Editorial: Far from a dynamic duo on Boston Council
Boston City Councilors are set to receive a significant pay increase, with salaries rising to $125,000 per year, a figure that exceeds the national median household income. This change comes at a time when the city is facing numerous pressing issues, including the opioid crisis and public safety concerns, prompting calls for council members to earn their salaries through active and effective governance. The recent election results, which saw Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata secure the necessary votes to become the next Council president, have raised eyebrows, particularly regarding her choice of Councilor-at-Large Henry Santana as vice president. Critics argue that Santana’s previous attendance issues and lack of experience could hinder the Council’s ability to effectively challenge Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration, which many perceive as lacking in accountability.
The article underscores the importance of a balanced and dynamic leadership within the Council, especially as Boston navigates a year filled with critical decisions that will impact its residents. With Mayor Wu’s progressive agenda, which some believe could lead to increased financial strain on taxpayers, the need for councilors who are willing to question and challenge the administration is paramount. The selection of Santana, who barely secured his position in the recent election, raises concerns about the Council’s ability to function effectively and advocate for the needs of the community. The piece argues that the city deserves leaders who are not merely rubber stamps for the mayor but are committed to addressing the challenges facing Boston, including public safety and community health issues.
As the Council prepares to take on its new responsibilities, the call for accountability and active participation is louder than ever. With councilors now earning salaries well above the poverty line, the expectation is that they will rise to the occasion, showing up for their constituents and pushing for meaningful change. The article suggests that Coletta Zapata would be wise to reconsider her leadership choices and seek a vice president who can bring both experience and dedication to the table, ensuring that the Council serves as a robust check on the mayor’s power and a genuine advocate for the people of Boston.
Boston City Councilors will soon be paid $125,000 a year; they should start earning it.
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As the
Herald reported Tuesday
, Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata said she has secured the seven votes required to become the next Council president. There’s more to that story, but here’s the kicker: Her first hire, she says, is Councilor-at-Large Henry Santana.
Santana, who held off a comeback bid from former Councilor Frank Baker in last week’s election and finished fourth in the at-large race, would serve as vice president of the council.
The Herald was told that Santana has attendance issues, to put it mildly. But that doesn’t seem to matter on a board more interested in being a rubber stamp for Mayor Michelle Wu. We condemn that line of thinking. It isn’t serving Wu nor the taxpayers of Boston.
The mayor needs to surround herself with an equal dose of skeptics as supporters. Who is going to challenge her?
“There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you,” wrote Nicolo Machiavelli in “The Prince.”
Machiavelli wrote that pearl 512 years ago as a playbook for nobles in a time when rival city-states ruled Renaissance Italy. It still holds true today.
Why would Coletta Zapata turn to a junior member of the Council who barely hung on to his job when Boston is heading into a year where tough decisions will need to be made? It’s a blatant nod to the mayor.
Wu smoked Josh Kraft so badly the son of Patriots owner Bob Kraft sulked away days after his preliminary election thumping. Now the city is seeing what happens when politicians are unopposed.
Mayor Wu, to quote President Donald Trump, is a “smart” mayor, but she’s left of liberal and that’s going to hit taxpayers hard as she rolls out her agenda. So, where’s the stopgap? Coletta Zapata and Santana are not Batwoman and Robin.
The city deserves a dynamic duo and these two are far from it. Plus, this choice could come back to haunt the Council if Mayor Wu decides to skip the last years of her second term and, say, run for U.S. Senate? Go back to Harvard? Try her luck in Washington, D.C.?
Anyone paid $125,000 a year is at least living four times above the poverty line. It’s also $40,000 above the nation’s median household income of about $85,000, according to U.S. Census statistics. And try making that math work in Boston, where houses are sold for $1 million — and up!
This city needs hard-charging councilors who show up and push for answers, not act as puppets. The opioid crisis is a pox on our house and needs to be solved before the winter freeze hits. We need councilors to stay out of the police blotter and support law enforcement, not question every move officers make.
Coletta Zapata can count her votes and hope for the best, but she’d be doing the city a favor by seeking balance and turning to someone else to be her deputy.
Santana needs to put more years under his belt and show up more for every committee he’s assigned to. Anything less warrants a refund of his soon-to-be $125,000 large take-home cheddar.
