Editorial: Far from a dynamic duo on Boston Council
Boston City Councilors are set to receive an annual salary of $125,000, a significant increase that raises questions about their accountability and effectiveness as public servants. As the city grapples with pressing issues like the opioid crisis and housing affordability, the council’s leadership choices have come under scrutiny. Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata, who has secured the necessary votes to become the next Council president, has announced that her first hire will be Councilor-at-Large Henry Santana as vice president. This decision has raised eyebrows, particularly given Santana’s history of attendance issues and his recent struggle to maintain his position in a competitive election. Critics argue that such choices reflect a concerning trend within the council, which appears to prioritize loyalty to Mayor Michelle Wu over the needs of Boston’s residents.
The dynamics within the council are critical, especially as Mayor Wu, who is known for her progressive policies, prepares to implement her agenda. With the council leaning towards being a rubber stamp for the mayor, the lack of dissenting voices raises alarms about the checks and balances necessary for effective governance. The article draws on historical context, referencing Machiavelli’s wisdom about the importance of surrounding oneself with honest advisors who can provide constructive criticism. In the face of significant challenges, including skyrocketing housing prices and a public health crisis, the city requires councilors who are not only present but actively engaged in seeking solutions. The current leadership choices, particularly the partnership between Coletta Zapata and Santana, do not inspire confidence that Boston will receive the robust representation it needs.
As the city prepares for a year filled with tough decisions, the expectation is that councilors will rise to the occasion and advocate for the interests of their constituents rather than simply aligning with the mayor’s agenda. With an annual salary that places them well above the median household income, there is an implicit demand for accountability and performance. Boston deserves a council that is dynamic, proactive, and willing to challenge the status quo to address the pressing issues facing its residents. As the new leadership takes shape, there is hope that it will prioritize the needs of the community over political expediency, ensuring that the city’s governance reflects the aspirations and challenges of all Bostonians.
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.
