE ORDINANCE

28:29CALLS FOR QUARTERLY UM, WE

28:32HEARD FROM, UH, MR PATEK THAT

28:34MAJORITY OF OUR CITIES THEY DO

28:37IT MONTHLY.

28:38UM, WHAT WOULD BE A CADENCE

28:41THAT YOU WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE

28:42WITH?

28:43YOU KNOW, IT'S UM PARTICULARLY

28:45AS YOU START THE FISCAL YEAR

28:46UH, SOME OF OUR EVEN OUR

28:49PROJECTION MODELS ARE BUILT OFF

28:50OF A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF RUN

28:52RATE.

28:52SO THE FIRST QUARTER IS VERY

28:55LIKE A THERE ISN'T TOO MUCH

28:59VALUE SOMETIMES IN THE EARLY

29:01QUARTERS.

29:02SO I THINK THE CADENCE OF A

29:04QUARTER IS IS COMPLETELY

29:05APPROPRIATE AND GIVES IT ENOUGH

29:08UH TIME UM TO TO UM TO REACT

29:12AND UH INTRODUCE UH HAVE

29:15AWARENESS.

29:16OF ALSO TO.

29:18TO INFORM THE UPCOMING BUDGET

29:19AS WELL SO.

29:22UH SOME AND THEN STEVE UH MY

29:24QUESTION TO YOU IS HOW ARE WE

29:27MAKING THIS INFORMATION UH,

29:30MORE EASILY ACCESSIBLE HELP YOU

29:32IN THE WORK THAT THE, UM BOSTON

29:35MUNICIPAL RESEARCH GROUP DOES

29:38UM, TO TO HELP INFORM CITY AND

29:41POLICYMAKERS.

29:42YOU KNOW, I THINK HAVING

29:44ADDITIONAL INSIGHT INTO HOW

29:46REVENUE REVENUE IS COMING IN UM

29:49,AND I YOU KNOW, I FULLY

29:50ACCEPT UM, YOU KNOW, I FULLY

29:52ACCEPT JIM'S CAVEATS.

29:54ABOUT.

29:55>> YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY SOME

29:56OF THE YOU KNOW, THE EARLY

29:56MONTHS MAY NOT BE YOU KNOW,

29:58DON'T PULL THE FIRE ALARM

29:59BECAUSE THE UH BECAUSE YOU

30:00KNOW, THE FIRST MONTH'S

30:01REVENUES AREN'T AREN'T LOOKING

30:03RIGHT.

30:03UM, BUT I DO THINK IN GENERAL

30:05HAVING MORE INSIGHT TO BEING

30:07ABLE TO IDENTIFY TRENDS THAT WE

30:09LIGHT IN CERTAIN AREAS ARE WE

30:11YOU KNOW, WE OVER COLLECTING IN

30:13OTHER AREAS ALLOWS US TO A

30:16IDENTIFY IN IN SOME CASES AND

30:18YOU KNOW THE BUDGET MANAGEMENT

30:19OFFICE DOES A DOES A FINE JOB

30:21OF THIS BUT IN SOME CASES YOU

30:23IDENTIFY HEY THERE MIGHT

30:24ACTUALLY BE A PROBLEM WITH

30:25SOMETHING OPERATIONALLY RIGHT

30:27IS NOT HAPPENING UM BUT ALSO

30:30LOOKING AT TRENDS RIGHT IF OUR

30:31YOU KNOW IF OUR BUILDING PERMIT

30:33INCOME IS BELOW WHAT OUR

30:35PROJECTIONS ARE THAT'S AN

30:36INTERESTING SET OF QUESTIONS TO

30:37ASK.

30:38UM OR PERHAPS IF THEY'RE ABOVE

30:40I YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO BE

30:41THE VOICE OF DOOM AND GLOOM

30:42HERE IF THEY'RE ABOVE UM YOU

30:44KNOW, THOSE ARE ALSO A SET

30:46OF INTERESTING QUESTIONS NOW.

30:47SO I THINK THE ADDITIONAL

30:48TRANSPARENCY UM, WOULD

30:50OBVIOUSLY BE HELPFUL TO TO OUR

30:52WORK.

30:53RIGHT?

30:53>> NO.

30:54AND I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH UM,

30:56BOTH WHAT YOU AND JIM IS SAYING

30:57AROUND THE SEASONALITY BUT I

30:59THINK AS WE.

31:00COLLECT UM, MORE YEARS UH, WE

31:03COULD START TO UNDERSTAND THOSE

31:04TRENDS AND THOSE SEASONALITY

31:06TRENDS SO THAT WE'RE NOT RIGHT

31:08OVERREACTING TO YOU KNOW, UM,

31:11THE SEASONALITY CYCLE

31:13OF REVENUE COMING IN.

31:14UH, DAVID, MY QUESTION TO YOU

31:17IS WE SPOKE ABOUT UH, THE CITY

31:20COULD BE DOING MORE THAN JUST

31:22UH, DOING THIS QUARTERLY RIGHT

31:24REPORT REVENUE QUARTERLY.

31:26UH DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER

31:28EXAMPLES THAT YOU COULD SHARE

31:31ON OTHER CITIES, OTHER CITIES,

31:33UM, ON HOW THEY'RE UM BEING

31:35MORE TRANSPARENT AROUND REVENUE

31:38OR WHAT THEY'RE DOING?

31:40WELL, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

31:42UM, AND I THINK UH I THINK

31:45MR PATRICK UH, OFFERED UP SOME

31:47CITIES THAT HE'S LOOKED AT

31:48CLOSELY MAYBE UH, SIMILAR ONES

31:51THAT ALWAYS POP UP SEATTLE UM,

31:53SAN FRANCISCO, HOUSTON, OTHERS

31:56THAT UH HAVE TAKEN A LEAD ON

31:59THIS OVER THE YEARS.

32:02UM, SO I THINK THEY'RE YOU

32:03KNOW, NO NEED TO REINVENT THE

32:05WHEEL.

32:05RIGHT.

32:06AND UH, I THINK UH I THINK

32:08THERE'S UH AND I'M SURE

32:10MR WILLIAMSON IS AWARE OF A LOT

32:12OF THIS AS WELL AND.

32:13YOU KNOW, AND.

32:14AND MAYBE, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE

32:16LOOKED THERE THERE'S ALREADY

32:18BEEN VARIOUS PROACTIVE POSTING

32:21OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION, WHICH

32:22IS GREAT.

32:23UH, SO SO YEAH, UH, I.

32:27YOU KNOW, WOULDN'T HURT TO TAKE

32:28A LOOK AND SEE WHAT'S FEASIBLE

32:30AND POSSIBLE FOR PROACTIVE

32:32POSTING FOR EVERYBODY.

32:33UM, AT LEAST MONTHLY I THINK

32:36MAKES SENSE AND IT COULD HELP

32:39THE CITY COUNCIL.

32:40BUT ALSO WHAT WE FIND IN THE

32:42RESEARCH IS JUST HAVING THAT

32:45INFORMATION OUT THERE FOR

32:46ANYBODY.

32:46SEE UH, CAUSES US GOVERNMENT

32:50EMPLOYEES UM, WANT AS WELL TO

32:52BE A LITTLE MORE ON TOP

32:54OF THINGS WITH OUR FINANCES,

32:55OUR SPENDING AND OUR REVENUE.

32:57WE WORK HARDER BECAUSE WE KNOW

32:58WE'RE BEING WATCHED SO IT IT

33:01WILL LIKELY HAVE THAT SPIN OFF

33:03EFFECT FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON

33:06LONG TERM.

33:06AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING

33:07FOR EVERYONE.

33:10SO THANK YOU.

33:11UM CHAIR I HAVE NO FURTHER

33:13QUESTIONS.

33:16OKAY.

33:16>> THANK YOU.

33:17UM, COUNCILOR CULPEPER, I JUST

33:19WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE

33:20BEEN JOINED BY

33:20COUNCILOR FITZGERALD AND

33:21COUNCILOR MEJIA.

33:22GO AHEAD, COUNCIL COPPER.

33:23THANK YOU.

33:24I HAD.

33:25A COUPLE.

33:25>> OF QUESTIONS FOR DAVID.

33:27UM.

33:28DAVID, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE

33:29RECORD.

33:30REQUESTS AND HOW, UM, WE WERE

33:34AT THE BOTTOM.

33:35I THINK YOU SAID 32ND UH, IN

33:38TERMS OF THE COUNTRY WITH

33:40REGARD TO TRANSPARENCY, WHAT

33:44RECOMMENDATIONS DO YOU HAVE TO

33:46HELP US BE BETTER AT UH,

33:51RETRIEVING AND RECEIVING RECORD

33:53REQUESTS AND I'M ASSUMING

33:55YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR YOU.

34:01THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION,

34:03COUNCILOR.

34:03UM, YEAH, WE WE STUDY KIND

34:07OF THE ELEMENTS THAT LEAD

34:09GOVERNMENTS TO BE A LITTLE MORE

34:10TRANSPARENT WITH THEIR

34:12CONSTITUENCY.

34:13UM, ONE THING IS INDEPENDENT

34:15ENFORCEMENT AND SO CONNECTICUT

34:17IS THE NEXT NATION'S MODEL ON

34:19THAT.

34:20THEY ACTUALLY HAVE AN

34:21INDEPENDENT COMMISSION THAT CAN

34:24MEDIATE DISPUTES BETWEEN THE

34:26PUBLIC AND THE GOVERNMENT AND

34:28INCLUDING DEALING WITH

34:29VEXATIOUS REQUESTS, WHICH IS A

34:30BIG CONCERN TODAY WITH

34:32GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

34:33SO UM, SO THERE ARE THERE ARE

34:36UH STRUCTURES IN PLACE IN PARTS

34:38OF THE COUNTRY THAT WORK VERY

34:39WELL.

34:40IN FACT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

34:41MORE THAN 50 COUNTRIES THEY

34:42HAVE SUCH SYSTEMS.

34:43UH, OHIO HAS A PRETTY NEAT

34:45SYSTEM THAT HANDLES THESE

34:47THINGS AND THAT MATTERS A LOT

34:49AND I THINK MASSACHUSETTS IN

34:51PARTICULAR COULD BENEFIT FROM

34:53LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE.

34:55WE DO FIND THAT STATES THAT ARE

34:57HEAVILY BLUE OR HEAVILY RED

35:00TEND TO HAVE LOWER TRANSPARENCY

35:03.

35:03YOU KNOW, UH, WHEN THERE'S MORE

35:05PURPLE ISH FRICTION BETWEEN

35:07PARTIES.

35:08UH, THEN WE HEAR THEN WE SEE

35:11MORE UM, EFFORTS TO BE

35:13TRANSPARENT.

35:14UM, SO IT DOESN'T SURPRISE

35:16ME THAT MASSACHUSETTS AS A

35:18WHOLE, UM, TENDS TO RANK LOW ON

35:21THESE TRANSPARENCY STUDIES UH,

35:23BECAUSE OF THAT MAKE UP.

35:25BUT UM BUT THERE ARE A LOT

35:26OF THINGS THAT Y'ALL COULD DO

35:28AND AT THE CITY LEVEL TO TO

35:30MAKE THINGS BETTER AND I THINK

35:31THE PEOPLE WILL PROBABLY

35:32APPRECIATE THAT AND THE

35:34GOVERNMENT WILL BE BETTER OFF

35:35FOR IT.

35:36HEY DAVID, CAN YOU AT SOME

35:39POINT WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE GET

35:40US SOME OF THAT INFORMATION

35:42WE'RE GOING.

35:42>> TO LOOK AT CONNECTICUT'S

35:44COMMISSION, THE INDEPENDENT

35:45COMMISSION, THE MOVIES.

35:47I THINK THAT'S A GREAT APPROACH

35:49TO HAVE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION

35:51MEDIATING.

35:51>> THOSE REQUESTS.

35:52BECAUSE WHEN IT.

35:54THE CONVERSATION BECOMES REAL.

35:56TOUGH WITH REGARD.

35:58>> TO THOSE FOR YOU, MANY TIMES

35:59THEY END UP IN COURT.

36:01AND YOU DON'T.

36:02GET TOO FAR ONCE.

36:04THEY GET TO THE COURT.

36:06SO YEAH WE.

36:07COULD LOOK AT THAT A LITTLE

36:08CLOSER.

36:09IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.

36:11ABSOLUTELY.

36:12>> OH AND I MIGHT ADD

36:14SORRY COUNSELOR.

36:14NO BRIAN.

36:15UM I ACTUALLY HAVE A PROJECT A

36:17GRANT FUNDED PROJECT TO SEND

36:19THE CONNECTICUT FOIA COMMISSION

36:20PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY TO DO

36:23TALKS AND EXPLAIN WHAT THEY DO

36:25IF YOU'D LIKE THAT IN BOSTON

36:26HAPPY TO TO DO THAT.

36:28AND, UH, BUT THE DOCUMENT I

36:30FORWARDED FOR THE RECORD

36:31INCLUDES LINKS TO A LOT OF THAT

36:33UH, SOME OF THAT INFORMATION.

36:35SO HAPPY HAPPY TO DO THAT ONE

36:37STUDY I JUST FINISHED UH UH

36:40LAST WEEK SHOWED THAT THESE

36:42COMMISSIONS ON AVERAGE ONLY

36:44COST $0.31 PER PERSON PER YEAR

36:47PER CAPITA.

36:48UH, THEY'RE A GREAT DEAL.

36:50UH, THEY HANDLE APPEALS AT A

36:52COST OF ABOUT $2,300 PER

36:55APPEAL, WHICH YOU'D THINK WOW,

36:56THAT SEEMS LIKE A LOT, BUT

36:58THAT'S A LOT CHEAPER THAN A

37:00LAWSUIT.

37:01SO.

37:01>> UH, WE CAN AVOID A LOT OF.

37:04UH.

37:05>> WASTEFUL LITIGATION BY THESE

37:08ALTERNATIVE METHODS THAT, UH,

37:09WORK VERY WELL.

37:11AND SO DOES THE, UH,

37:14INDEPENDENT COMMISSION.

37:15THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

37:17NOW THEY THEY GET IT BEFORE IT

37:19GOES TO COURT AND EVERYTHING

37:21AND THEN.

37:22YEAH, IF.

37:23THEY CAN'T RESOLVE IT.

37:24THEN THE PARTIZAN

37:26OF LITIGATING.

37:26RIGHT AND THEY CAN EDUCATE SO

37:29IT UH THAT SOLVES A LOT

37:31OF PROBLEMS RIGHT.

37:32THEY'RE EDUCATING REQUESTERS

37:33EDUCATING GOVERNMENT CUSTODIANS

37:36UH THEY DO A LOT TO MAKE THE

37:37SYSTEM STREAMLINE WORK A LOT

37:39MORE EFFICIENTLY.

37:40UH, SAVES EVERYBODY MONEY THE

37:42REQUESTER AND THE GOVERNMENT.

37:44AND YOU MENTIONED THAT IT

37:46REDUCES CORRUPTION UH SERVICES

37:50IMPROVE AND INCREASE.

37:52UM.

37:53>> THE TRUST OF GOVERNMENT

37:54INCREASES.

37:56IS THAT THE MATERIAL THAT YOU

37:58SUBMITTED?

38:00IT IS I INCLUDED LINKS TO THOSE

38:02STUDIES.

38:03OKAY.

38:03>> AND I JUST PROVIDED A

38:05SNAPSHOT OF SOME EXAMPLE

38:08OF STUDIES.

38:08THERE HAVE BEEN HUNDREDS

38:09OF HUNDREDS OF THESE STUDIES

38:10DONE OVER THE DECADES AND UH,

38:12THOSE ARE SOME OF THE ONES I

38:13LIKE BEST.

38:16THANK YOU STEVE.

38:19STEVE GOOD SEEING YOU AGAIN.

38:20GOOD HEARING FROM YOU.

38:24THANK YOU COUNCILOR.

38:25PLEASURE TO BE HERE.

38:26UH, I.

38:27SEE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

38:30HOW CAN.

38:30>> YOU BE.

38:31>> MORE HELPFUL IN TERMS OF,

38:32UH, MOVING THIS FORWARD, THIS

38:36ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FORWARD?

38:37WELL, I HAVE UM I'VE OFFERED MY

38:41YOU KNOW, I'VE OFFERED MY

38:42SUPPORT WITH SOME SOME SOME

38:43THOUGHTS ATTACHED TO THEM.

38:45UM, HAPPY TO BE A RESOURCE IN

38:47TERMS OF HOW YOU KNOW, HOW

38:49OTHER PLACES ARE HANDLING THIS

38:51AND ALSO INTERPRETING UM, ANY

38:55INFORMATION YOU KNOW ABOUT HOW

38:56THE STATE HANDLES THIS AS WELL.

38:58SO PLEASE, YOU KNOW, PLEASE

38:59VIEW ME AS A AS A AS A RESOURCE

39:02UH, GOING FORWARD IF YOU HAVE

39:04ANY QUESTIONS I'VE SUBMITTED MY

39:05TESTIMONY WHICH HAS LINKS TO

39:07THOSE OKAY.

39:08I DID A.

39:09SUPER VERY UNSCIENTIFIC

39:11SELECTION OF KIND OF MAJOR

39:11CITIES AND JUST TOOK A LOOK AT

39:13WHAT THEY DID BUT AGAIN HAPPY

39:15TO TALK YOU THROUGH THOSE AS

39:16NEEDED.

39:17DID YOU LOOK AT THE INDEPENDENT

39:19COMMISSION IN CONNECTICUT?

39:21I DID NOT MY MAJOR.

39:23>> WAS TALKING ABOUT.

39:24YEAH THIS ISN'T THIS ISN'T THIS

39:26IS A BIT OF LEARNING FOR ME.

39:29UM I DIDN'T REALLY APPROACH

39:30FROM AN OPEN RECORDS POINT

39:32OF VIEW.

39:32UH I APPROACHED IT MORE FROM A

39:34REVENUE REPORTING.

39:34OKAY, GREAT.

39:36THANK YOU.

39:36STEVE AND.

39:37I HAD A FINAL QUESTION.

39:38FOR JIM.

39:44JIM, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

39:45GOOD TO SEE YOU, COUNSELOR.

39:47HEY JIM YOU MENTIONED THAT THE

39:49COUNCIL GETS IS.

39:50MONTH TO MONTH REPORT THAT ALL

39:53DEPARTMENT GETS.

39:58UM THE UH THE AS A.

40:00DEPARTMENT CITY COUNCIL AS A.

40:01DEPARTMENT PROBABLY GETS TO BE

40:03HONEST WITH YOU EVERY

40:04DEPARTMENT GETS THEIR OWN

40:05INDIVIDUAL REPORTS GET.

40:06THEIR OWN RIGHT.

40:07IT'S A.

40:07SYSTEM GENERATED REPORT THAT,

40:09UH, GIVES A SNAPSHOT OF UH,

40:11BUDGET TO ACTUAL SO.

40:13UH BUT I WAS.

40:14GOING TO TO UH SURE ENOUGH

40:18STAFF.

40:18FOR THE COUNCIL.

40:19BUT WE DON'T GET A REPORT WE

40:21DON'T GET THE OTHER REPORTS, WE

40:22ONLY GET THE COUNCIL REPORT.

40:24>> WE DON'T GET ALL THE OTHER

40:25REPORTS.

40:26RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT.

40:26YEAH IT'S IT'S MOSTLY FOR

40:29DEPARTMENTAL MANAGEMENT ISSUES

40:31LIKE TO KNOW LIKE WHAT

40:32REQUISITIONS YOU HAVE

40:34OUTSTANDING ARCHES ORDERS

40:35THINGS LIKE THAT.

40:36UH HOW DIFFICULT WOULD IT BE,

40:38JIM, FOR.

40:40THE COUNCIL TO GET.

40:41THE REPORTS.

40:42THAT ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS

40:44COULD.

40:45I YOU KNOW IT THAT'S SORT

40:47OF IT'S COMES FROM AUDITING.

40:49I WOULD HAVE TO, UH, CONNECT

40:50WITH THEM ON THAT.

40:51CAN YOU CHECK WITH THEM AND GET

40:53BACK TO US?

40:53SURE, SURE.

40:54AND ON THE REPORT THAT.

40:57UH.

40:58>> COUNCILOR WORRELL.

40:59IS A SECOND ON A QUARTERLY

41:01BASIS.

41:02HOW CHALLENGING.

41:03OR HOW DIFFICULT IS THAT KIND

41:04OF BE?

41:06UH, TO PROVIDE TO THE

41:07COUNCIL ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.

41:09>> AND HE'S TALKING ABOUT

41:10REVENUE, RIGHT?

41:11YEAH.

41:12>> I BELIEVE WE'VE BEEN WE'VE

41:13BEEN DOING A COUNCILOR.

41:14UM REQUEST SO.

41:16THAT'S UH WE WILL CONTINUE TO

41:18DO THAT.

41:20UM SO IT'S IT TAKES A LITTLE

41:21ALL THE TIME JUST YOU KNOW,

41:23STAFF TIME TO SORT OF CHECK AND

41:26MAKE SURE THAT IT'S UH UH,

41:28ACCURATE.

41:28BUT OTHER THAN THAT.

41:29UM.

41:30>> YOU KNOW, WE'LL CONTINUE TO

41:31PROVIDE THAT.

41:32AND SO IF WE HAVEN'T BEEN

41:33REQUESTING.

41:34IT AND.

41:34YOU HAVEN'T BEEN PROVIDING IT.

41:36UH, CORRECT.

41:38I THINK YOU'VE BEEN PRETTY

41:39CONSISTENTLY REQUESTING IT.

41:40YEAH.

41:41SO ON.

41:41>> A ON A QUARTERLY BASIS OR ON

41:43A MONTH TO.

41:44MONTH BASIS.

41:45UH, I THINK ON A QUARTERLY

41:47BASIS.

41:47YEP.

41:47OKAY.

41:48AND SO THIS IS JUST REALLY.

41:51UH INSTITUTING THIS

41:53INSTITUTIONALLY AND.

41:54LEGALLY SO.

41:55>> THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO.

41:56REQUESTED THAT IT COMES

41:58AUTOMATICALLY.

42:00YEAH I WOULD ASSUME THAT'S WHAT

42:02THE INTENT IS.

42:02YEAH OKAY.

42:03AND SINCE YOU SAID YOU'RE DOING

42:05IT ANYWAY REALLY SHOULDN'T BE

42:07ANY EXTRA WORK IF.

42:09YOU'RE DOING IT AS.

42:11WE REQUESTED.

42:11OTHER THAN.

42:12THIS WILL BE.

42:13>> ON.

42:14A SCHEDULED BASIS.

42:15RIGHT OKAY OKAY JIM THANK YOU

42:20SO MUCH.

42:20GOOD CHANGE.

42:24THANK YOU, COUNCILOR CULPEPPER.

42:26UM, WE'LL GO TO

42:26COUNCILOR FLYNN.

42:30THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

42:31AND THANK YOU TO, UM, DAVID AND

42:33TO JIM AND TO STEVE FOR UM,

42:36INFORMATIVE TESTIMONY.

42:38UM.

42:41SO LET ME START WITH LET

42:42ME START WITH JIM.

42:43JIM JIM, THE UM THE REPORTS

42:47THAT COULD BE GIVEN TO THE CITY

42:50COUNCIL UM ON ON A QUARTERLY

42:52BASIS WOULD THAT INCLUDE

42:54PURCHASING UM.

42:57ISSUES.

42:58>> UH CONTRACTS THAT WOULD WERE

43:00SIGNED OR WENT OUT OR PAID UM

43:03GENERAL INFORMATION SUCH AS

43:05THAT?

43:07UM.

43:08>> NO, IT WOULD BE STRICTLY

43:10BUDGETARY UH INFORMATION BUT I

43:12BELIEVE THERE ARE ON THE CITY'S

43:15UM OPEN DATA PORTAL UH UH,

43:18THINGS THAT ARE LIKE OPEN

43:19CHECKBOOK THAT SHOW UM THAT

43:23KIND OF TRANSACTIONAL ACTIVITY

43:25.

43:26SO YEAH, I'M JUST THINKING OUT

43:28LOUD, JIM WHEN WE WHEN WE SAW

43:30THAT INSPECTOR GENERAL WITH THE

43:34INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT FROM

43:36THE STATE ON $900,000

43:40MISAPPROPRIATION FUNDS THAT THE

43:42PUBLIC SCHOOL DEPARTMENT UM

43:44COULD THAT HAVE BEEN CAUGHT ON

43:48ON A MONTHLY BASIS, A QUARTERLY

43:50BASIS KNOWING THAT THERE'S SOME

43:53FINANCIAL MISAPPROPRIATION

43:54OF MONEY?

43:55BUT COULD ANY REPORT HAVE

43:57CAUGHT THAT IF SOMEONE LOOKED

44:00AT IT ON A MONTHLY BASIS AND

44:02SAID THIS DOESN'T LOOK ALL THAT

44:05RIGHT, THIS DOESN'T LOOK GOOD,

44:06UM, ON A QUARTERLY BASIS

44:08THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG HERE

44:10INSTEAD OF HAVING IT UM,

44:12INCREASE OVER AN EXTENDED

44:14PERIOD OF TIME.

44:15YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I HAVE NOT

44:18BEEN DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THAT

44:19AND THAT UM, UM UH, INTERACTION

44:22WITH THE AG'S OFFICE BUT UH UM

44:26POTENTIALLY UH, REPORTS COULD

44:28COULD FLY THINGS BUT UM, THAT

44:30MAY BE NO, I'M NOT I'M NOT

44:32CLOSE ENOUGH TO IT TO GIVE YOU

44:34AN INFORMED RESPONSE.

44:35UH, LET ME UH STEVE, BASICALLY

44:38THAT SAME QUESTION COULD COULD

44:40THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION AT

44:41CITY COUNCILS KNOW ABOUT IT OR

44:44THE MAYOR'S OFFICE KNOW ABOUT

44:45IT ON A MONTHLY BASIS A

44:46QUARTERLY BASIS, NOT JUST

44:48SOMEONE AT THE PUBLIC SCHOOL

44:49DEPARTMENT BUT COULD THAT HAVE

44:51PREVENTED MISAPPROPRIATION

44:54OF MONEY?

44:55UH YEAH.

44:56AND I I'M NOT NOT HAVING SORT

44:59OF DONE THE LEGWORK MYSELF.

45:00I, I HESITATE TO GIVE YOU AN

45:02ABSOLUTE RESPONSE.

45:03I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THE OPEN

45:06CHECKBOOK HAS AN EXTRAORDINARY

45:07AMOUNT OF INFORMATION IF YOU

45:09KNOW WHAT TO ASK IT.

45:11HOWEVER IT DOESN'T YOU KNOW IT

45:13CONTAINS TRANSACTIONS NOT THE

45:16SUBSTANCE OF THE CONTRACT THAT

45:18UNDERPINS THAT TRANSACTION.

45:20AND I THINK THE CRUX OF THE

45:22IG'S DISCUSSION IN THAT IN

45:25THEIR REPORT IS THAT THE

45:28CONTRACT WAS SOLE SOURCE AND

45:31THAT THE SHIPPING THE SHIPPING

45:33FEES WERE KIND OF THE THE THE

45:36ISSUE IN QUESTION HERE THOSE

45:38ARE NOT DEALT WITH OPEN

45:39CHECKBOOK IS A IS A GIGANTIC

45:41SPREADSHEET OF DATA.

45:43SO YOU SEE THE TRANSACTION THAT

45:45A VENDOR WAS PAID AND YOU COULD

45:47THEN YOU COULD THEN YOU COULD

45:49THEN TOTAL UP HOW MUCH THE

45:50VENDOR WAS PAID.

45:51BUT YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE AN

45:53UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONTRACT

45:56UH, AS WELL WHICH AGAIN IS NOT

45:57THERE.

45:58SO I'M I'M GIVING YOU KIND OF A

46:00HAND-WAVING ANSWER AND I

46:02APOLOGIZE FOR THAT BUT IT'S NOT

46:05THERE.

46:05YOU KNOW, THERE'S THERE WOULD

46:07BE SOME EVIDENCE THERE AND

46:10CLEARLY THE TRANSACTIONS WOULD

46:11BE CAPTURED THERE.

46:12BUT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT THE

46:15IG HAS POINTED TO, UM, ARE

46:17SEPARATE FROM WHAT WOULD BE AN

46:19OPEN CHECKBOOK AND THAT'S NOT

46:21OPEN CHECKBOOKS.

46:21OPEN CHECKBOOK IS A YOU KNOW, I

46:23THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL DEBT

46:25OF TRANSPARENCY FROM THE

46:26ADMINISTRATION.

46:27UM, BUT THERE'S SEPARATE ISSUES

46:28THERE.

46:29YEAH.

46:30>> OKAY.

46:30MY MY MAIN POINT TO JIM AND TO

46:32STEVE IS HOW COULD WE HAVE

46:35PREVENTED THIS?

46:36UM, YOU KNOW, ALMOST

46:38IMMEDIATELY WHEN WE SAW

46:39SOMETHING INITIALLY THAT DIDN'T

46:41LOOK RIGHT.

46:43UM, I'M THAT'S THAT'S MY MAIN

46:44POINT.

46:45LET ME GO ON TO DAVID.

46:46UM, DAVID FREEDOM

46:49OF INFORMATION UM FROM FROM

46:51RESIDENTS IS THE CRITICAL PART

46:53OF TRANSPARENCY.

46:54WE HAVE SOMETHING ON THE CITY

46:56COUNCIL CALLED IT SIMILAR TO

46:58THAT.

46:59IT'S BASICALLY CALLED A 17 F.

47:01IT'S A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

47:03FROM THE CITY COUNCIL TO THE

47:04MAYOR'S OFFICE OR THE CITY

47:06ADMINISTRATION TO REQUEST

47:08CERTAIN INFORMATION.

47:10OFTENTIMES THAT'S JUST IGNORED.

47:11BUT DOES DO OTHER CITIES HAVE

47:15THE ABILITY WE HAVE A WE HAVE A

47:17STRONG MAYORAL SYSTEM HERE AND

47:19WEAK CITY COUNCIL.

47:20SO THE MAYOR CAN JUST IGNORE

47:22THE CITY COUNCIL.

47:23UM, BUT ARE THERE OTHER CITIES

47:26THAT HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO

47:29A 17 F REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

47:31FROM CITY COUNCIL TO THE MAYOR?

47:34UM AND THAT IS RESPECTED THAT

47:37THE MAYOR TURNS THAT

47:38INFORMATION OVER TO THE CITY

47:41COUNCIL COULD BECAUSE IT DOES

47:41HELP THEM PREPARE FOR BUDGET

47:44MEETINGS OR FOR UPCOMING

47:45HEARINGS.

47:47OH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION

47:49MR FLYNN.

47:49UM, TO BE HONEST, I DON'T KNOW.

47:52I HAVEN'T STUDIED THAT SO UH

47:54UH, IT WOULD BE A GREAT STUDY

47:56TO LOOK AT THE DYNAMIC

47:58DYNAMICS.

47:58IT SOUNDS LIKE UH, YOU MAYOR

48:00OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT A

48:02LITTLE BIT UH, WITH CONGRESS

48:04TRYING TO GET INFORMATION OUT

48:06OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH.

48:08UH, SO, UH, BUT I, UH I'M

48:11SORRY I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO

48:12THAT, BUT THAT'S UH UH,

48:13SOMETHING REALLY TO LOOK AT

48:15CLOSELY BECAUSE IT SOUNDS UH

48:17ARE WE DYSFUNCTIONAL?

48:19IF YOU ASK ME, UH, INFORMATION

48:21SHOULD FLOW FREELY TO THE

48:22PUBLIC AND TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

48:26REGARDLESS IF IT'S

48:29CONTROVERSIAL OR REGARDLESS IF

48:31IT SUPPORTS THE ADMINISTRATION

48:33OR OPPOSES THE ADMINISTRATION,

48:35THE THE DATA SHOULDN'T MATTER.

48:39IS THAT ACCURATE, DAVID?

48:41NO, ABSOLUTELY.

48:42I THINK UH ANY INFORMATION THAT

48:45IS PUBLICLY DISCLOSED BY THE

48:46CITY COUNCIL IS ENTITLED TO AND

48:49UNLESS THERE'S SOME EXEMPTION

48:50IN THE STATE LAW THAT UH MIGHT

48:52ALLOW SOME REDACTIONS, UH, AND

48:55OF COURSE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS

48:57SHOULD BE ENTITLED TO JUST AS

48:58EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD BE.

49:01WE TAKE THE POSITION THAT IF

49:03IT'S IF IT'S UM IF IT'S GOING

49:08TO PUT THE ADMINISTRATION IN A

49:10BAD LIGHT THAT YOU KNOW, THE

49:12CITY COUNCIL SHOULD NOT GET

49:14THAT INFORMATION OR SHOULD NOT

49:16REQUEST IT EVEN UM HMM.

49:20WELL WHEN.

49:21>> WE'RE.

49:21TALKING ABOUT UM, ANNUAL

49:22REVENUE REPORTS OR SORRY,

49:24QUARTERLY REVENUE REPORTS BY

49:25THE WAY.

49:26I UNDERSTAND, MADAM CHAIR.

49:28OKAY.

49:29>> I WAS JUST I THAT'S A

49:30SUBJECT MATTER AT HAND RIGHT

49:31NOW.

49:32MADAM CHAIR, I UNDERSTAND.

49:34OKAY.

49:35>> JUST MAKING SURE.

49:36THANK YOU.

49:37YEAH.

49:37>> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR FOR

49:40HIGHLIGHTING THAT.

49:41>> BUT.

49:41.

49:41UM.

49:42DO YOU WANT ME TO STOP MY

49:44QUESTIONING, MADAM CHAIR?

49:45IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME?

49:46OH, NO.

49:46>> I MEAN WE'RE ON TO WE'RE

49:48WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN

49:49ORDINANCE ENSURING QUARTERLY

49:52REVENUE REPORTS AND SO IT'S

49:54SEPARATE FROM A 17TH.

49:57MADAM CHAIR, I UNDERSTAND THAT

49:59I I'M JUST SOMEWHAT SURPRISED

50:01THAT I WAS CUT OFF BUT, UM I'M

50:04GOING TO I'LL STOP ASKING

50:06QUESTIONS IF THAT'S WHAT YOU

50:07WANT.

50:07MADAM CHAIR, YOU.

50:08>> ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ASK 1

50:09OR 2 MORE QUESTIONS.

50:10EVERYONE'S GOT AT LEAST EIGHT

50:12EIGHT MINUTES AND SO YOU'RE

50:13ALMOST AT THAT TIME TO LIKE

50:14ANOTHER QUESTION TO ASK ANOTHER

50:15QUESTION PLEASE GO AHEAD.

50:16NOW MADAM CHAIR.

50:18I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS UM

50:19CUT OFF SO I'M JUST GOING TO

50:21STOP THERE.

50:23OKAY?

50:24>> THAT IS YOUR PREROGATIVE.

50:25UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

50:26WE'LL BE GOING TO

50:28COUNCILOR WEBER NEXT.

50:31UH, HELLO?

50:32CAN YOU HEAR ME?

50:36MAYBE WE CAN HEAR YOU.

50:37YEP.

50:38RIGHT.

50:39>> UH, OKAY.

50:40UH, SO I GUESS FOR FOR JIM, UM,

50:45AGAIN LIKE SO.

50:46HOW HOW LONG AFTER THE END

50:48OF THE QUARTER WOULD IT TAKE TO

50:51TO GENERATE THE REPORT?

50:52UH, YOU MADE SAID THE SEMESTER

50:54OF OPENING COMMENTS.

50:55I APOLOGIZE, BUT.

50:56YOU KNOW, I THINK THE, UH THE

50:59ORDINANCE CALLS FOR 30 DAYS AND

51:01I THINK THAT'S A GENEROUS

51:02AMOUNT OF TIME FOR US TO BE

51:03ABLE TO DO IT.

51:04HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO IT BEFORE

51:05THAT.

51:06>> SO OKAY.

51:07AND THEN UH, I GUESS WHAT'S

51:09YOUR OPINION ON YOU MEAN JUST

51:12POSTING LIKE THE REPORT IN A

51:14PUBLIC LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW,

51:17INSTEAD OF JUST SENDING IT OVER

51:18TO THE CITY COUNCIL?

51:19I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT'S

51:21CONTEMPLATED, BUT UM, YOU KNOW

51:23WHAT WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON

51:26PRODUCING A REPORT OR JUST

51:27POSTING IT?

51:28YEAH.

51:29>> I MEAN UM I'M SORT

51:32OF DELVING INTO THE WORLD OF UH

51:34IT A LITTLE BIT UH, SO THERE'S

51:35SORT OF THE UH THE CUSTODIAN UH

51:38,MANAGER OF THE OPEN DATA

51:41PORTAL WE DEFINITELY STAGED

51:42DATA THERE, BUT IT IT TAKES A

51:44LOT OF WORK COORDINATING WITH

51:45THEM ON LIKE THE PROTOCOLS AND

51:48TO HAVE A PROCESS.

51:49SO I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR

51:50THEM, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S

51:52DOABLE.

51:53UM, THEY'D PROBABLY BE LIKE, UH

51:55,YOU KNOW, A CASE UM, UH, SORT

51:58OF SORT OF, UH, USE CASE

52:01SUBSTANTIATION THEY MIGHT WANT

52:02TO GO THROUGH BEFORE THEY LIKE

52:03PRIORITIZE WITH THE TO DO THAT.

52:05BUT I THINK IT'S DEFINITELY

52:06FEASIBLE.

52:06UH, I BUT I DON'T THINK THE

52:09BUDGET OFFICE COULD YOU

52:10LITERALLY DO IT?

52:11YOU KNOW, WE'D HAVE TO WORK

52:12WITH OUR IT FOLKS TO STAGE

52:14PUBLICLY, UH, DISPLAY DATA.

52:16SO SAME THING WE DO WITH BUDGET

52:18INFORMATION SO WE DO IT WE HAVE

52:19THAT RELATIONSHIP UH, NOW WITH

52:22WE HAVE INTERACTIVE BUDGET

52:23DATA, YOU KNOW, LIVES UM UH,

52:27BOSTON BUDGET DATA.

52:29UH, IT'S JUST IT'S BEEN THAT'S

52:31BEEN A LOT A LOT OF WORK OVER

52:32MANY YEARS TO GET THAT UM,

52:34PROTOCOL WORKED OUT.

52:37OKAY.

52:38>> UH, AND THEN UM, I'M JUST,

52:40UH, IN THE SUGGESTED LANGUAGE

52:43SAYS, UH, REPORTS DETAILING ALL

52:47REVENUE COLLECTED TO DATE BY

52:50ITEM.

52:51IT IS THAT.

52:55UH GEE I IT IS DO YOU NEED ANY

52:59MORE DIRECTION THAN THAT OR I

53:01THINK YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WE

53:03WANT DO YOU THINK YES YES YES.

53:05ALL RIGHT SO.

53:06CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN WITH THAT

53:08THAT WOULD BE.

53:10UH SO IT'S UH SOMETHING THAT'S

53:12PRODUCED REGULARLY NOW SO IT'S

53:15UH IT'S REVENUE.

53:18SO UM REVENUE IS A LITTLE

53:20DIFFERENT AND IT'S THE WAY WE

53:22REFER TO IT IT'S IT'S REVENUE

53:23ESTIMATES.

53:24UH IT'S NOT.

53:25IT'S IT'S IT'S UH ESTIMATE

53:29OF UM REVENUE THAT WE WILL

53:30COLLECT THAT IS SUFFICIENT TO

53:33SUPPORT UH, EXPENDITURE BUDGET

53:35.

53:36UH, WE DON'T CHANGE IT TOO

53:39FREQUENTLY.

53:41WE ESTABLISH IT AND THE ONLY

53:44OPPORTUNITY WE WE TYPICALLY

53:46HAVE TO REVISE IT IS THROUGH

53:48WHEN, UM, WE WORK WITH THE

53:50DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE TO UM,

53:53VALIDATE UH, UM, THEY THEY SORT

53:56OF DO THIS 351 CITIES AND TOWNS

53:58THEY SAY, UM, WE WANT TO MAKE

54:02SURE WE'RE DOING THE DUE

54:03DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE THIS

54:04MUNICIPALITY IS FOLLOWING ALL

54:06OF THE STATE GUIDELINES IN

54:08TERMS OF REVENUE REPORTING AND

54:09WE HAVE TO, UH, TAKE A LITTLE

54:11BIT OF A STEP BACK AND AND

54:13REALIZE THAT 73% OF OUR UH,

54:15REVENUE COMES FROM PROPERTY TAX

54:17AND IT'S IT'S VERY FORMULAIC

54:21AND HITS CALCULATION.

54:23UH, SO IT IS AND NOT TO YOU

54:26DISCOUNT THERE'S AN ENORMOUS

54:27AMOUNT OF WORK IN REPORTING

54:29THAT THAT HAPPENS IN THE LEAD

54:32UP TO ACTUALLY AND WITH CITY

54:35COUNCILS PARTICIPATION IN UM

54:37PLUS THE CLASSIFICATION AND UH

54:40UM YOU KNOW SO UH BUT I THINK

54:43WHAT THE UM SO THAT THAT'S AN

54:46IS THE UH PAUSE POINT WHERE WE

54:48CAN SAY HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS

54:49REVENUE WAS NOT ACHIEVING IT'S

54:51YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S LEVEL WE'LL

54:53REVISE IT DOWN OR NEW GROWTH

54:55DID BETTER THAN WE WE HAD

54:56ORIGINALLY.

54:57>> THAT'S I THINK CAPTURE.

54:58THAT YEAH.

54:59YEAH JOIN IN MY QUESTION A

55:00LITTLE MORE UH BASIC YEAH IS IS

55:03THAT IT JUST IN TERMS OF SO IF

55:04YOU'RE MISSING THEM BY ITEM

55:06LIKE WHAT IS YOUR READING

55:08OF THE WORD ITEM AND IS THAT

55:10YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE

55:11WE'RE GOING TO GET WHAT WE'RE

55:13HOPING FOR.

55:14YEP.

55:15>> UH IT'S IT'S IT'S THE WAY WE

55:18RECORDED IT'S KIND OF A REVENUE

55:19ACCOUNT.

55:21UM SO IT'S WE WE TEND TO BUCKET

55:24IT IN OUR BUDGET SUMMARY SO WE

55:26SAY THESE THIS IS PROPERTY.

55:28TAX THESE ARE EXCISE TAX THESE

55:32ARE FINES THESE ARE PERMITS UH

55:36AND UM AND THEN WE HAVE OUR

55:39STATE AID ACCOUNTS UH SO YOU

55:42KNOW UM IN IN YOU GUYS HAVE UH

55:45THE COUNCIL HAS SEEN THIS

55:46PRESENTATION BEFORE, YOU KNOW,

55:4873% OF OUR REVENUE IS PROPERTY

55:49TAX.

55:50ALL OF THOSE COMPONENT PIECES

55:52ARE SMALLER SLICES OF THE

55:54OF THE PIE.

55:55AND SO THAT COVERS THE WORD

55:57JUST THE WORD ITEM AND WE'LL

55:59COVER WE'LL COVER IT.

56:01UM YOUR DIRECTIONS ARE CLEAR

56:03IF.

56:04>> YOU'RE YES I THINK SO YEAH I

56:05THINK I THINK WE'RE ALL ON THE

56:06SAME PAGE ABOUT WHAT, UH WHAT

56:08IT SHOULD BE.

56:09OKAY.

56:09>> UH, AND THEN I GUESS STEVE,

56:11I, UH AND THIS IS GOING TO COME

56:13BACK TO YOU, JIM.

56:13BUT STEVE AND I WERE TALKING

56:15THIS MORNING ABOUT REVENUE

56:18PROJECTIONS AND I THINK OTHER

56:20MUNICIPALITIES HAVE LONGER YOU

56:22KNOW, WE GET WE THEY HAVE MORE

56:23DATA IN TERMS OF WHERE THEY THE

56:25PEOPLE ARE PROVIDED WITH LONGER

56:27REVENUE PROJECTIONS OR I SEE DO

56:30YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT

56:32THAT AND SOMETHING THAT CAN

56:33IMPROVE IMPROVE GOING.

56:35YEAH BUT.

56:36YEAH I YOU KNOW I THINK THE

56:38CONVERSATION YOU KNOW SOME

56:39PEOPLE NOTED OTHER COMMUNITIES

56:42UM HAVE A PRACTICE OF DOING

56:44LONGER TERM BOTH REVENUE AND

56:47EXPENDITURE PROJECTIONS AND

56:48THAT'S A VIRTUOUS EXERCISE.

56:52UM I WOULD DIRECT THIS ONE

56:53PROBABLY BACK TO JIM.

56:54I KNOW I KNOW I BELIEVE THE

56:57CITY DOES SOME FORM OF THIS.

57:00UM, I JUST HAVE OFF THE TOP

57:02OF MY HEAD I CAN'T FIGURE OUT

57:03WHAT VESSEL SORT OF WHAT IS THE

57:06DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL FOR IT?

57:08UM, BUT I KNOW THAT IS

57:10SOMETHING THAT THE OFFICE

57:11THINKS ABOUT.

57:12I JUST I DON'T KNOW THE LEVEL

57:14OF DISCLOSURE.

57:15UM, SO I MIGHT I MIGHT SORT

57:17OF PUNT ON THAT ONE A BIT.

57:18YEAH.

57:18>> NO, I GUESS JIM'S THAT JIM

57:19LIKE CAN WE GET LONGER TERM

57:21PROJECTIONS?

57:22WHY DON'T WE DO DO YOU HAVE

57:24INTERNALLY UH WHY YOU KNOW WHY

57:26ARE WE PROVIDERS AND WITH THAT

57:29OR YOU KNOW AND THERE MAY BE

57:30GOOD REASONS FOR THIS AND, UH,

57:32I'M JUST INTERESTED IN YOUR

57:33THOUGHTS.

57:34WE DO WE DO.

57:35UM, SO, UH, IF YOU, UM, GO TO

57:39THE, UH, BUDGET OFFICE FOR

57:41BUDGET.

57:41TALK BOSTON.GOV.

57:43AND THEN YOU GO TO UM PDFS UH

57:47UH GET THE PDF SECTION.

57:49THERE IS A MULTI-YEAR BUDGET

57:50DISPLAY.

57:51SO YOU KNOW, OUR MOST CURRENT

57:54PUBLICATION WE DO HAVE UH UH A

57:57FORECAST FOR THE FOR 28 AND 29

58:01UM AND IT IS IT UH TO UH

58:05STATEMENTS MADE EARLIER UH THAT

58:07IS ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL

58:09QUESTIONS WE GET FROM UM RATING

58:12AGENCIES IS IT'S NOT REALLY

58:15NECESSARILY UH AND THAT THAT

58:17SPEAKS TO THE WHOLE

58:19SUSTAINABILITY.

58:20UH ARE YOU.

58:21PREPARING UH.

58:23ARE THE DECISIONS YOU MAKING

58:24TODAY PREPARING YOURSELF TO WAS

58:26YOU KNOW YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH

58:28THINGS IN THE FUTURE.

58:29JIM I THINK SO I THINK THE

58:31ISSUE FROM THE RATING AGENCIES

58:33IS ALSO PARTIALLY THE ONLY

58:35PROJECT TWO YEARS WHEREAS IN

58:36OTHER PLACES THEY PROJECT

58:38LONGER AND I JUST DON'T KNOW IF

58:39THOSE PROJECTIONS ARE JUST NOT

58:41RELIABLE.

58:42UH, HAVE WE HAVE YOU HAD A

58:44CONVERSATION ABOUT DOING LONGER

58:46PROJECTIONS?

58:47YEAH.

58:48>> YOU KNOW THE FURTHER YOU GET

58:50OUT THE MORE IT BECOMES UH UM

58:53UH THERE'S LESS ACCURACY THERE

58:55.

58:56UM PROBABLY PROBABLY.

58:58UH BUT UM WE UH ACTUALLY IT'S

59:02WE ARE FOLLOWING THE CRITERION

59:03SET BY UM, UH, THE GOVERNMENT

59:06FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

59:08THAT UH UH SUGGESTS AT LEAST A

59:11TWO YEAR FORECAST.

59:12SO THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FOR

59:15DOING.

59:16OKAY.

59:16>> UH, AND IT JUST LIKE MY.

59:18LAST QUESTION I GUESS IT IS

59:19THIS ISSUE OF THE REVENUE.

59:22SO THE QUARTERLY REPORTS, UH,

59:25YOU KNOW, SO LIKE LET'S SAY

59:27WE'RE IN IT'S MAY 2026 AND OR

59:30WE'VE GOTTEN QUARTERLY REPORTS

59:32,YOU KNOW, MAYBE THREE

59:32QUARTERLY REPORTS TO FOR THAT

59:35SLIDE 26.

59:37UH, AND WE'RE SORT OF USING

59:39THOSE PROJECTIONS TO SEE WHERE

59:40WE'RE GOING TO END UP AT THE

59:42END OF FISCAL YEAR 26, BUT WE

59:43DON'T HAVE THE FULL PICTURE

59:44LIKE SO I MEAN IN YOUR

59:47EXPERIENCE LIKE HOW MUCH DOES

59:49THAT LAST QUARTERLY REPORT YOU

59:53KNOW, LIKE SORT OF.

59:56TO FOLLOW UH IS THIS A STRAIGHT

59:57YOU KNOW WE'RE SEEING LIKE A

59:59STRAIGHT LINE OR DOES IT LOOK

1:00:00LIKE YOU KNOW, THE THE ALPS I

1:00:03HAVE NO IDEA.

1:00:04UH, LIKE BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S

1:00:06AN ISSUE THAT WE DEAL WITH EACH

1:00:08YEAR IS LIKE WELL WHAT'S GOING

1:00:11TO BE HAPPENING IN MAY AND JUNE

1:00:13AND THEN APRIL WE JUST DON'T

1:00:15HAVE THAT DATA.

1:00:16I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT IMPACTS I

1:00:18GUESS.

1:00:18WHAT'S YOUR.

1:00:19YEAH I THINK THERE'S SOME

1:00:21UNIQUENESS ACROSS THE REVENUE

1:00:23SOURCES.

1:00:23UH ON THE TIMING OF WHEN

1:00:25THEY'RE WHEN THEY'RE

1:00:27RECOGNIZED.

1:00:28SO UH SOME OF IT IS LIKE FIGURE

1:00:30LIKE LICENSING THINGS THERE'S

1:00:32LIKE A CERTAIN CADENCE TO WHEN

1:00:34THAT WOULD COME IN.

1:00:36WE ALSO OUR DISTRIBUTIONS FROM

1:00:37THE COMMONWEALTH FOR EXERCISES

1:00:39ARE ON A CERTAIN CADENCE.

1:00:41UM SO THE THE THERE ARE SOME

1:00:43DIFFERENCES.

1:00:44AND THEN JUST I GUESS THE

1:00:46FOLLOW UP IS SO BUT THE CADENCE

1:00:47IS ARE SIMILAR EACH YEAR WILL

1:00:50BE PREDICTABLE ON SOME OF THESE

1:00:52LIKE LICENSING THEY'LL SAY.

1:00:53YEAH WELL USUALLY EVEN THOUGH

1:00:55WE'RE ONLY 75% OF THE WAY

1:00:56THROUGH THE YEAR WE'RE WE'RE

1:00:58PROBABLY ONLY SEEING 25% OF THE

1:01:01REVENUE FROM THIS AND THEN GET

1:01:03THAT FROM YEAR TO YEAR LIKE UM

1:01:05AND HOW UNEVEN IT'S GOING TO

1:01:07GET.

1:01:08TO YEAH IT'S UM IN THERE ARE

1:01:10SOME SIGNALING OF CERTAIN

1:01:12THINGS SO UH UH UH STATE THE

1:01:17STATE WILL PUBLISH WHAT THEY

1:01:18CALL BLUE BOOK DATA ON EXCISE

1:01:21UM COLLECTIONS.

1:01:23UH AND WE WE CAN SO IT'S NOT

1:01:26DISTRIBUTED TO US ON THAT ON

1:01:27THAT FREQUENCY I THINK IT'S

1:01:29DISTRIBUTED TO US ON A

1:01:30QUARTERLY BASIS BUT IT WE AT

1:01:32LEAST WE COULD LIKE DO SOME

1:01:34ANALYSIS TO SAY HISTORICALLY

1:01:37THE CITY OF BOSTON WOULD

1:01:38CAPTURE X PERCENTAGE OF THAT

1:01:40BUT IT DOESN'T ALWAYS DOESN'T

1:01:42ALWAYS UH UH MANIFEST ITSELF

1:01:46BASED ON A HISTORICAL UH

1:01:47PATTERN EVERY SINGLE TIME IT'S

1:01:50THERE IS SOME UH VARIABILITY

1:01:52THERE.

1:01:53SO IN THE DO YOU HAVE THAT LIKE

1:01:56YOU COULD YOU ACTUALLY COULD GO

1:01:58THROUGH AND YOU I MEAN DO YOU

1:02:01HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT THAT IS

1:02:03AND SURE.

1:02:03THANK YOU CHAIR.

1:02:05UM OKAY.

1:02:08THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER UM

1:02:09COUNCILMEMBER HERE.

1:02:16SORRY.

1:02:16>> AND UM, YOU.

1:02:17UM GOOD MORNING.

1:02:18I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE

1:02:20COUNCILOR FITZGERALD, BUT I'M

1:02:21HAPPY TO BE HERE AND I WANT TO

1:02:24THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS UM, SO

1:02:26NOT TO TALK ABOUT ALL THE

1:02:27THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO

1:02:28DIFFERENTLY SO THAT WE CAN HOLD

1:02:30OURSELVES MORE ACCOUNTABLE TO

1:02:31THOSE THAT WE SERVE.

1:02:33SO THANK YOU COUNCIL AROUND FOR

1:02:34YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THE SPACE.

1:02:36UM AND THE CHAIR FOR UM

1:02:38FACILITATING UH JUST A FEW

1:02:41QUESTIONS FOR ME, JIM AND I'M

1:02:43SURE YOU KNOW AND STEVE DAVE

1:02:46I'M NOT SURE IF WE'VE MET UH UM

1:02:48BUT UH I KNOW THAT STEVE AND

1:02:50JIM UH, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN

1:02:53FOLLOWING BOSTON POLITICS KNOW

1:02:54THAT I.

1:02:55WORKED ON.

1:02:57ESTABLISHING AT LEAST UM

1:02:58INITIALLY WAS MUNICIPAL

1:03:01INSPECTOR GENERAL HERE IN THE

1:03:02CITY OF BOSTON JUST SO THAT WE

1:03:03CAN HAVE SOME MORE FISCAL

1:03:05OVERSIGHT.

1:03:06UM, IT DID NOT TURN OUT TO BE

1:03:09SUCH NOW IT WAS JUST

1:03:11STRENGTHENING THE, UM BECOMES

1:03:15ABILITY TO HAVE SOME MORE

1:03:17POWERS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE

1:03:18COULD BE SOME OF THAT WORK AND

1:03:21I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.

1:03:22YOU KNOW, HAVING.

1:03:24AN EXTRA LAYER

1:03:26OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND MORE

1:03:27OVERSIGHT AS IT RELATES TO OUR

1:03:28BUDGET.

1:03:29BUT MY QUESTION IS TO FOLLOW UP

1:03:32ON COUNCILOR CULPEPER.

1:03:32UM, JIM, HE HAD MENTIONED THAT

1:03:35YOU ALL ARE ABLE TO SHARE WITH

1:03:38THE DEPARTMENTS BUDGETS I GUESS

1:03:40OR JUST KIND OF LIKE GIVING

1:03:42THEM UPDATES REGULARLY SO IF

1:03:44YOU CAN GET IT TO THEM, WHAT

1:03:46WOULD BE THE BARRIER OF GETTING

1:03:47IT TO US IF YOU IF IT'S ALREADY

1:03:49CREATED IT'S JUST A MATTER

1:03:50OF JUST SENDING IT SENDING IT

1:03:53TO 13 OTHER INDIVIDUALS.

1:03:54WHAT'S THE WHAT'S THE PROBLEM

1:03:56WITH GETTING IT TO US IF YOU

1:03:57ALREADY GET IT TO THE

1:03:58DEPARTMENTS?

1:04:00UH I DON'T THINK THEY'LL

1:04:02THERE'LL BE A PROBLEM

1:04:03RESPONDING TO THE THE THE UM

1:04:06WHAT'S PUT PUT FORTH A NEW

1:04:07ORDINANCE THAT'S UH, SHOULDN'T

1:04:09BE A PROBLEM.

1:04:10UH UM MONTHLY IT'S JUST A

1:04:12DIFFERENT CADENCE.

1:04:14UH, A LOT OF THE COMMUNICATIONS

1:04:16WITH THE, UM THE DEPARTMENT IS

1:04:18SORT OF LIKE A WORKING

1:04:21CONVERSATION SO IT'S NOT UM

1:04:22IT'S IT'S TO IDENTIFY ISSUES

1:04:26THAT MAY HAVE AROSE LIKE

1:04:28OPERATIONALLY LIKE, UM,

1:04:30PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW,

1:04:30CONNECTED TO REVENUE.

1:04:32UM, THERE ARE BOTH EXTERNAL

1:04:34FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE REVENUE

1:04:36BUT INTERNAL OPERATIONAL

1:04:37THINGS.

1:04:38SO UH, PARKING TICKETS ARE

1:04:40ISSUED BY CITY EMPLOYEES.

1:04:41SO UM STAFFING LEVELS ARE

1:04:43CONNECTED TO THAT.

1:04:44UM SO THOSE ARE ALL IN IT'S

1:04:47SORT OF A WORKING COMMUNICATION

1:04:49.

1:04:49UM, SO WE TEND TO UH UH AGONIZE

1:04:55LESS ON SORT OF THE PRECISION

1:04:57OF THAT OF THAT.

1:04:58YEAH.

1:04:59THAT WAS JUST THE TO ACTUALLY

1:05:00TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND IT'S

1:05:03A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM LIKE

1:05:04TRYING TO PROVIDE A FINANCIAL

1:05:05IMPACT.

1:05:06I GET IT EVEN IF EVEN IF YOU

1:05:07MANAGE OUR EXPECTATIONS AND SAY

1:05:09HEY, THIS IS JUST UH YOU KNOW,

1:05:12DON'T HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE TO

1:05:13EVERY SINGLE CENT THAT'S HERE.

1:05:15BUT THIS IS KIND OF WHAT THE

1:05:16PROJECTIONS ARE LOOKING LIKE

1:05:17JUST OUT OF JUST UH, MORE FOR

1:05:20COMMUNICATIONS PURPOSES.

1:05:20BUT I'M GOING TO MOVE ON SOME

1:05:22SOME VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

1:05:23NOW THE ADOPTED A 526 BUDGET

1:05:26INCLUDED BOARD UM 4.7 9A3

1:05:32BILLION AND REOCCURRING I DON'T

1:05:34EVEN KNOW HOW TO SAY THAT

1:05:34NUMBER.

1:05:35THAT'S HOW UH HOW I GREW UP UM

1:05:3940 I THINK IT'S FOUR.

1:05:41UM IT'S A LOT IT'S A BILLION.

1:05:43OKAY.

1:05:43AND REOCCURRING UH, REVENUE

1:05:45DIVIDED INTO 13 CATEGORIES.

1:05:47WHAT WAS THE ACTUAL TOTAL

1:05:49AMOUNT OF REOCCURRING REVENUE

1:05:50FOR FY 26 AND WHAT ARE THE

1:05:52ACTUAL TOTALS IN EACH OF THOSE

1:05:54CATEGORIES?

1:05:54SO IF YOU CAN JUST I'M GOING TO

1:05:55GIVE YOU ALL MY QUESTIONS AND

1:05:56THEN YOU CAN JUST ANSWER THEM.

1:05:58UM WHAT UH WHAT WAS THE THE

1:06:00TOTAL ACTUAL REVENUE IN THE

1:06:02FIRST QUARTER FOR FY 27 AND

1:06:04WHAT IS THE BREAKDOWN OF THAT

1:06:07REVENUE BY CATEGORY?

1:06:08THE FY 27 ADOPTED BUDGET

1:06:12INCLUDED UM 4.9024 BILLION AND

1:06:17REOCCURRING REVENUE.

1:06:20UM WERE THOSE PROJECTS WERE

1:06:22THOSE WERE THEIR PROJECTIONS

1:06:24OF HOW MUCH UH TOTAL REVENUE UH

1:06:27BY REVENUE AND BY CATEGORY WILL

1:06:29COME IN EACH MONTH OR QUARTER.

1:06:31SO JUST TRYING TO GET A HANDLE

1:06:34ON THAT AND HOW DO THEY COMPARE

1:06:36WITH THE ACTUAL REVENUE AND

1:06:38THEN WHAT IS THE DATA ABOUT HOW

1:06:39THE WORLD CUP IMPACTED REVENUE

1:06:41COMPARED TO THE ORIGINAL

1:06:43PROJECTIONS BECAUSE WE WERE

1:06:44TOLD OH THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE

1:06:46A UH YOU KNOW, WE DON'T OH WE

1:06:47DON'T WANT TO COUNT ON THAT.

1:06:48THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO CUT

1:06:49YOUTH JOBS.

1:06:50BUT ANYWAYS I LIKE TO KNOW WHAT

1:06:53UH WHAT WHAT WHAT IT LOOK LIKE

1:06:55NOW THAT WE WE HAVE THOSE

1:06:56DOLLARS IN UM AND WHEN UM, MORE

1:07:00REVENUE COMES IN THAN EXPECTED

1:07:03,WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT MONEY

1:07:04THAT THEY GO INTO THE GENERAL

1:07:06FUND AND RESERVES CAN THE MAYOR

1:07:08AND THE CITY COUNCIL PASSES

1:07:09SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET WITH

1:07:10ADDITIONAL FUNDS JUST TO HELP

1:07:12US UNDERSTAND KIND OF LIKE WHAT

1:07:13WE DO WITH THE OVERFLOW.

1:07:15AND LAST YEAR THE

1:07:17ADMINISTRATION CLAIMED THAT ANY

1:07:18RESUBMITTED BUDGET MIGHT HAVE

1:07:20LESS REVENUE THAN THE BUDGET

1:07:22SUBMITTED IN APRIL.

1:07:23AND HAS THAT REVENUE ACTUALLY

1:07:24BEEN BELOW UM, WHAT WAS

1:07:27INCLUDED IN THE ADOPTED BUDGET?

1:07:28AND NOW I UNDERSTAND BEFORE THE

1:07:30CHAIR SAYS THIS IS THE THIS IS

1:07:32THE UH, HEARING ON THE UM ON

1:07:35THE UH THE ORDINANCE BUT I DO

1:07:38BELIEVE THESE QUESTIONS HELP,

1:07:40UH, US GAIN SOME INSIGHT TO

1:07:42YOUR ABILITY TO TRACK AND

1:07:44REPORT AND, UH, SHARE

1:07:46INFORMATION WITH THE COUNCIL.

1:07:48SO THIS IS A GOOD FIRST TRY.

1:07:50SO I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR IT.

1:07:54AND THOSE ARE ALL FOR YOU, JIM

1:07:55UNFORTUNATELY, DAVID.

1:07:56AND SO I'LL COME TO YOU IF

1:07:58THERE'S A SECOND ROUND.

1:07:59NO PROBLEM COUNSELOR I WILL DO

1:08:02MY BEST TO SORT OF UH I THINK

1:08:03YOU YOU FIRST STARTED TALKING

1:08:05ABOUT UM THE 526 UH WHICH UH UM

1:08:12WE UM, HAD SOME UH, BUDGETARY

1:08:16CHALLENGES IN THAT 426 AND WE

1:08:18WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE

1:08:19COUNCIL I THINK IT WAS UH UM A

1:08:21GREAT I WAS A GOOD SORT

1:08:24OF TESTAMENT TO THE

1:08:25COLLABORATIVE WORKING

1:08:26RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE

1:08:28ADMINISTRATION AND THE

1:08:28COUNCIL THAT WAS UH MANY

1:08:31COMMUNICATIONS UH, FROM THE

1:08:33MAYOR AND THE CFO TO THE CITY

1:08:35COUNCIL ON THE STATUS TRYING TO

1:08:37KEEP THE COUNCIL ABREAST OF THE

1:08:40SITUATION.

1:08:40UH, WE WERE DEALING WITH IT AT

1:08:42426.

1:08:43UM, WE UH WE ACTUALLY

1:08:47SUCCESSFULLY WORKED UH, WITH

1:08:49THE COUNCIL TO DO SUPPLEMENTAL

1:08:52BUDGETS FOR BOTH THE BOSTON

1:08:53PUBLIC SCHOOLS, UH, AND THE

1:08:55CITY UM UH UH THE CITY LARGELY

1:08:59DRIVEN UH BY SOME SOME SOME

1:09:02SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL THAT

1:09:04RESULTED IN SHORTFALLS IN THAT

1:09:06BUDGET.

1:09:07UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE NOT

1:09:08UNLIKE A LOT OF BUT IN TERMS

1:09:10OF GIVING YOU THIS, UH,

1:09:11SPECIFICITY ON THE THE UM THE

1:09:14FINALIZATION OF FY UH 26 BUDGET

1:09:17THIS IS A POINT WHERE IT THEN

1:09:19SWITCHES FROM UH, THE BUDGET

1:09:21OFFICE TO THE AUDITING

1:09:23DEPARTMENT AND UH UH, GIVING

1:09:26THE AUDIT AUDITING DEPARTMENT

1:09:27ITS ITS SPACE TO DO ITS ANNUAL

1:09:29ITS STANDARD ANNUAL AUDIT

1:09:31PROCESS AND THIS THIS THIS

1:09:33AUDIT PROCESS INVOLVES SORT

1:09:35OF THOSE ROUTINE, UH, CLOSEOUT

1:09:37ADJUSTMENTS, YOU KNOW,

1:09:39ADJUSTING REVENUE ACCRUALS,

1:09:40GRANT RECONCILIATIONS AND SO UH

1:09:44,THERE IN THE AT THE HEART

1:09:46OF THAT SO IT'D BE PREMATURE

1:09:48FOR ME TO LIKE GIVE YOU ANY

1:09:50DEFINITIVE BUT THE ONLY

1:09:51DIRECTIONAL UH, THING I CAN SAY

1:09:53IS WE CERTAINLY DO APPRECIATE

1:09:54THE SUPPLEMENTAL THAT WAS, UM,

1:09:56APPROVED BY SUPPLEMENTALS THAT

1:09:58WERE APPROVED BY CITY

1:09:59COUNCIL AND WE DO BELIEVE THAT

1:10:01WE FINISHED UM, UH, FY 26

1:10:05WITHOUT A UH, BOTTOM LINE

1:10:07DEFICIT, UH, BASED ON THAT.

1:10:09SO WE APPRECIATE THAT UH, IN

1:10:11TERMS OF UM UH THE FIRST

1:10:13QUARTER OF THAT 427 UH, IT'S

1:10:16YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE IT

1:10:18LITERALLY JUST CLOSED LAST WEEK

1:10:20SO IT'S UH WE'RE WE'RE UH WE'RE

1:10:23STILL SORT OF WORKING THROUGH

1:10:24IT.

1:10:24UM, WE WE I THINK YOU ARE NOT

1:10:27UNLIKE THE REST OF OTHER FOLKS

1:10:29TO WANT TO SEE, UH, WHAT WE

1:10:31CONTINUE TO REFER TO AS SORT

1:10:32OF THE WORLD CUP BUMP IS IT IS

1:10:34IS IT UH ARE WE SEEING UH,

1:10:37EXTRAORDINARY REVENUES AND AND

1:10:39THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE

1:10:40WE'RE SEEING LIKE UM SOME

1:10:43OF THE DATA THAT SORT

1:10:45OF DOESN'T EXACTLY AND WE AND

1:10:46WE HAVE UH PARTNERS UH WITH

1:10:49THIS THE PLANNING RESEARCH

1:10:51DEPARTMENT HAS DONE SOME

1:10:53ANALYSIS ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT

1:10:56OF OF OF MAJOR EVENTS LIKE

1:10:58WORLD CUP.

1:10:59UH, BUT THERE ARE SO SO MANY UM

1:11:02COMPONENTS TO IT TO BEFORE SO

1:11:04I'M NOT I DON'T THINK WE'RE

1:11:06READY TO GIVE YOU SORT OF A

1:11:07DEFINITIVE I THINK I THINK WE

1:11:09CAN SAY GENERALLY BUT THE

1:11:10QUARTER UM WHERE UH WORLD CUP

1:11:14HAPPENED UH IN THE RUN UP TO

1:11:16THE 4TH OF JULY AND THEN INTO

1:11:17THE SALE BOSTON EVENT UH, HAD

1:11:19BETTER REVENUE IN HOTEL

1:11:22EXERCISES AND MEALS BUT UM, IF

1:11:25IT IS I, I DON'T I THINK IT

1:11:27WOULD BE PREMATURE FOR ME TO

1:11:28SAY THAT IT'S SORT OF AN

1:11:30OUTSIZED UH, BECAUSE AS AS WE

1:11:33ALL KNOW, BOSTON IS A VERY, UH,

1:11:36DESIRABLE PLACE TO TO TO COME

1:11:38TO IN THE SPRING ANYWAY,

1:11:40THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT

1:11:42OF PREDICTABLE, UH, THINGS WITH

1:11:44COLLEGE GRADUATIONS AND THE

1:11:46THINGS THAT ARE, UH, FILLING

1:11:48THOSE UM, HOTEL ROOMS AND

1:11:51RESTAURANTS ANYWAY, SO WE DON'T

1:11:54WANT TO ASCRIBE TOO MUCH TO

1:11:56SOMETHING THAT MAY HAVE KIND

1:11:58OF OCCURRED ANYWAY.

1:12:00SO, UH, IT'S A LONG WAY TO SAY

1:12:02THAT WE'RE SORT OF THE WE'RE

1:12:04STILL ANALYZING THAT DATA.

1:12:05UM, AND AND UH, THE 26 DATA IS

1:12:08STILL SORT OF UNDER UH UH AN

1:12:12AUDIT PROCESS AT THE MOMENT.

1:12:16YOU KNOW WHAT, JIM?

1:12:17I FEEL.

1:12:19I DON'T KNOW.

1:12:20THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS.

1:12:22WHEN I I GUESS WE.

1:12:24WERE AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH

1:12:25TIME I HAVE LEFT, BUT THIS IS

1:12:27WHERE I FEEL LIKE.

1:12:29UM I DON'T I DON'T THINK THAT

1:12:30YOU UNDERSTAND.

1:12:31I DON'T KNOW IF.

1:12:33IT SEEMS LIKE IF IF THEY SAY

1:12:35THAT YOU CAN GET THE QUARTERLY

1:12:36REPORTS THEN I JUST I'M TRYING

1:12:39TO UNDERSTAND WHY YOU SAY YOU

1:12:40CAN'T GET THE DATA FROM FROM

1:12:43LAST YEAR THAT YOU'RE WAITING

1:12:45FOR.

1:12:45THE AUDITING DEPARTMENT IS KIND

1:12:46OF LIKE I'M JUST TRYING TO.

1:12:48IT JUST THERE SEEMS TO BE.

1:12:49>> A DISCONNECT WITH WHAT I'M

1:12:50HEARING AND WHAT YOU ARE

1:12:53SAYING.

1:12:53IF WE'RE ABLE TO DO THESE

1:12:54QUARTERLY REPORTS THEN WHY

1:12:55DON'T YOU HAVE DATA FROM 2026?

1:13:00IT'S AT THIS POINT IT WOULD IT

1:13:02LEND ITSELF TO CONFUSION IF

1:13:04THERE IS A DIFFERENCE.

1:13:05SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE.

1:13:06THAT WE USE THE FINAL AUDITED

1:13:08FINANCIAL NUMBERS AT THIS

1:13:10POINT.

1:13:13UH OKAY.

1:13:14UM AND DAVID YOU KNOW I KNOW

1:13:15THAT COUNCIL CULPEPPER IS GOING

1:13:17TO PROBABLY WANT TO UH, REACH

1:13:19OUT TO YOU AND GET SOME

1:13:20INFORMATION REGARDING.

1:13:21THE CONNECTICUT UH.

1:13:23COMMISSION THAT WAS ESTABLISHED

1:13:24.

1:13:24UH, WE'D.

1:13:25LOVE TO.

1:13:26PARTNER WITH CULPEPPER.

1:13:28>> IF.

1:13:28HE DOES DECIDE TO GO THAT ROUTE

1:13:30AND SOME MORE INSIGHT I'M

1:13:32ALWAYS YOU KNOW.

1:13:33I AM ALWAYS ON.

1:13:35>> THE SIDE OF BEING AS.

1:13:37TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE WHEN IT

1:13:38COMES.

1:13:39>> TO CITY DOLLARS IN

1:13:40PARTICULAR BECAUSE.

1:13:40THESE ARE THE TAXES OF THE.

1:13:43PEOPLE AND ANYTHING THAT WE CAN

1:13:45DO TO CREATE PATHWAYS AND UH,

1:13:48THAT ALLOW FOR THAT IS

1:13:50SOMETHING THAT I'M ALWAYS GOING

1:13:51TO RAISE MY HAND UP AND SAY I

1:13:52WANT TO BE A PART OF.

1:13:54SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO

1:13:55CONNECTING WITH YOU ON THAT.

1:13:56AND UM, STEVE AS WELL AS WITH

1:13:58YOU TO HEAR MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU

1:14:00HAVE GATHERED FROM OTHER CITIES

1:14:01AND TO PARTNER ALONGSIDE YOU

1:14:03ALL TO TO BE UH, PARTNERS IN

1:14:06THIS GOOD WORK AND THANK YOU

1:14:07CHAIR.

1:14:07I SEE THAT MY TIME IS

1:14:08DEFINITELY UP.

1:14:09I APPRECIATE.

1:14:10>> THE TIME.

1:14:10THANK YOU.

1:14:11THANK YOU.

1:14:12UM, COUNCILOR FITZGERALD.

1:14:15THANK YOU CHAIR.

1:14:16UH.

1:14:16AND THANK YOU JIM.

1:14:17STEVE.

1:14:18DAVID, UH, FOR BEING ON WITH US

1:14:20TODAY.

1:14:20UM, I DON'T HAVE MANY QUESTIONS

1:14:23IS MORE JUST I SUPPORT THIS,

1:14:25UH, THAT THERE'S GOING TO, UH,

1:14:26QUARTERLY REPORTS.

1:14:27UH, I THINK IT WILL HELP.

1:14:29I THINK ALL OF US KNOW THAT

1:14:30LAST, UH, THE LAST BUDGET

1:14:31CYCLE, UH, WAS A ROUGH ONE FOR

1:14:33US AND WE ANTICIPATE, UH, NEXT

1:14:36UP COMING NEXT SPRING'S TO BE,

1:14:37UH, EQUALLY IF NOT MORE

1:14:39DIFFICULT.

1:14:40UM.

1:14:40>> WITH SOME OF THE DECISIONS

1:14:42WE HAVE TO MAKE.

1:14:43SO I THINK THE TRANSPARENCY ON

1:14:44THE REVENUE COMING.

1:14:45>> IN.

1:14:45WILL BE HELPFUL IN TERMS

1:14:47OF EXPLAINING TO OUR

1:14:48CONSTITUENTS WHERE THEIR

1:14:49MONEY'S GOING AND YOU KNOW WHY

1:14:51THINGS ARE BEING CUT, WHAT

1:14:52MONEY IS NOT BEEN COMING IN OR

1:14:54IS COMING IN OR NOT COMING IN

1:14:55THAT WE USED TO HAVE COME IN

1:14:56ETC. UM AND SO UH YOU KNOW AND

1:15:00I THINK TWO QUARTERLY MONTHS WE

1:15:02COULD PICK UP A TREND EVEN

1:15:03QUICKER.

1:15:04UH AND I DO AGREE WITH THAT,

1:15:05DAVID BUT I THINK WE PUT MONTHS

1:15:07THAT BE SORT OF TRENDS THAT WE

1:15:09CAN BEGIN TO TO SEE AND FOLLOW

1:15:11UH, MORE THAN AN ANNUAL REPORT

1:15:13AND AGAIN, JUST UM AS THINGS AS

1:15:16AS THE BELT GETS A LITTLE BIT

1:15:17TIGHTER, IT'S GOING TO BE MORE

1:15:18IMPORTANT TO COMMUNICATE THAT

1:15:20TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

1:15:21UH, ABOUT UM WHY THINGS ARE

1:15:24BEING MAYBE BEING SPENT THE WAY

1:15:25THEY ARE, UH, WHERE THE MONEY'S

1:15:27GOING AND LETTING FOLKS KNOW SO

1:15:29THAT THEY CAN, UM, ADD THEIR

1:15:30VOICE TO WHETHER THEIR THEIR

1:15:32EITHER UM SUPPORT OR

1:15:33DISPLEASURE OF HOWEVER IT MAY

1:15:34BE BEING SPENT.

1:15:36UM BUT REALLY HERE AT THE END

1:15:38OF THE DAY JUST TO SAY SUPPORT

1:15:39THIS CHANGE I THANK UH THE

1:15:40MAKER FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD

1:15:42AND UH, I HOPE WE CAN SEE IT

1:15:44SOON.

1:15:44AND UH, JIM, I DID HEAR YOU SAY

1:15:45LIKE YEAH, IT'S A LITTLE BIT

1:15:46MORE OF A.

1:15:47LIFT FOR FOR SOME OF THE.

1:15:48STAFF BUT.

1:15:49>> UM.

1:15:50>> YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THIS.

1:15:51>> IS JUST A COUPLE OF FORMULAS

1:15:52IN A SPREADSHEET.

1:15:52WE JUST SWITCH AROUND AND CAN

1:15:54HAVE DONE UM AND AND SO I'M

1:15:56HAPPY TO HEAR THAT STAFF CAN

1:15:57CAN DOES HAVE THE CAPACITY TO

1:16:00DO THIS.

1:16:01UM BUT YEAH THAT'S UH REALLY

1:16:02ALL WE'RE GOING TO UH, SAY

1:16:04TODAY BUT UH, JUST SUPPORT THIS

1:16:05AND I THINK IT WILL BE HELPFUL

1:16:07IN TRANSPARENCY GOING FORWARD

1:16:09UH, NOT ONLY FOR THE

1:16:10CONSTITUENTS BUT ALSO FOR US AS

1:16:12COUNCIL IS UH, WHO GET TO AMEND

1:16:14THIS BUDGET.

1:16:14SO THANK YOU, CHAIR.

1:16:15UH, THANK YOU TO THE PANEL.

1:16:16THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FITZGERALD

1:16:18.

1:16:18UM I APOLOGIZE EVERYBODY.

1:16:20>> MY INTERNET IS SPOTTY.

1:16:20SO I KEEP GOING IN AND OUT.

1:16:22UM BUT I WILL PASS IT OVER TO

1:16:23COUNCIL HAPPEN AND.

1:16:24APOLOGIES IF UM IF YOU DON'T

1:16:26HEAR FROM ME I'M TRYING TO GET

1:16:27ON TO MY PHONE.

1:16:27SO JUST FLAGGING TO CENTRAL

1:16:28STAFF AND I'M GOING TO UM GET

1:16:30ON I'M PROBABLY GOING TO BE

1:16:31IPHONE.

1:16:32CONCEPT COMING.

1:16:33>> UP WITH.

1:16:39HEY EVERYONE, CAN YOU HEAR ME?

1:16:41>> WELL PERFECT.

1:16:43UH GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.

1:16:44THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING

1:16:46THIS HEARING.

1:16:47MADAM CHAIR.

1:16:48UM, THIS IS A TOPIC THAT IS

1:16:50OF GREAT INTEREST TO ME BUT

1:16:51ALSO MY RESIDENTS UM, VERY

1:16:53GRATEFUL TO THE MAKERS AS WELL.

1:16:55I I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS

1:16:56JUST BECAUSE I THINK THAT IF WE

1:16:58ARE ABLE TO REVIEW THE REVENUES

1:17:00COMING INTO THE CITY, IT'S

1:17:02GOING TO HELP US UNDERSTAND

1:17:04WHERE WE ARE FISCALLY.

1:17:05HOW ARE WE DOING IN TERMS OF UH

1:17:07,BUDGET WISE FOR THE NEXT

1:17:09FISCAL YEAR?

1:17:10I THINK THAT PERSONALLY

1:17:12SPEAKING, UM, EVEN JUST BEING

1:17:13ABLE TO LOOK AT WHERE THE

1:17:14MONEY'S COMING FROM, UM, BE

1:17:18SETTING US EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT

1:17:19THE NEXT QUARTER MAY LOOK LIKE.

1:17:20UM, HELPS ME UNDERSTAND ALSO

1:17:23WHICH DEPARTMENTS ARE BRINGING

1:17:24IN WHICH REVENUE, UM, WHAT WHAT

1:17:27TYPE OF WORK ARE THEY DOING?

1:17:28UM, AND OBVIOUSLY THIS YEAR WAS

1:17:30VARIED I THINK BUT PREVIOUS

1:17:32COUNCIL AS I MENTIONED IT THIS

1:17:33YEAR WAS VERY DIFFERENT.

1:17:34WE HAD MAJOR EVENTS IN THE

1:17:36SUMMERTIME AND UH THAT BROUGHT

1:17:38IN AN EXTRA SET OF RESOURCES

1:17:40BUT UM I JUST THINK THAT MOVING

1:17:43FORWARD THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO

1:17:45BE DOING.

1:17:45I KIND OF SUBMITTED.

1:17:47A SIMILAR HEARING.

1:17:48ORDER BUT IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT

1:17:49TYPE OF TOPIC IN TERMS

1:17:51OF TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.

1:17:52SO UM, I THINK THAT WHEN WE

1:17:54TALK ABOUT QUARTERLY REVIEWS OR

1:17:56ANNUAL REVIEWS OF A SPECIFIC

1:17:58ITEM, IT'S JUST HELPFUL NOT

1:18:00JUST FOR US AS COUNCILORS BUT

1:18:01EVEN TO EXPLAIN TO OUR

1:18:03RESIDENTS WHAT'S GOING ON IF

1:18:04THEY HAVE QUESTIONS.

1:18:06SO THAT'S WHY I'M SUPPORTIVE

1:18:07OF THIS AND I JUST HAVE I DON'T

1:18:10KNOW IF STEVE OR JIM IF IT'S

1:18:12THE CITY OR THE OUTSIDE PARTNER

1:18:14,BUT MY QUESTION TO YOU ALL IS

1:18:17WITH A REPORT LIKE THIS ON A

1:18:19QUARTERLY REVIEW, UM, TYPE

1:18:22OF TYPE OF FORMAT, DOES IT ALSO

1:18:24HELP US OR DAVID, I THINK YOU I

1:18:26THINK YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING

1:18:27ABOUT THE MORE THAT WE WE

1:18:29PROVIDE UM UPDATES ON OUR ON

1:18:32OUR REVENUES, THE BETTER IT IS

1:18:34FOR US TO HOLD.

1:18:35THE CITY.

1:18:35>> ACCOUNTABLE TO TO UNDERSTAND

1:18:37HOW IS IT LOOKING UM, DOES IT

1:18:40HELP US ALSO SEE PATTERNS

1:18:43OF WHERE WE COULD ALSO BE

1:18:44POTENTIALLY GENERATING MORE

1:18:46REVENUE OR OR THINKING MORE

1:18:49IDEAS OF HOW DO WE BE MORE

1:18:51CREATIVE IN THE CITY?

1:18:52UM, DEPENDING ON PATTERNS AND

1:18:55AND THE SEASONS IN THE CITY.

1:19:00I WANTED TO GIVE JIM PRIDE

1:19:02OF PLACE IN ANSWERING THAT SOME

1:19:04I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS BUT I

1:19:05THINK I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM JIM

1:19:07FIRST.

1:19:08GOOD.

1:19:08>> SO SO UH I.

1:19:09THINK UM THAT'S AN EXCELLENT UH

1:19:12,COMMENT UH, AND UH SUMMARY

1:19:16OF UH REVENUE UH THE UM THE

1:19:20IT'S AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY

1:19:21TO FIND UH SITUATIONS WHERE YOU

1:19:23COULD UM, INCREASE REVENUE, UH

1:19:26,TRENDS.

1:19:26UH, THERE THERE UH UH, GOVERNOR

1:19:29HEALY ACTUALLY HAS HAS OFFERED

1:19:31THROUGH UH MUNICIPAL

1:19:32EMPOWERMENT ACT UH, THAT HAS

1:19:34NOT BEEN TAKEN UP UH,

1:19:36AGGRESSIVELY AT THE LEGISLATURE

1:19:38OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE UM

1:19:39SOME OF THE TAXES THAT WE UH,

1:19:42YOU KNOW, WITH THE STOCK USE

1:19:43FOR BOSTON IT'S FOR ALL UH,

1:19:45COMMUNITIES TO OPT INTO FOR

1:19:47HOTELS AND MEALS.

1:19:49UH, BUT ALL OF THE MANY OF THE

1:19:51FEES AND FINES THAT ARE

1:19:53GENERATED IN THE BUDGET, UH,

1:19:56ARE SET IN ORDINANCE WHERE THE

1:19:57CITY COUNCIL, UH, YOU KNOW,

1:19:59PLAYS UH, INSTRUMENTAL UM, IN

1:20:03THAT EFFORT TO SORT OF CODIFY

1:20:06CHANGES AND RATES UH, WE'RE WE

1:20:09ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TO SEE UM UH

1:20:12YOU KNOW HOW HOW WE STAND

1:20:15AGAINST OTHER COMMUNITIES UH,

1:20:17BUT ALSO IT'S THE IMPACTS ON

1:20:19THE RESIDENTS.

1:20:20SO IT IS THIS WILL WILL THIS,

1:20:21UH, POSE AN UNDUE BURDEN ON THE

1:20:23RESIDENTS?

1:20:24UM, AND THERE IS THIS THIS THIS

1:20:27ECONOMIC CONCEPT OF, YOU KNOW,

1:20:29IN THE LAST CITY THAT.

1:20:31>> LIKE.

1:20:31YOU LIKE VILLAGE YOU KNOW WHAT

1:20:33WILL WHAT WILL THE CONSEQUENCES

1:20:35BE OF CHANGING CERTAIN CERTAIN

1:20:37UH, RATES AND THEN UM, YOU

1:20:40KNOW, IN YOU KNOW SO THOSE ARE

1:20:43UH PROBABLY A SMALLER PORTION

1:20:45OF OUR BUDGET BUT IT STILL

1:20:46CONTINUES TO BE SOMETHING WE.

1:20:48PAY ATTENTION TO.

1:20:49UH UH, WHAT WE'VE SORT OF BEEN

1:20:51THE BENEFICIARY OF IT'S A VERY

1:20:54,UM, ROBUST DEVELOPMENT MARKET

1:20:56THAT OCCURRED IN THE CITY OVER

1:20:59SEVERAL YEARS WHERE OUR NEW

1:21:01GROWTH WAS UH, VERY STRONG.

1:21:03AND YOU KNOW, WE ALL, UH, SEE

1:21:05THAT THE THE DEVELOPMENT

1:21:07PIPELINE HAS SORT OF UM, UH,

1:21:10SLOWED DOWN A BIT AND UH, YOU

1:21:12KNOW, THAT THAT COULD BE BLAMED

1:21:14THAT COULD BE CONNECTED TO MANY

1:21:15DIFFERENT THINGS, YOU KNOW,

1:21:17INTEREST RATES UH, ARE HARD ON

1:21:19CERTAIN SECTOR UM, YOU KNOW,

1:21:21UNCERTAINTY SORT OF GLOBAL

1:21:22UNCERTAINTY, LOTS OF MARKET

1:21:24UNCERTAINTY, TARIFF

1:21:25UNCERTAINTIES, ALL OF THESE

1:21:26THINGS FOR GOING TO UM PEOPLE'S

1:21:30DECISIONS ON UH AND ALSO JUST

1:21:32THE UNCERTAINTY OF UNCERTAINTY

1:21:34.

1:21:34UM, EVERY DAY YOU READ A STORY

1:21:36ABOUT.

1:21:37LIKE OH, WE THOUGHT THIS

1:21:39COMPANY WAS GOING TO LIKE START

1:21:41UP A UNIT HERE IN THE CITY AND

1:21:43THEY CHOSE TO DECIDED TO PUT IT

1:21:46IN ANOTHER CITY OR SOMETHING

1:21:47LIKE THAT.

1:21:47SO THERE.

1:21:48>> YOU WE WE COULDN'T POSSIBLY

1:21:50LIKE EMBED OURSELVES IN ALL

1:21:52OF THE DECISION MAKING KNOW

1:21:53AROUND THE CITY.

1:21:55UH BUT AGAIN ALL OF THESE ALL

1:21:58OF THESE REVENUE SO I THINK WE

1:22:00WE IT'S GOOD TO KNOW IT TO KNOW

1:22:02IT I THINK ONE OF THE MOST

1:22:03IMPORTANT THINGS TO MAKE SURE

1:22:04THAT WE'RE UM PROTECTING THE

1:22:09SERVICES THAT THE CITY PROVIDES

1:22:10BY ENSURING THAT WE HAVE

1:22:12SUFFICIENT REVENUE TO

1:22:13COVER THOSE EXPENSES.

1:22:15UM, AND AND YOU KNOW, UH, I

1:22:17THINK EVERYBODY ON THE

1:22:18COUNCIL IS VERY FAMILIAR

1:22:19OF SOME UH, STATUTORY STATUTORY

1:22:23PLACES WERE OUT.

1:22:24>> WERE.

1:22:24ALLOWED TO OVER RESPOND THAT

1:22:25THEY CONTINUE TO UH TO HAVE UM

1:22:29PUT BUDGETARY PRESSURE ON THERE

1:22:31THINGS LIKE UH PUBLIC SAFETY

1:22:34SPENDING, UM CHARGING

1:22:36SETTLEMENTS.

1:22:37UM, UH AND YOU KNOW, THE NEW

1:22:40ENGLAND UH, SNOW AND ICE

1:22:41ACCOUNT THAT IMPACT SO MANY

1:22:43COMMUNITIES.

1:22:43SO SO UH, I THINK THAT THIS

1:22:46INFORMATION THAT YOU'LL BE

1:22:47GETTING IS IS PART OF YOUR

1:22:49STUART YOUR EFFORT TO

1:22:51STEWARDSHIP TO SAY DO WE HAVE

1:22:52ENOUGH RESOURCES TO PROTECT

1:22:54THOSE KEY FUNDAMENTAL SERVICES

1:22:57THAT EVERY RESIDENT COUNTS ON?

1:23:00SO OKAY.

1:23:01THANK YOU JIM STEVE.

1:23:05YEAH I'M NOT MUCH TO ADD THERE

1:23:07I DO THINK YOU KNOW I THINK

1:23:08JIM'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

1:23:09I WOULD SAY WITH SOME OF THE

1:23:10MORE MATERIAL ACCOUNTS UM IT

1:23:12GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO

1:23:13HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING.

1:23:14HEY WHAT'S AFFECTING KIND

1:23:15OF THE MACRO ENVIRONMENT AROUND

1:23:18PROPERTY VALUES AROUND NEW

1:23:20CONSTRUCTION, AROUND PERMITTING

1:23:22AND THEN I WOULD SAY ON THE

1:23:23SMALLER LESS MATERIAL ACCOUNTS

1:23:25FROM TIME TO TIME YOU'LL BE

1:23:27ABLE TO IDENTIFY OR AT LEAST

1:23:28YOU KNOW, BRING TO THE

1:23:30ATTENTION IF THERE'S A POSSIBLE

1:23:32OPERATIONAL ISSUES AND YOU

1:23:33KNOW, SOME OF THESE SMALL

1:23:34DOLLAR ACCOUNTS IT MAY BE YOU

1:23:36KNOW, MAYBE THAT THEY DIDN'T

1:23:38YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HOLDING ALL

1:23:39THE TRACKS UNTIL THE SECOND

1:23:40QUARTER OR SOMETHING SMALLER.

1:23:42I MEAN I OUTSIDE OF THE CITY

1:23:44OF BOSTON I MEAN I'VE HAD THE

1:23:45EXPERIENCE WITH A LARGE

1:23:47ORGANIZATION SOMETIMES YOU KNOW

1:23:49OH THAT GUY RETIRED LIKE WHO

1:23:51WAS COLLECTING ALL THE RENTS ON

1:23:53UH ON ON PARTICULAR PROPERTIES

1:23:55AND ONCE YOU IDENTIFIED HEY,

1:23:56WHY IS THAT ACCOUNT USED TO

1:23:58HAVE A STEADY INCOME?

1:23:59WHY IS IT ZERO?

1:24:00YOU CAN SOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS.

1:24:01SO YOU KNOW I THINK AGAIN WE'RE

1:24:04NOT GOING TO CLOSE UM, YOU

1:24:06KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO CLOSE

1:24:07THE BUDGET GAP WITH UH WITH I

1:24:09THINK WITH OPERATIONAL UH,

1:24:11IMPROVEMENTS BUT IT'S MONEY

1:24:13THAT UH IT'S MONEY THAT THE

1:24:14CITY IS OWED AND UM, YOU KNOW,

1:24:16WE SHOULD BE SURE WHERE WE'RE,

1:24:17UH, APPROPRIATELY COLLECTING IT

1:24:19.

1:24:20I APPRECIATE THAT, UM, BECAUSE

1:24:22I ALWAYS I MEAN, WE COULD

1:24:23ALWAYS LOOK AT IT FROM OUR

1:24:24PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE IF I TRY

1:24:25TO LOOK AT MY OWN PERSONAL BANK

1:24:27STATEMENTS.

1:24:27UH, EVERY MONTH.

1:24:29TO UNDERSTAND WHERE ARE THOSE

1:24:31WE ARE CURRENT PAYMENTS

1:24:31HAPPENING?

1:24:32UH, WHAT SUBSCRIPTIONS DO I

1:24:34HAVE THAT ARE CONSISTENTLY

1:24:35TAKING MONEY THAT I MAY NOT BE

1:24:36AWARE OF?

1:24:37UM, AS A PERSON IF YOU'RE NOT

1:24:39DOING THAT ON A EVEN LIKE

1:24:42MONTHLY BASIS OR EVEN ON A TWO

1:24:43WEEK ON A BI WEEKLY BASIS,

1:24:45YOU'RE GOING TO PROBABLY BE

1:24:46SPENDING MONEY ON THINGS YOU'RE

1:24:47NOT EVEN AWARE OF.

1:24:48AND THAT'S THE WAY I LOOK AT IT

1:24:50FROM A BIGGER PICTURE WITH THE

1:24:52CITY'S BUDGET WHICH IS WHY I'M

1:24:53VERY FOR THIS UM AND I'M VERY

1:24:55THANKFUL I THINK WAS

1:24:56COUNCILOR WORRELL UM THAT PUT

1:24:58THIS FORWARD SO I JUST I'M VERY

1:25:00SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.

1:25:01I THINK THAT WE CAN DO SOME

1:25:02GOOD JUST ANALYSIS OF OUR

1:25:05CITY'S BUDGET AND REVENUE

1:25:06MOVING FORWARD.

1:25:07SO THAT'S IT FOR ME GUYS.

1:25:08THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DO.

1:25:09THANK YOU FOR THE MAKERS AND

1:25:10THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR FOR

1:25:11HOSTING THIS HEARING.

1:25:12THANK YOU COUNCIL PATTON.

1:25:14>> UM ALL RIGHT I'LL GO INTO MY

1:25:16UH QUESTIONS.

1:25:16AND I APOLOGIZE IF.

1:25:17THERE'S AN ECHO BECAUSE OF MY

1:25:19PHONE.

1:25:19THAT'S NOT TRUE.

1:25:20SPEAK LOUDLY.

1:25:22UM.

1:25:23SO THE.

1:25:23>> THE LANGUAGE.

1:25:24>> IN.

1:25:24THIS IS.

1:25:24>> PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

1:25:25IT JUST.

1:25:25>> SAYS THE.

1:25:26SUPERVISOR OF BUDGET SHALL BE

1:25:27REQUIRED TO PROVIDE QUARTERLY

1:25:28REVENUE REPORTS DETAILING ALL

1:25:29REVENUE COLLECTED BY COLLECTED

1:25:31TO DATE BY ITEM NO LATER THAN

1:25:3430 DAYS.

1:25:35I HAVE BEEN A PUBLIC SERVANT

1:25:36SERVANT MY ENTIRE LIFE AND I'M

1:25:38COMING FROM A WORLD OF FINANCE

1:25:39.

1:25:40I UM IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I

1:25:42HAVE EXPERIENCE IN SO MY MY

1:25:44QUESTIONS ARE MORE ABOUT

1:25:46OPERATIONALLY HOW THIS WOULD

1:25:47WORK IN PRACTICE AND HOW WE CAN

1:25:51SHORE UP THE LANGUAGE TO I

1:25:53THINK GET SPECIFIC.

1:25:55I MEAN I'M UM I THINK WE CAN

1:25:57ALL HAVE A BASELINE

1:25:59UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A REVENUE

1:26:01REPORT.

1:26:02INCLUDES BUT TO COUNCIL POINT

1:26:05WE ALWAYS HAVE TO ASSUME UM,

1:26:08YOU KNOW, A STANDARD BECAUSE

1:26:11EACH EXECUTIVE IS.

1:26:12DIFFERENT AND UM, WHO KNOWS IF

1:26:15THIS.

1:26:16EXECUTIVE'S DEFINITION OF A

1:26:17REVENUE REPORT IS DIFFERENT

1:26:18FROM THE NEXT ONE OR THE NEXT

1:26:19ONE.

1:26:20SO I THINK LIKE WHAT

1:26:22CONSTITUTES SUFFICIENT DETAIL

1:26:25SINCE IT SAYS REVENUE REPORTS

1:26:26DETAILING ALL REVENUE COLLECTED

1:26:28TO DATE BY ITEM LIKE IS THAT

1:26:30GETTING INTO DETAIL AND SHOULD

1:26:31WE GET PRESCRIPTIVE ABOUT IT.

1:26:33THIS IS MORE OF LIKE A

1:26:34COLLECTIVE CONVERSATION KIND

1:26:35OF WADING INTO WATER THAT I

1:26:36HAVE A WORKING SESSION.

1:26:38BUT SHOULD WE DEFINE REVENUE

1:26:41REPORTS AS HAVING LIKE PROPERTY

1:26:43TAX REVENUE OR STATE AID, LOCAL

1:26:44RECEIPTS, FEDERAL REVENUE,

1:26:46DEPARTMENTAL REVENUE,

1:26:47INVESTMENT INCOME,

1:26:49NON-RECURRING REVENUE WHILE

1:26:50ALSO INCLUDING REVENUE

1:26:53FORECASTS AND UM I IT SEEMS

1:26:54LIKE THERE'S A DESIRE TO GET

1:26:56THE UM MONTHLY REPORTS FROM UM

1:27:01THAT'S GIVEN TO EVERY

1:27:02DEPARTMENT.

1:27:03JIM, CAN YOU JUST DESCRIBE UM

1:27:07CAN YOU JUST ADD TO WHATEVER I

1:27:09MISSED LIKE IF WE'RE GOING TO

1:27:11DEFINE REVENUE REPORTS, WHAT

1:27:14ELSE SHOULD BE IN THERE IN

1:27:15ADDITION TO WHAT I MENTIONED

1:27:17AND THEN ALSO WHAT'S THE.

1:27:18FEASIBILITY OF INCLUDING THAT

1:27:20AT LEAST I'M STILL INTERESTED

1:27:21IN DOING QUARTERLY.

1:27:23UM, BUT WHAT IT MAY MEAN TO TRY

1:27:25TO GET EVERY DEPARTMENT'S UH,

1:27:27REPORT SENT TO THE CITY

1:27:29COUNCIL ON A MONTHLY BASIS.

1:27:32YEAH.

1:27:32>> UM.

1:27:33UH, THAT I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER

1:27:37TO BECAUSE IT SAYS AUTOMATED

1:27:38SYSTEM, UH, SYSTEM GENERATED

1:27:40REPORT, UM, TO OUR IT AND

1:27:43AUDITING DEPARTMENT.

1:27:44I THINK IT'S THE BUSINESS

1:27:45PROCESS OWNER BUT UM, I THINK

1:27:47IN TERMS OF THE LANGUAGE THAT

1:27:48YOU HAVE CHOSEN THAT IT SEEMS

1:27:51TO BE COMPREHENSIVE ENOUGH.

1:27:54UM.

1:27:55>> BY SAYING REVENUE BY ITEM

1:27:58UH, BECAUSE IT IT DOES THERE IS

1:28:00A SORT OF COMMON UM WAY WE

1:28:05CAPTURE UH, REVENUE.

1:28:07UH, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT CALL AN

1:28:08ACCOUNT BUT ITEM IS BASICALLY

1:28:10THE SAME THING I THINK THAT

1:28:11SORT OF STRONG UM EVERGREEN

1:28:15LANGUAGE I THINK THAT YOU KNOW

1:28:16,PARTICULARLY WITH THE CITY

1:28:18CODE, I THINK WE'VE ALL

1:28:19ENCOUNTERED THINGS THAT WE'RE

1:28:21PROBABLY NOT EVERGREEN ENOUGH

1:28:22TO DO LIKE IT WAS VERY SPECIFIC

1:28:24TO A TIME WHEN, YOU KNOW, UH,

1:28:27ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS AND PROCESS

1:28:30WAS PROBABLY DIFFERENT.

1:28:31UH, SO UM, YOU KNOW, THERE THIS

1:28:35OFFICE PROBABLY AT ONE POINT

1:28:37PROCESS TRANSFERS WAS YOU KNOW

1:28:40,ON PAPER YOU KNOW, AT SOME

1:28:43POINT.

1:28:44SO UH SO I THINK I THINK IT'S

1:28:46SUFFICIENT IF SUFFICIENT TO

1:28:47COVER THE INTENT AND LEAVES

1:28:49ROOM TO TO HAVE UM, YOU KNOW,

1:28:52UH, ACHIEVE THE INTENDED RESULT

1:28:54.

1:28:55UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD THINK

1:28:57QUARTERLY UH, MEETS THE MEETS

1:28:59THE MEETS THE NEED UM UH BUT I

1:29:02THINK I THINK SOMETIMES WE CAN

1:29:04GET OVERLOAD LOADED WITH WITH

1:29:07CONTENT AND THEN YOU LOSE SORT

1:29:09OF THE THE HEART LEVEL

1:29:11NARRATIVE.

1:29:12SO I MEAN THE THERE'S ENORMOUS

1:29:14DATA ON OPEN DATA THAT LIKE

1:29:16WHETHER IT BE BUT SOMETIMES

1:29:18WHEN IT'S RAW DATA IT DOESN'T

1:29:20TELL YOU ENOUGH.

1:29:21UM SO WE HAVE PAYROLL, YOU

1:29:23KNOW, INFORMATION THAT'S POSTED

1:29:24UP THERE AT THE OPEN FOR VERY,

1:29:27VERY.

1:29:27GRANULAR UH, DATA AND THERE'S

1:29:31ALWAYS SOME UNIQUENESS OF THAT,

1:29:33YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU KNOW ON THE

1:29:35PAYROLL DO SOME YOU KNOW,

1:29:37POTENTIAL BUYER OR A SETTLEMENT

1:29:39OR SOMETHING THAT'S SKEWING THE

1:29:40DATA SO YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO

1:29:42CONTROL FOR THAT.

1:29:43UH UM, THERE'S CERTAIN

1:29:45ACTIVITIES IT EVEN EVEN IN

1:29:47SOMETIMES HOW UH EXPENSES ARE

1:29:50YOU KNOW, REFLECTED AGAINST A

1:29:51CERTAIN DEPARTMENT BUDGET.

1:29:53UM, WE'VE OFTEN OFTEN

1:29:55ENCOUNTERED THAT LIKE WITH THE

1:29:57CAPITAL EXPENDITURES UH, THE

1:29:59HOST DEPARTMENT UM IT'S

1:30:01SOMETIMES THE EXPENSES ARE

1:30:02ATTRACT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT

1:30:03DEPARTMENT BUT THEN THE ACTUAL

1:30:05PERSON MANAGING THE EXPENSES

1:30:06ARE THE PUBLIC FACILITIES

1:30:07DEPARTMENT.

1:30:08SO SOMETIMES IT'S LIKE WHO DO

1:30:09YOU ASK A QUESTION ABOUT?

1:30:11THE OPERATING DEPARTMENT

1:30:12DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE AS

1:30:13MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT THE

1:30:15CONTRACTS.

1:30:16SO YOU HAVE TO YOU KNOW KNOW

1:30:17THAT IT'S THE RIGHT TIME.

1:30:18SO UM SO I THINK I THINK WITH

1:30:21UH ANNUAL OPERATING REVENUES I

1:30:23THINK I THINK THE LANGUAGE UH

1:30:25PROBABLY IS COMPREHENSIVE

1:30:26ENOUGH.

1:30:27I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU WANT TO

1:30:28PUT ANY MORE BELTS AND

1:30:29SUSPENDERS ON IT, UH, TO MAKE

1:30:31IT MORE.

1:30:32CUMBERSOME THAN FROM THEN WHAT

1:30:34WE'VE SORT OF BEEN, UH, USED TO

1:30:37PROVIDING ALREADY, SO.

1:30:38OKAY.

1:30:39>> THAT'S YEAH, THAT'S A POINT

1:30:40WELL TAKEN I THINK IF YOU'RE

1:30:41RIGHT, IF WE GET PRESCRIPTIVE

1:30:42WE MAY MISS SOMETHING AND.

1:30:44>> IT DOESN'T UM.

1:30:45LEND ITSELF FOR FOR FUTURE

1:30:48ITERATIONS OF WHOEVER THE

1:30:49EXECUTIVE IS OR OR THE CITY

1:30:51COUNCIL SO OKAY THAT MAKES

1:30:52SENSE.

1:30:54UM AND THEN I GUESS LIKE THE

1:30:55THE LATTER PART OF MY QUESTION,

1:30:57IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LITTLE

1:30:59BIT OF CONFUSION WHAT YOUR

1:31:00OPERATIONAL RELATIONSHIP IS

1:31:01WITH THE AUDITING DEPARTMENT.

1:31:03CAN YOU.

1:31:04>> JUST GET INTO UM, WHAT THAT

1:31:07LOOKS LIKE I MEAN ON A

1:31:08QUARTERLY BASIS MAYBE FOR THE

1:31:09PURPOSES OF THIS DISCUSSION

1:31:10LIKE WHY WHY WE CANNOT HAVE

1:31:13THESE UH OR DESCRIBE THESE

1:31:15NUMBERS BECAUSE IT HAS TO GO

1:31:17THROUGH AUDITING WHAT AND MAYBE

1:31:18WE SHOULD HAVE HAD AUDITING IN

1:31:19THIS CONVERSATION BUT ANY UM,

1:31:21EXPENDITURES CAN PROVIDE ON

1:31:22THAT.

1:31:22YEAH.

1:31:23>> IT'S UM IT'S SO UH UM THE

1:31:28THE AUDITOR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR

1:31:32UM, SORT OF THE ACTUALS AND

1:31:34EXECUTION OF UH THE BUDGET.

1:31:36SO THE BUDGET OFFICE IS SORT

1:31:38OF UH UH, WORKS WITH

1:31:40DEPARTMENTS UH OPERATIONALLY TO

1:31:42TO TO TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE

1:31:44SUFFICIENTLY RESOURCE TO TO

1:31:45DELIVER THE SERVICES WHEREAS

1:31:47AUDITING IS GOING THROUGH THE

1:31:50VERY PRECISE SORT OF UM

1:31:53ACCOUNTING OF IS IT IN THE

1:31:55RIGHT SPOT, IS IT IN THE RIGHT

1:31:57TIME FRAME?

1:31:59UH IN THEY WORK WITH THE THIRD

1:32:00PARTY AUDITOR TO TO MAKE SURE

1:32:01THAT SO IS IT IS THIS REFLECTED

1:32:04ACCORDING TO ACCOUNTING

1:32:06PRINCIPLES IN THE RIGHT PLACE

1:32:08AT THE RIGHT AMOUNT.

1:32:10UM AND THAT IT'S IT'S SO

1:32:12AUDITING I THINK IT'S A TERM IN

1:32:15IN A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS IT'S

1:32:16CALLED CONTROLLER UH SO THAT SO

1:32:20UH YOU KNOW BUDGET OFFICES IT'S

1:32:21MORE OF A SORT OF UM MORE

1:32:24CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH DEPARTMENT

1:32:25OPERATIONS AND AND SORT

1:32:27OF SETTING BUT UM BUT THE.

1:32:30COMPTROLLER IS THE.

1:32:31ONE WHO SORT OF LIKE MANAGES

1:32:32THE THE SORT OF DETAILS

1:32:35ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

1:32:37SO UH, IT IT'S JUST THAT THAT

1:32:38THAT IS A.

1:32:39PROCESS THAT.

1:32:40>> WE WE DO AUDITED FINANCIAL

1:32:41STATEMENTS AND UH YEAH.

1:32:44IT'S YOU TEND TO NOT WANT TO UH

1:32:48TO RELEASE THOSE UNTIL THEY'RE

1:32:50FINAL AND AND THAT'S THAT'S

1:32:52SORT OF BEST PRACTICE TO NOT UH

1:32:56,ISSUE PRELIMINARY ONES ON ALL

1:32:57OF THAT BECAUSE IT'S IT'S SORT

1:32:59OF UM UH IT YOU KNOW, THEN THEN

1:33:02YOU GET DIFFERENT SOURCES

1:33:03OF DATA AND THAT'S AND THAT'S

1:33:06ANOTHER UM, CONCERN IS THAT YOU

1:33:09HAVE IF YOU HAVE DUELING

1:33:10COMPETING PIECES OF INFORMATION

1:33:12THAT'S NOT YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T

1:33:13RECONCILE.

1:33:14YEAH.

1:33:14>> AND THAT.

1:33:15>> THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.

1:33:16AND IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

1:33:17GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY

1:33:18TRANSPARENCY WHEN THERE'S.

1:33:19DIFFERING PIECES OF INFORMATION

1:33:22IT'S HARD FOR US TO HAVE A

1:33:23BASELINE AS TO UM COMPARE.

1:33:26UM SO THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.

1:33:27I HAVE THREE.

1:33:28QUESTIONS THAT I THINK A LITTLE

1:33:29BIT MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD AND

1:33:30THEN UM WE CAN GO TO ADDITIONAL

1:33:32ROUND OF FOLKS WANT BUT UM AND

1:33:34AGAIN GETTING MAYBE INTO A

1:33:35LANGUAGE BUT DOES IT MATTER

1:33:37WHERE IT'S SUBMITTED LIKE WHERE

1:33:38DO YOU SUBMIT THE EXPENDITURE

1:33:40REPORTS NOW DO YOU SUBMIT IT TO

1:33:42THE CITY CLERK AND THEN A COPY

1:33:44THEREOF TRANSMITTED TO THE CITY

1:33:46COUNCIL LIKE IT I KNOW IT'S

1:33:47PUBLISHED ONLINE BUT IS THAT

1:33:48SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD ALSO

1:33:50INCLUDE IN THIS ORDINANCE?

1:33:53YEAH.

1:33:54>> UM IT I THINK WE'VE BEEN UH,

1:33:58SUBMITTING IT TO THE CHAIR WAYS

1:33:59AND MEANS BECAUSE THAT'S

1:34:00USUALLY THE PLACE WHERE IT'S

1:34:02REQUESTED FROM BUT UM UM, YOU

1:34:04KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THROUGH CENTRAL

1:34:05STAFF BUT UH, YOU KNOW, UH BUT

1:34:09YOU KNOW, UM I GUESS THERE ARE

1:34:13OPPORTUNITIES TO BE MORE

1:34:14SPECIFIC BUT I.

1:34:15DEFER TO YOU.

1:34:16GUYS ON ON THAT.

1:34:17SO I THINK I'M JUST LOOKING AT

1:34:19THE CHAIR.

1:34:19I THINK IT MAY MAKE SENSE TO

1:34:20JUST HAVE A COPY.

1:34:22SUBMITTED TO THE CITY CLERK'S

1:34:23OFFICE THAT WAY IT'S ON THE THE

1:34:25AGENDA AND THEN A, UM A COPY

1:34:27SUBMITTED TO THE CHAIR WAYS AND

1:34:28MEANS OR I MEAN IF.

1:34:30>> IT JUST.

1:34:31>> GOES TO CITY CLERK AND WE

1:34:31SEE IT THAT'S FINE.

1:34:33UM AND THEN I ALSO THINK IT

1:34:34SHOULD BE PUBLISHED ONLINE AS

1:34:36WELL.

1:34:40JUST THOUGHTS ON THAT COMMENTS

1:34:44CONCERNS.

1:34:46YEAH IT'S UM I THERE'S LOTS

1:34:49OF OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN THAT

1:34:50SO I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK YOU

1:34:51KNOW DO A LATERAL FLOW FOR THIS

1:34:54ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE UH YOU

1:34:55KNOW IT INVOLVES BOTH UH, OTHER

1:34:57AGENCIES AND YOU KNOW, PUTTING

1:35:00IT ONLINE.

1:35:01SO OKAY.

1:35:02WELL I THINK AT THE VERY LEAST

1:35:03IT COULD UM AND WE CAN TALK

1:35:05ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE

1:35:06BUT IT SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO

1:35:07THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.

1:35:10UM, WHAT.

1:35:11IS THE SO REVENUE COLLECTED AND

1:35:14SHARED AND UM INTERNALLY HAS

1:35:16ALREADY BEEN ASKED OH SOMETHING

1:35:17WAS BROUGHT UP BUT IS THERE ANY

1:35:19INFORMATION THAT NEEDS TO BE

1:35:20PROTECTED LIKE LEGALLY THAT'S

1:35:24BEEN TALKED ABOUT THAT WE.

1:35:26NEED TO.

1:35:26>> JUST BE CONCERNED WITH?

1:35:31UM I'D PROBABLY DEFER TO THE

1:35:33THE LAW DEPARTMENT BUT WE TEND

1:35:35TO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE

1:35:36IS NO UM.

1:35:40UH, DATA THAT'S THE SUBJECT UM

1:35:44,PRIVACY.

1:35:45UH, SO IT'S YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY

1:35:47THE MORE BASIC THINGS LIKE

1:35:49SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS IF UH,

1:35:51YOU KNOW, UH, OF EMPLOYEES OR

1:35:55VENDORS UM, BUT UH, WE WE TEND

1:35:59TO GET A LOT OF PRIVACY ISSUES

1:36:00THAT CENTER AROUND UM,

1:36:04PERSONNEL ENTRY INFORMATION.

1:36:07SO UH.

1:36:09BUT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT

1:36:10WOULD BE USUALLY.

1:36:11WELL, USUALLY OKAY TO REPORT IT

1:36:14SUMMARIZED WE JUST CAN'T

1:36:16PROVIDED AT THE EMPLOYEE LEVEL

1:36:17.

1:36:18SO I.

1:36:19I MAYBE UM I THINK I WAS THE

1:36:21ONE WHO BROUGHT IT UP.

1:36:21UM, THE EDGE CASE I, I HAD IN

1:36:24MIND WAS UH IF THERE WAS A VERY

1:36:27SPECIFIC BUCKET OF REVENUE

1:36:28WHERE WE ONLY HAD A SINGLE

1:36:30TAXPAYER WHERE DISCLOSING A

1:36:33QUARTERLY FIGURE IS ESSENTIALLY

1:36:35SAYING ENTITY Y HAS PAID THIS

1:36:37MUCH IN TAXES WHICH MAY OR MAY

1:36:39NOT HAVE UM MEAN IT MAY OR MAY

1:36:42NOT HAVE PRIVACY IMPLICATIONS.

1:36:43BUT THAT WAS SORT OF THE EDGE

1:36:44CASE THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT

1:36:47AND UM, I FEAR UH BEGGING THE

1:36:49INDULGENCE OF THE CHAIR.

1:36:50.

1:36:50>> UM.

1:36:51I HAVE TO HOST A RECEPTION FOR

1:36:53CITY OF BOSTON EMPLOYEES AT

1:36:54NOONTIME SO IF I COULD, UH IF I

1:36:57COULD TAKE YOUR LEAVE AND, UM,

1:36:59THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE

1:37:00OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY.

1:37:01AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY FOLLOW UP

1:37:02QUESTIONS, PLEASE DON'T

1:37:03HESITATE EITHER TO REACH OUT

1:37:05OR, UH, YOU ALL KNOW WHERE TO

1:37:07FIND ME ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

1:37:08SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER FURTHER

1:37:10QUESTIONS.

1:37:11THANK YOU STEVE I APPRECIATE

1:37:12IT.

1:37:12ALL RIGHT THANK YOU.

1:37:15OKAY JUST.

1:37:16FOLLOWING UP ON.

1:37:16>> THAT JIM THERE'S NO LIKE ONE

1:37:18ENTITY.

1:37:18>> THAT.

1:37:19OR IS.

1:37:20>> THAT THAT.

1:37:21UM THAT WOULD BE JUST A UM

1:37:23INTERESTING CASE BUT.

1:37:24YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING THAT

1:37:27UM, UM, STEVE PATRICK BROUGHT

1:37:29UP THE UM, PRIVACY THAT IS

1:37:31SOMETHING THAT'S ROUTINELY UM,

1:37:34ARTICULATED BY THE STATE

1:37:35DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE WHEN WE

1:37:36ASK FOR MORE GRANULAR UM, TAXES

1:37:41AND MEALS, THEY TEND TO CITE

1:37:44TAXPAYER PRIVACY, UH, ISSUES,

1:37:48UH, FOR WHY THEY WON'T PROVIDE

1:37:51THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL.

1:37:53UM, SO UH, THERE'S THERE MAY BE

1:37:57THINGS THAT I'M NOT THINKING

1:37:58OF.

1:37:58OKAY.

1:37:59UM, JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER

1:38:01IT PROBABLY IN IT PROBABLY HAS.

1:38:03GONE THROUGH SOME DUE DILIGENCE

1:38:05ON THE OPEN CHECKBOOK.

1:38:06PHENOMENON ALREADY.

1:38:07LIKE WE CAN PUT THIS BECAUSE

1:38:11IT'S A PRIVACY ISSUE SO OKAY.

1:38:14YEAH.

1:38:15>> JUST AGAIN SOMETHING TO

1:38:16CONSIDER AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

1:38:16I KNOW IT'D BE UM AN ANOMALY

1:38:19BUT RIGHT UM WOULD.

1:38:21>> THERE AND MY LAST QUESTION

1:38:22IS.

1:38:22THIS IS.

1:38:23>> SUPPOSED TO TAKE EFFECT

1:38:24IMMEDIATELY UPON PASSAGE.

1:38:26ARE YOU PREPARED TO COMPLY

1:38:27IMMEDIATELY OR IS A TRANSITION

1:38:29PERIOD NECESSARY?

1:38:32UM UH I THINK I THINK IT YOU

1:38:34KNOW, I THINK WE STAND READY TO

1:38:37COMPLY WITH THE ORDINANCE.

1:38:38YOU KNOW, UH, OBVIOUSLY IF

1:38:40THERE'S SOME TECHNICAL ISSUE

1:38:41THAT ARISES, OBVIOUSLY WE'LL

1:38:42HAVE THAT COMMUNICATION WITH

1:38:44IT.

1:38:44OKAY.

1:38:46>> ALL RIGHT.

1:38:46UM THAT'S IT FOR MY QUESTION.

1:38:48>> THANK YOU AGAIN.

1:38:49UM, TO THE TO THE LEAD SPONSORS

1:38:52FOR PUSHING FORWARD AND THANK

1:38:53YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR, UH,

1:38:55CONTRIBUTIONS.

1:38:55SHE'S LOOKING AT THE CHAIR.

1:38:57WE HAVE COUNCILOR, EARL I'M

1:38:59SORRY.

1:38:59YOU NEED THE CO-SPONSOR

1:39:00COUNCILOR WEBER STILL ON?

1:39:01DO YOU FOLKS HAVE ADDITIONAL

1:39:03QUESTIONS?

1:39:04YES.

1:39:05>> BUT.

1:39:06>> UH.

1:39:07>> THANK YOU.

1:39:09UH, CHAIR.

1:39:11UH, JIM.

1:39:12AND I GET THIS.

1:39:13QUESTION AND ALSO FOR.

1:39:13DAVID TOO IS.

1:39:16ARE WE.

1:39:17ABLE, UM, TO.

1:39:22I GUESS WHAT.

1:39:24DAVID TO YOU THAT WHAT YOU'VE

1:39:26SEEN AROUND THE COUNTRY AND

1:39:28WHAT IS INCLUDED IN SOME

1:39:29OF THESE REVENUE REPORTS AND

1:39:30THEN JIM.

1:39:32IS WHAT.

1:39:34WHAT ELSE COULD WE INCLUDE IN

1:39:36THESE REVENUE REPORTS?

1:39:37I'M THINKING AROUND.

1:39:38UM.

1:39:41>> UNCOLLECTED WHAT WE BUILD

1:39:42DELINQUENCY RATE.

1:39:44,UM.

1:39:45>> ANY OTHER INFORMATION THAT

1:39:47CAN BE USEFUL UH, TO THE

1:39:50COUNCIL AND TO THE PUBLIC.

1:39:52THAT COULD BE INCLUDED.

1:39:57THAT'S A DIFFERENT SET OF UM UH

1:40:01I THINK I THINK WITHIN THE

1:40:02TREASURY DEPARTMENT IS THAT

1:40:03ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE SECTION

1:40:05THAT.

1:40:05UH AND.

1:40:06>> YOU KNOW, IT'S A DISTRIBUTED

1:40:07RESPONSIBILITY SO DEPARTMENTS

1:40:09HAVE THEIR OWN RELATIONSHIPS,

1:40:13SO MANY UM, CITY TRANSACTIONS.

1:40:16ARE SORT OF UP FRONT, YOU KNOW,

1:40:19POINT OF SALE TRANSACTIONS

1:40:20THOSE ARE ACTUALLY THE EASIEST,

1:40:22UH, TRANSACTIONS TO.

1:40:23MANAGE BECAUSE YOU.

1:40:24SORT OF SOMEONE PAYS I GUESS

1:40:26THERE IS SOME RECONCILIATION TO

1:40:29TO UM.

1:40:30RETURN SOMETHING IF IT DIDN'T

1:40:31MOVE FORWARD.

1:40:32BUT UM IN THAT BUT THE

1:40:34INSTANCES WHERE THERE ARE UH UH

1:40:36LIKE BILLING RELATIONSHIPS UM

1:40:38IT'S THE IT'S THE DEPARTMENT

1:40:40WHO'S INTERFACING WITH WHAT

1:40:42THEY CALL A CUSTOMER, UM.

1:40:44THAT MANAGES THAT, YOU KNOW, SO

1:40:47BUT JUST LIKE ANY.

1:40:48ANY RELATIONSHIP.

1:40:50>> UH, BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP

1:40:50YOU HAVE PEOPLE.

1:40:52THAT MAY BE.

1:40:52BEHIND ON PAYING AND THINGS

1:40:54LIKE THAT BUT THAT THAT MIGHT

1:40:55BE A VERY, VERY COMPREHENSIVE

1:40:58WIDE RANGING THING AND I WOULD

1:41:01UH I WOULDN'T SORT OF INTRODUCE

1:41:04THAT INTO THAT BECAUSE THAT'S A

1:41:05WHOLE SET OF OTHERS, YOU KNOW,

1:41:08UH, VARIABLES.

1:41:09UH, SO.

1:41:12YEAH.

1:41:13>> AND I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT.

1:41:14SPECIFICS OF OTHER CITIES AND

1:41:16WHAT THEY REPORT, BUT.

1:41:18I THINK THAT'S A.

1:41:19GREAT CONVERSATION TO HAVE WITH

1:41:21MR WILLIAMSON AND AND OTHERS

1:41:23AND FIGURE OUT SOMETHING THAT

1:41:24MAKES SENSE WITH.

1:41:26UM, THE MIDST.

1:41:28OF REVENUE SOURCES, YOU KNOW,

1:41:30HOW FAR ARE YOU ON DRILL DOWNS

1:41:32UP TO YOU.

1:41:32BUT UM UH I'M SURE YOU ALL

1:41:35COULD WORK THAT OUT AND COME UP

1:41:36WITH SOMETHING THAT MAKES

1:41:37SENSE.

1:41:38AND WHAT ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD

1:41:42BREAKDOWN?

1:41:43UH, DIRECTOR WILLIAMSON, IS IT

1:41:45POSSIBLE FOR, YOU KNOW, SOME

1:41:49OF THESE REVENUE STREAMS CAN

1:41:50BE, YOU KNOW.

1:41:51WHETHER IT'S TAXES?

1:41:54UM, MAYBE, UM, PROPERTY TAXES,

1:41:58THE MILL TAX.

1:42:00IS IT POSSIBLE, UM, FOR US TO

1:42:03SEE NEIGHBORHOOD BREAKDOWN ON

1:42:05ON SOME OF THESE REVENUE

1:42:06STREAMS?

1:42:08YOU KNOW.

1:42:10THAT I'M I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER

1:42:13TO OTHERS.

1:42:13I SIMPLY DON'T KNOW HOW

1:42:15COMPLICATED THAT WOULD BE.

1:42:16SO OKAY.

1:42:17AND THEN.

1:42:19I GUESS.

1:42:20MY MY.

1:42:21>> OTHER THINKING IS AND MAYBE

1:42:23WE CAN PUT THIS IN THE LANGUAGE

1:42:24EVEN THOSE QUARTERLY REPORTING

1:42:27UM HOPEFULLY WE CAN BREAK IT

1:42:28OUT BY MONTH BY MONTH.

1:42:30RIGHT.

1:42:31SO YOU KNOW WE STILL SEE.

1:42:33EACH MONTH.

1:42:35BREAKDOWN OF THE REVENUE.

1:42:37UM, BUT IT'S QUARTERLY RIGHT

1:42:39THAT WE SEE UM THOSE THOSE

1:42:43MONTHS.

1:42:45JUST GO DISAGGREGATED THE MONTH

1:42:49WITHIN THAT QUARTER UH SO WE

1:42:50CAN SEE THE REVENUE FOR EACH

1:42:53MONTH.

1:42:56UM, THAT THAT THAT IS SOMETHING

1:42:57THAT I WOULD WANT TO WORK INTO

1:42:59THAT INTO THE LANGUAGE AND.

1:43:01I GUESS MY.

1:43:02UM COUNCILOR WORRELL I.

1:43:03GUESS JIM LIKE WHAT.

1:43:05CAN WE DO THAT.

1:43:06YEAH.

1:43:07>> WELL YOU KNOW, AGAIN I WOULD

1:43:08HAVE TO.

1:43:09DEFER TO THE FOLKS WHO ARE LIKE

1:43:10WRITING THIS REPORT TO.

1:43:12>> LIKE THE.

1:43:13COMPLEXITY OF OF DOING THAT SO

1:43:14.

1:43:15BUT JIM YOU ARE REPORTING IT

1:43:17MONTHLY ARE LIKE YOU ALREADY

1:43:18YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE REVENUE

1:43:19MONTHLY ALREADY.

1:43:20YES.

1:43:21IT'S JUST THIS THE REPORT

1:43:22THAT'S GENERATED THAT IS SHARED

1:43:24WITH THE COUNCIL AS A UH WE'RE

1:43:27WE'RE LOOKING.

1:43:28AT IT LIKE IN A DIFFERENT UH

1:43:31WAY.

1:43:32YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S A IT'S

1:43:33WE'RE FEEDING IT INTO LIKE

1:43:35SOMETHING THAT WE'RE USING FOR

1:43:36ANALYTICAL PURPOSES NOT

1:43:38NECESSARILY FOR FINANCIAL

1:43:39REPORTING PURPOSES.

1:43:41I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S

1:43:42CONFUSING BUT THAT'S IT'S A

1:43:44WE'RE USING IT DIFFERENTLY

1:43:45THAN.

1:43:45HOW UM.

1:43:47>> LIKE.

1:43:47AUDITING WOULD REPORT IT.

1:43:50AND IT BECAUSE THERE ARE

1:43:52CERTAIN ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES

1:43:53ON HOW THEY YOU KNOW UM.

1:43:57THAT THAT THIS IS EXAMPLES

1:43:59OF WHERE WE WAY.

1:44:00PAST THE ACTUAL CLOSING PERIOD

1:44:03OF THE MONTH TO MAKE SURE THAT

1:44:05WE'RE CAPTURING A CERTAIN

1:44:06PAYROLL BEFORE WE LOOK AT THE.

1:44:08DATA BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE

1:44:09SURE THAT WE HAVE A CERTAIN SET

1:44:11OF PAYROLLS INCLUDED.

1:44:12SO IT'S A IT'S A IT'S JUST

1:44:14DIFFERENT UM, PIECES IS THE WAY

1:44:17WE CONSUME THE DATA IS

1:44:18DIFFERENTLY DIFFERENT THAN THE

1:44:19WAY ALL OF THE USE IT.

1:44:20RIGHT I.

1:44:22WOULD SAY.

1:44:22>> BUT WE'LL TALK ABOUT.

1:44:23REVENUE PAYROLLS AND

1:44:24EXPENDITURE.

1:44:25YEAH YEAH REVENUE WOULD HAVE A

1:44:28DIFFERENT DYNAMIC.

1:44:29TO IT.

1:44:30>> YEAH BUT.

1:44:30AGAIN THERE'S THAT SEASONALITY

1:44:32OF.

1:44:32>> IT YOU KNOW LIKE.

1:44:33WHEN CERTAIN REVENUES ARE

1:44:36RECOGNIZED SO.

1:44:37OKAY AND I'M STILL SEEING

1:44:38REPORTED QUARTERLY RIGHT STILL

1:44:39SUBMIT THE REPORT QUARTERLY.

1:44:41YEP YEP AND IN IN IN PROPERTY.

1:44:45TAXES ARE ALSO.

1:44:46HANDLED UH SO A.

1:44:47DIFFERENT WAYS THAT.

1:44:48ARE ASSESSED ONCE THE BILLS GO

1:44:51OUT THE REVENUE IS RECOGNIZED

1:44:52AND WE ALL KNOW THAT LIKE YOU

1:44:54KNOW PEOPLE HAVE TIME TO PAY

1:44:56THEIR BILLS.

1:44:56SO IT'S SORT OF AN ACCOUNTING

1:44:58WAY OF REFLECTING THAT THE

1:45:00PROPERTY TAXES ARE ARE BEING

1:45:02ASSESSED AND SENT OUT.

1:45:03UM, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN WE'VE

1:45:05GOT.

1:45:05EVERYBODY'S INDIVIDUAL, YOU

1:45:07KNOW, TAX BILLS PAID IN JUST

1:45:09YET.

1:45:10SO.

1:45:14UM DAVID WHAT WHAT ARE YOUR

1:45:16THOUGHTS ON BEST PRACTICES

1:45:18ACROSS THE COUNTRY AROUND HOW

1:45:22THE REPORTING IS DONE MONTHLY

1:45:25VERSUS QUARTERLY.

1:45:27WELL, IF IT'S FEASIBLE TO DO A

1:45:29MONTHLY I WOULD DO IT MONTHLY.

1:45:32UH UH BUT THAT'S SOMETHING I

1:45:33HAVE TO WORK OUT WITH THEM TO

1:45:35SEE IF THAT'S DOABLE.

1:45:36IT SOUNDS LIKE IT MIGHT BE UM

1:45:39YOU KNOW LIKE UH I FORGET WHICH

1:45:42COUNSELOR SAID WE ALL REVIEW

1:45:45OUR FINANCES PROBABLY MONTHLY

1:45:47AND, UM, DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT

1:45:49WE'RE SPENDING TOO MUCH OR

1:45:52MAYBE TO TAKE THAT VACATION OR

1:45:54RETIRE I'M GOING TO HAVE TO

1:45:55START NUMBERING.

1:45:57SO, UM, TO TO ME THAT, UH THAT

1:45:59MAKES SENSE.

1:46:02AND DAVID, IN YOUR.

1:46:06RESEARCH, UM, IS THERE.

1:46:10ANY CORRELATION BETWEEN REVENUE

1:46:14REPORTING AND I GUESS

1:46:19IDENTIFYING AREAS WHERE UM

1:46:23GOVERNMENT HAS.

1:46:25NOW IDENTIFIED LIKE UH THE

1:46:27COLLECTION ISSUE AS OPPOSED TO

1:46:30LIKE A.

1:46:31FORECASTING PROBLEM.

1:46:32SO WE MIGHT HAVE, YOU KNOW, AN

1:46:35AREA WHERE WE NEED TO FOCUS ON

1:46:37COLLECTING, UM, THAT HAS BEEN

1:46:41KIND OF SOLVED.

1:46:42THROUGH.

1:46:43>> YOU KNOW, THE MORE

1:46:45TRANSPARENCY AROUND REVENUE

1:46:47REPORTING.

1:46:48BUT I HAVEN'T STUDIED THAT

1:46:50SPECIFICALLY BUT I'M GUESSING

1:46:52THAT HAS BEEN LOOKED AT I THINK

1:46:55CHECKING WITH SOME OF THE

1:46:56NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS THAT UH,

1:46:58NATIONAL LEAGUE CITIES AND

1:47:00PROBABLY MR WILLIAMSON'S

1:47:01ASSOCIATIONS HE BELONGS TO

1:47:03PERHAPS SOME OF THOSE HAVE

1:47:04LOOKED AT THAT CLOSELY AND SO

1:47:07UH, THERE'S SOME GREAT PUBLIC

1:47:08ADMINISTRATION SCHOLARS OUT

1:47:10THERE THAT ARE SUZANNE PETROSKI

1:47:12AT RUTGERS AND OTHERS THAT ARE

1:47:14PROBABLY LOOKED AT THAT.

1:47:16ALL RIGHT.

1:47:18UM ALL RIGHT.

1:47:19YEAH.

1:47:20AND UM, JUST.

1:47:21WANTED TO ALSO CHIME IN I DO

1:47:24BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD BE FILED

1:47:25UH, WITH THE CITY CLERK.

1:47:27>> YEAH.

1:47:28I THINK THE IN MY UNDERSTANDING

1:47:30THE EXPENDITURE ONE IS ABOUT

1:47:32THE AUDITOR AND THE CITY CLERK

1:47:36UM, BASED OFF IT BASED OFF WHAT

1:47:38I BELIEVE SAYS IN THE CHARTER.

1:47:40UH, SO I.

1:47:41>> WOULD WANT.

1:47:42>> THE SAME THING TO HAPPEN

1:47:43WITH UM, UM, UH, THE REVENUE.

1:47:46REPORTS AND AND UM HOPEFULLY UM

1:47:52I KNOW LIKE WITH BDP WE DO AND

1:47:56WE DON'T HAVE TO ADD THIS INTO

1:47:57THE IN THE ORDINANCE BUT WOULD

1:47:59BE OJP WE'RE LIKE.

1:48:00HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS.

1:48:02UM WELL WE'RE.

1:48:03FORCED TO.

1:48:04>> BY LAW.

1:48:05>> WE'RE SUPPOSED.

1:48:06>> TO HAVE TWO.

1:48:06HEARINGS A YEAR ON THE BJP

1:48:09MEMBERS.

1:48:10UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S

1:48:11SOMETHING THAT THE

1:48:12COUNCIL WANTS TO EXPLORE AROUND

1:48:13REVENUE PROJECTIONS BECAUSE WE

1:48:16KIND OF ENCOURAGE US ENCOURAGES

1:48:18US TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION

1:48:20INSTEAD OF JUST RECEIVING THESE

1:48:22REPORTS AS FILED.

1:48:23UM, ON.

1:48:24>> OUR AGENDA.

1:48:26SO THAT'S SOMETHING I'VE BEEN

1:48:27THINKING ABOUT DURING THIS

1:48:28CONVERSATION AS WELL.

1:48:29>> AS.

1:48:30THE BODY UM.

1:48:32WANT TO UH.

1:48:33YOU KNOW, MAKE IT SIMILAR TO

1:48:36BJP.

1:48:37WHERE WE'RE HAVING, YOU KNOW,

1:48:402.

1:48:40>> OR 4M A YEAR ON REVENUE.

1:48:42I THINK.

1:48:43THAT IS YOU LOOK BACK TO MY

1:48:45NOTES.

1:48:47UM, ALL OF MY.

1:48:50ALL OF MY QUESTIONS.

1:48:53OKAY.

1:48:53>> GREAT.

1:48:54AND THANK YOU FOR UM FOR

1:48:55CLARIFYING THAT IT DOES SAY IN

1:48:57THE CHARTER.

1:48:58IT RIGHT BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE

1:49:00IT IN FRONT OF ME.

1:49:00I'M SORRY BUT IT DOES SAY THAT

1:49:01IT HAS TO GO TO THE CITY CLERK

1:49:03AND THE AUDITOR ALREADY SO WE

1:49:05WOULDN'T HAVE TO ADD THAT IN

1:49:06THAT'S ALREADY THERE.

1:49:08WELL THAT'S WHERE EXPENDITURES

1:49:11OKAY.

1:49:12YEAH.

1:49:13>> SO MAYBE WE UM WE PUT

1:49:15SOMETHING IN THERE THAT JUST

1:49:17SAYS WHERE IT GOES AND THEN FOR

1:49:19THIS IS MAYBE A QUESTION FOR

1:49:21THE MEGS UM.

1:49:25IF WE WANT TO PUT IN SOMETHING

1:49:26LIKE THE BJP, IS THAT.

1:49:28SOMETHING THAT WOULD.

1:49:29IS NECESSARY TO.

1:49:30>> GO.

1:49:30INTO THE CITY CHARTER OR.

1:49:33>> CAN.

1:49:33IT BE DONE.

1:49:34BY ORDINANCE?

1:49:35I DON'T KNOW UM.

1:49:37I THINK I THINK IT SHOULD BE

1:49:38FINE.

1:49:38BUT UM I'M OPEN TO ALL OF IT.

1:49:41I THINK THIS IS THIS IS GREAT.

1:49:42UM, YOU FOLKS DO IT ALREADY AND

1:49:44I THINK IT'S JUST THE FINER

1:49:46POINT OF OKAY, WE KNOW IT'S

1:49:47GONNA BE QUARTERLY, BUT CAN WE

1:49:48PLEASE INCLUDE THE THE MONTHLY

1:49:50?

1:49:50UM.

1:49:52>> LIKE.

1:49:53>> UH.

1:49:55>> I'M SORRY I'M BLANKING ON

1:49:56THE WORD HERE.

1:49:57SLEEP DEPRIVED WITH.

1:49:58ENVIRONMENTAL BUT.

1:49:59UM, JUST FOR THE MONTHLY REPORT

1:50:01AS WELL.

1:50:02UM, AND I'M SORRY.

1:50:03I I REALIZE THAT WE HAVE

1:50:04COUNCILOR WEBER HERE AS WELL.

1:50:05COUNCILOR WEBER, DO YOU HAVE

1:50:06ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

1:50:07?

1:50:08UH, YEAH.

1:50:09>> I WAS JUST GOING TO.

1:50:09HIGHLIGHT FOR.

1:50:10>> UH.

1:50:11>> COUNCILOR RAIL.

1:50:12>> AND THE CHAIR.

1:50:12I THOUGHT THE THE LANGUAGE IS

1:50:15PROVIDE.

1:50:16REQUIRED TO THE SUPERVISOR

1:50:19REQUIRED TO PROVIDE QUARTERLY

1:50:21REVENUE REPORTS THAT MAYBE TO

1:50:23CLARIFY TO WHO TO WHO OR TO

1:50:25WHERE BUT UM LEAVE THAT UP FOR.

1:50:29UP TO THE FILER UM I THINK IT'S

1:50:32OF THE CITY COUNCIL UH MAYBE

1:50:34IT'S JUST CLEAR FROM THE

1:50:35RESIDENTS BUT UM, I THINK

1:50:37GETTING TO YOUR POINT YOU COULD

1:50:41ADD SOME MORE DETAIL MAYBE.

1:50:43YEAH, DEFINITELY.

1:50:44I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING

1:50:45THAT UM THAT SHOULD BE IN THERE

1:50:47AND THEN I WAS EVEN SAYING

1:50:48GETTING MORE PRESCRIPTIVE ABOUT

1:50:49WHAT THE ITEMS ARE, BUT IT

1:50:50SOUNDS LIKE.

1:50:51IT'S IT'S UM.

1:50:53IT'S ALL ENCOMPASSING AND THAT

1:50:56WAY WE'RE NOT MISSING.

1:50:56ANYTHING WHICH I.

1:50:57UM WOULD I AGREE WITH.

1:50:59YEAH.

1:51:00>> MAYBE SOMETHING YEAH I GUESS

1:51:02LIKE DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIONS

1:51:04MIGHT FEEL DIFFERENTLY.

1:51:06UH.

1:51:07IS THERE A NATIONAL STANDARD I

1:51:09MAYBE FOR DAVID LIKE THAT WE

1:51:11CAN REFER TO.

1:51:14FOR REVENUE REPORTS IS I DON'T

1:51:16KNOW, I JUST I WANT TO MAKE

1:51:17SURE THAT IT'S CONSISTENT.

1:51:19IT'S A GOOD QUESTION I DON'T

1:51:21KNOW, BUT UM.

1:51:23UH.

1:51:24>> I THINK THAT IT WOULDN'T

1:51:25TAKE LONG TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

1:51:27FIND THAT.

1:51:29OKAY.

1:51:32>> YEAH.

1:51:33>> OKAY.

1:51:33THANK YOU.

1:51:34CHAIR IT FOR ME.

1:51:35THANK YOU.

1:51:37>> I THINK.

1:51:38>> UM, WE ARE IF.

1:51:40SEEING AND HEARING.

1:51:41NO OTHER CALL, UH, QUESTIONS.

1:51:42COMMENTS OR CONCERNS WE CAN GO

1:51:44TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY.

1:51:45I WANT.

1:51:46>> TO.

1:51:46THANK DAVID AND JIM AS WELL FOR

1:51:47YOUR WORK AND STEVE AS ALWAYS,

1:51:50UM.

1:51:50FOR HIS.

1:51:51GREAT INSIGHTS AND NONPARTISAN

1:51:53UM, FEEDBACK.

1:51:55WE DO HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP

1:51:57FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY AT THIS

1:51:58POINT.

1:51:59WE'RE GOING TO TRANSITION.

1:52:01TO THAT SECTION OF THE HEARING.

1:52:03WE HAVE GEORGE LEE THAT.

1:52:05>> HAS.

1:52:05SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY.

1:52:07UM, CENTRAL STAFF IF YOU WANT

1:52:09TO GO AHEAD AND ELEVATE HIM TO

1:52:10PANELISTS.

1:52:11GEORGE, WE ALL KNOW YOU BUT

1:52:12PLEASE FEEL FREE TO INTRODUCE

1:52:14YOURSELF.

1:52:15AND YOUR AFFILIATION.

1:52:16YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.

1:52:18WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE.

1:52:19SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY

1:52:20TWO.

1:52:20OKAY THANK YOU I APOLOGIZE SORT

1:52:22OF GEORGE AND THEN I'LL LOOK TO

1:52:23THE UM TO THE SHEET HERE AND

1:52:26GREGORY MAYNARD OKAY.

1:52:28UM.

1:52:29GEORGE ARCH.

1:52:29YEP.

1:52:30GEORGE, YOU'RE UP FIRST.

1:52:32UH GOOD MORNING.

1:52:33MY NAME.

1:52:34IS GEORGE LEE.

1:52:34I'M AN ORGANIZER WITH JUSTICE

1:52:36IN OUR.

1:52:36UNION AND PART.

1:52:37>> OF THE.

1:52:38BETTER BUNCH OF LIVES.

1:52:38AND I'M.

1:52:39>> SPEAKING IN.

1:52:40>> FULL SUPPORT.

1:52:41OF THIS ORDINANCE.

1:52:42UM.

1:52:44BASICALLY THE.

1:52:45CITY COUNCIL MAYOR MAKE A LOT

1:52:47OF DECISIONS THAT ARE IMPACTING

1:52:49HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS

1:52:50OF RESIDENTS IN BOSTON.

1:52:51AND, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE

1:52:54THOSE DECISIONS BASED ON THE

1:52:55REALITY OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE

1:52:56GOING THROUGH AND TO HAVE

1:52:57COMPLETE INFORMATION, UM, WHICH

1:53:01UNFORTUNATELY OFTEN GETS

1:53:01HIDDEN.

1:53:02I FORGET WHICH PANELIST WAS

1:53:03SPEAKING UP BEFORE ABOUT

1:53:05FEELING A LITTLE BIT LIKE

1:53:06CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT AND

1:53:07SOME OF THE DYSFUNCTIONALITY

1:53:08WHEN INFORMATION IS HIDDEN FROM

1:53:10THE CITY COUNCIL OR FROM THE

1:53:11PUBLIC AND IT HAS REAL LIFE

1:53:13IMPACTS.

1:53:14SO RIGHT NOW UM DESPITE UM

1:53:17ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT UM COVER UP

1:53:21THIS REALITY, THERE'S 1400

1:53:23YOUTH JOBS THAT ARE BEING CUT

1:53:25AT DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS

1:53:27BECAUSE CITY FUNDING HAS BEEN

1:53:28CUT AND THAT COMES DIRECTLY

1:53:29FROM THE BUDGET DECISIONS LAST

1:53:31YEAR WHERE THERE WERE A LOT

1:53:32OF CLAIMS THAT THERE WASN'T

1:53:33GOING TO BE ENOUGH REVENUE.

1:53:35UM, AND UH THERE'S JUST A BIG

1:53:38POWER IMBALANCE BETWEEN THE

1:53:39INFORMATION THE MAYOR HAD ABOUT

1:53:41REVENUE AND WHAT THEY COULD

1:53:41DECIDE VERSUS WHAT THE CITY

1:53:43COUNCIL KNEW, WHAT THE PUBLIC

1:53:44IN THE COMMUNITY KNEW.

1:53:46AND JUST TO TAKE YOU JOBS AN

1:53:47EXAMPLE THAT'S IT WAS A $5.25

1:53:50MILLION CUT.

1:53:51THAT'S ONLY 0.1% OF THE

1:53:53PROJECTED REVENUE THAT THE

1:53:55MAYOR PUT FORWARD.

1:53:56AND SO HAVING TRANSPARENCY JUST

1:53:58TO KNOW LIKE HEY, COULD REVENUE

1:54:00BE LIKE 1% BIGGER MAYBE THAN

1:54:02WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING HAS AN

1:54:04IMPACT ON THOUSANDS OF YOUNG

1:54:06PEOPLE AND FAMILIES AND

1:54:07COMMUNITIES AND THE COMMUNITY

1:54:09DESERVES THE TRUTH.

1:54:10THE CITY COUNCIL DESERVES THE

1:54:12TRUTH ABOUT THE REALITY

1:54:13OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THINGS

1:54:14LIKE LIKE LIKE THESE CUTS UM,

1:54:16THAT ARE GETTING COVERED UP AND

1:54:18GLOSSED OVER BY MISLEADING

1:54:19ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ABOUT UM, THE

1:54:22TRUTH ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING

1:54:24FINANCIALLY SO THAT DECISIONS

1:54:25CAN BE MADE.

1:54:26UM, AND I GUESS I'LL JUST END

1:54:28BY SAYING THAT THIS QUESTION

1:54:30OF REVENUE IS REALLY

1:54:31FUNDAMENTAL TO BEING ABLE TO

1:54:33CREATE RESPONSIBLE BUDGETS.

1:54:35I BELIEVE THE STATE HOUSE, THE

1:54:36LEGISLATURE HAS LIKE A LOT MORE

1:54:39CAPACITY AND RESEARCH AND

1:54:40ABILITY TO LOOK AT REVENUE THAN

1:54:42THE CITY COUNCIL DOES.

1:54:43UM, WHEN THERE'S CLAIMS THAT

1:54:45THERE'S NOT ENOUGH REVENUE OR

1:54:46WE NEED TO MAKE CUTS BUT

1:54:47THERE'S NOT INFORMATION ABOUT

1:54:48HOW MUCH REVENUE THERE ACTUALLY

1:54:49WILL BE OR THERE POWERS TO

1:54:51DETERMINE REVENUE.

1:54:52UM, THOSE ARE LIFE OR DEATH

1:54:54DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE

1:54:55AND AND FIXING HOW MUCH POWER

1:54:58THE COMMUNITY AND CITY

1:55:00COUNCIL HAS OVER LOOKING AT

1:55:01REVENUE AND DECIDING REVENUE

1:55:02ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO MAKING SURE

1:55:03THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE FULLY

1:55:04INVESTED IN INSTEAD OF BEING

1:55:06CUT FOR.

1:55:07>> THE.

1:55:07SAKE OF SOME PRETEND SCARE

1:55:10AUSTERITY THAT MAY NOT ACTUALLY

1:55:11BE REAL ACCURATE.

1:55:13THANK YOU GEORGE.

1:55:15UH, NEXT.

1:55:16UP WE HAVE GREG.

1:55:19HELLO.

1:55:20>> UH, MY NAME IS GREGORY

1:55:21MAYNARD AND I AM THE CO-FOUNDER

1:55:23AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE

1:55:24BOSTON POLICY INSTITUTE.

1:55:25THIS ORDINANCE SEEKS TO GET

1:55:27REVENUE DATA BUT IT AVOIDS A

1:55:29DIFFERENT ISSUE.

1:55:30THE COUNCIL HASN'T SHOWN MUCH

1:55:32INTEREST IN REVENUE DATA DURING

1:55:34BUDGET PROCESSES.

1:55:35THIS IS WORRYING BECAUSE UNDER

1:55:37MAYOR WU THE CITY'S REVENUE

1:55:39FORECASTS HAVE BEEN MUCH LESS

1:55:41ACCURATE THAN THEY WERE UNDER

1:55:42MAYOR WALSH OVER THE COURSE

1:55:44OF WALSH'S WHOLE TENURE.

1:55:46SO 515 TO FY 20 THE WALSH

1:55:48ADMINISTRATION WAS ABOUT 1.1%

1:55:50OVER ITS REVENUE FORECASTS IN

1:55:52ITS FIRST THREE YEARS, FY 23 TO

1:55:5625 THE ADMINISTRATION WAS ABOUT

1:55:584.4% OVER LAST SPRING DURING

1:56:00THE FY 27 BUDGET PROCESS.

1:56:02I URGE THE COUNCIL TO MAKE

1:56:04REVENUE FORECASTS A PRIORITY.

1:56:05HOWEVER, THIS COUNCIL DID NOT

1:56:07DO THAT AND CHAIR WEBER AND THE

1:56:09WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE FAILED

1:56:11TO HOLD A STANDALONE HEARING ON

1:56:13REVENUE DURING THE FY 27 BUDGET

1:56:15PROCESS.

1:56:16HOPEFULLY THIS ORDINANCE IS AN

1:56:18INDICATION THE COUNCIL INTENDS

1:56:20TO START GRAPPLING WITH REVENUE

1:56:21.

1:56:21THE BODY SHOULD DO THAT BECAUSE

1:56:24THE ADMINISTRATION'S INACCURATE

1:56:26REVENUE FORECASTS APPEAR TO BE

1:56:28A GROWING ISSUE.

1:56:29INACCURATE REVENUE FORECASTS

1:56:31WERE IN MALIBU'S FAVOR DURING

1:56:32HER FIRST TERM, ALLOWING THE

1:56:34MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL TO SPEND

1:56:36TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN

1:56:37SURPLUS REVENUE ON PROJECTS

1:56:39LIKE THE HOUSING ACCELERATOR

1:56:40FUND.

1:56:41BUT IN FY 26 THE WORM TURNED IN

1:56:44.

1:56:44THE FY 26 DEFICIT WAS DRIVEN IN

1:56:47PART BY INACCURATE REVENUE

1:56:50FORECASTS.

1:56:50CFO GRIFFIN BERGER REPORTED

1:56:52BACK IN MARCH THAT $7 MILLION

1:56:54OF THE FY 26 DEFICIT WAS DUE TO

1:56:56PERMITS AND LICENSING MISSING

1:56:58ITS REVENUE FORECAST.

1:57:00HERE IS ONE REALLY WORRYING

1:57:01EXAMPLE AND FY 26 APPEARS TO BE

1:57:04THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW THAT

1:57:05THE CITY HAS MISSED ITS

1:57:07BUILDING PERMIT REVENUE

1:57:08FORECAST.

1:57:09GIVEN HOW IMPORTANT NEW

1:57:10CONSTRUCTION IS TO BOSTON'S

1:57:12PROPERTY TAX DEPENDENT BUDGET,

1:57:14CONSISTENT MISSES LIKE THAT

1:57:15DESERVE SCRUTINY.

1:57:18BOSTON IS IN THE MIDST OF A

1:57:19FISCAL CRISIS THANKS TO FALLING

1:57:20OFFICE VALUES AND THE COLLAPSE

1:57:22OF NEW GROWTH IN FY 26, THE

1:57:25CITY EXPERIENCED ITS FIRST

1:57:27DEFICIT IN YEARS.

1:57:28IN FY 27, THE CITY WAS FORCED

1:57:30TO LAY OFF HUNDREDS

1:57:32OF EMPLOYEES AGAIN FOR THE

1:57:33FIRST TIME IN YEARS.

1:57:35SOLVING THESE PROBLEMS REQUIRES

1:57:37ACCURATE INFORMATION.

1:57:38THIS ORDINANCE COULD HELP BUT

1:57:40THE REALITY IS THAT IT ONLY

1:57:43WILL IF THE CITY COUNCIL AND

1:57:44MAYOR WU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT

1:57:47FOCUSING ON THIS ISSUE AND

1:57:49TALKING ABOUT IT IN PUBLIC.

1:57:51THANK YOU SO MUCH.

1:57:54OKAY, UM, CAN WE HAVE ANY MORE

1:57:57FOLKS?

1:57:59ALL SET?

1:58:01OKAY.

1:58:02>> I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY

1:58:03FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THIS

1:58:04UM GREAT CONVERSATION.

1:58:05UH.

1:58:06>> I THINK WE HAVE SMALL.

1:58:08DETAILS TO FIGURE OUT.

1:58:09I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WARRANTS

1:58:10OR WORKING SESSION.

1:58:11UM, BUT UM, I WORK WITH THE

1:58:13CHAIR ON THAT, BUT I JUST

1:58:14REALLY IT'S GOING TO STAY IN

1:58:15COMMITTEE FOR NOW.

1:58:16UM, BUT PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

1:58:17SO, UM, I THINK UH, WE HAVE

1:58:22BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE I'LL JUST

1:58:23SAY, UH, THANK YOU.

1:58:24AND THIS HEARING ON DOCKET 1099

1:58:27IS ADJOURNED.

1:58:28THANKS, EVERYBODY.

1:58:29THANK YOU.

1:58:30>> THANK YOU.