Category: Blog

Receipt by 46 Boston medical, educational and research institutions of $1.70 billion in medical research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in FY14 topped all other cities in the country for total NIH funding for the 20th consecutive year. Tempering that good news is the fact that Boston’s total NIH funding has declined in each of the last two years ($1.78B in FY12, $1.72B in FY13, and $1.70B in FY14). This record for Boston over 20 years highlights the importance of these nonprofit institutions to the economic vitality of the City. (continued . . .)

The City of Boston ended FY15 with a $7.4M General Fund operating surplus, slightly smaller than the $9.5M surplus in FY14. The surplus is due to the fact that actual receipts exceeded budgeted revenues by $44.8M or 1.6%, which was greater than the $37.5M that actual spending exceeded final appropriations. The General Fund surplus represents 0.27% of city spending of $2.77B. (continued . . .)

Across the country the growth of inflexible costs such as state assessments, debt service and pension payments have put pressure on the departmental expenditures of municipalities. That situation is no less true for the City of Boston. From FY11 to the current FY16 budget, Boston’s inflexible costs have grown as a share of the total operating budget from 16% in FY11 to 21% in FY16. (continued . . .)

The Boston School Committee Nominating Panel is now accepting applications for two seats on the seven-member School Committee for four-year terms that begin on January 4, 2016. The terms of Meg Campbell and Miren Uriarte will expire this January. Both members may reapply for a new term. Committee members serve staggered, four-year terms and play an important leadership role in improving public education in Boston. Those applying must be residents of the City of Boston.

(continued . . .)