Boston Mayor Michelle Wu plans to make a collection of bulletins at her State of the Metropolis tackle round housing affordability, training, power prices and the native economic system whereas defending the Hub’s public security document amid federal scrutiny.
The temporary preview of the first-term mayor’s third State of the Metropolis tackle was offered by her workplace forward of tonight’s formal speech on the MGM Music Corridor at Fenway.
Wu will ship her speech at 7:30 p.m.
“Mayor Wu will share progress on her efforts to make Boston the best city in the country to raise a family, highlighting progress on addressing housing affordability, making Boston the safest major city in the country, and stabilizing Boston Public Schools,” metropolis spokesperson Emma Pettit stated in an announcement.
“She will defend Boston and showcase the city as a leader amidst national uncertainty under the current federal administration,” Pettit stated. “She will also make a series of announcements to address important issues facing Bostonians like housing affordability, excellent academic opportunities in and out of the classroom, energy costs, and Boston’s economy.”
Wu’s speech, delayed a number of months as a result of start of her third youngster this previous January, comes on the heels of her defiant testimony earlier than a Congressional Oversight Committee probing immigration sanctuary insurance policies and their affect on public security.
The mayor’s March 5 testimony in Washington, D.C. drew reward, however Wu was additionally criticized for racking up a $650,000 taxpayer-funded authorized invoice to arrange for the high-stakes listening to.
Her third State of the Metropolis is the primary she is going to ship throughout an election yr, together with her opponent Josh Kraft, son of the billionaire New England Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft and longtime philanthropist, probably planning to look at carefully.
Larry DiCara, an lawyer, former metropolis councilor and longtime observer of Boston politics, expects an “upbeat, positive speech” that can see the mayor deal with the town’s strengths relatively than contact on points she’s drawn criticism for this previous yr, just like the White Stadium soccer debate and her failure to get a tax shift proposal by way of the Legislature.
“I think she should be positive,” DiCara stated. “I think she shouldn’t gloat about how well she did in Washington. Gloating sometimes is an easy thing to do, but ends up biting you in the butt down the road.”
Boston is “in good shape” and is the “envy” of different municipalities which might be closely reliant on income sources just like the meals and gross sales tax that haven’t bounced again from the pandemic, DiCara stated.
Whereas he expects Wu to tout the energy of the town, DiCara doesn’t anticipate the mayor will use the chance to make a marketing campaign speech.
DiCara stated, “That would not be her style.”
