City Councilor Ed Flynn on Mayor Michelle Wu's first term, Boston Common safety concerns
BOSTON – Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn said "It's a great job, mayor of Boston."
And he ought to know. His father Ray was mayor from 1984 to 1993, and Ed Flynn has been openly musing about a potential challenge to Mayor Michelle Wu next year when she is up for re-election.
Flynn joined WBZ-TV this week for a one-on-one interview for Sunday's "Keller At Large."
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's first term
What's his critique of Wu's first term?
"I'm concerned about some of the issues that we're focused on now, Boston public school-related issues such as the late bus arrival and safety issues that are critical to residents," he said.
"I think we also need to ensure that we work closely with state officials and people that are convicted of a crime, especially a violent crime, go to jail or to prison. I think there has to be some reform in the criminal justice system, but those are problems and challenges that I've worked on my entire life, and I want to continue to be active and engaged in the city of Boston. Whether I'm on the city council or I run for higher office, I want to be part of the solution."
The Wu administration will face a key test this week when the state Senate takes up the mayor's push for permission to raise the legal cap on commercial property-tax rates, a move prompted by a post-pandemic collapse of downtown commercial-property values and the tax-revenue shortfall it is expected to produce.
Boston's business struggles
Flynn was the lone council vote against the petition, arguing that the city should tighten its belt before putting the squeeze on a crucial economic sector.
"After the pandemic, the businesses are still struggling," he said. "In Boston, the vacancy rate in some of our office buildings in downtown is still high, and sometimes it's as high as 30%. They need our support during these challenging and critical times. They don't need a tax increase."
Meanwhile, property-tax rates are set to increase, and Wu argues failure to raise the commercial cap will result in crippling tax hikes for local residents.
"We don't want that, but we can increase the budget by 8%? There has to be some cuts in the budget, and having a budget increase at eight percent is too high," he said.
Boston Common public safety
Another Flynn concern - public safety. He has been lobbying for months for more police presence in Downtown Crossing and the Boston Common, and for stricter punishment for violent criminals.
"We also have to acknowledge the open drug dealing that's taking place on Tremont Street or Winter Street or Water Street, right in the downtown area, also in the Boston Common.... Tourists don't feel safe there, workers don't feel safe there. Residents don't feel safe there," Flynn said.
And Flynn reports progress is being made on a new security plan for the annual South Boston St. Patrick's Day parade, which was plagued by criminal behavior last March.
"This is a family event," he said. "Last year was an embarrassment. We have a good group of people that are meeting with us monthly to discuss changes, but it's going to be vastly different from last year, and we cannot embarrass ourselves again, like we did last year with the shenanigans that took place."
