Mayor Michelle Wu burned by way of greater than $5,000 in taxpayer funds on journey lodging for her four-day household journey to Canada, the place she chopped down the Boston Widespread Christmas tree gifted to town by the Nova Scotia province.
Wu introduced alongside her household and two workers members for final week’s journey, at a complete price of $5,062, when factoring in flight and resort lodging, from Nov. 9-12, in accordance with receipts supplied to the Herald final Friday after a public data request.
Whereas town coated resort lodging for the mayor, her husband and three youngsters, taxpayers didn’t pay for flight tickets for Wu’s household.
Wu flew economic system each methods, from Boston to Halifax and again. She spent $573.79 on her flight, and $735.24 for a three-night keep for her and her household on the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Lodge — for a complete price to taxpayers of $1,309.03.
The mayor’s bills have been decrease than that of the 2 metropolis staffers who tagged alongside, Paul Bologna, a photographer for the mayor’s workplace, and Phyllis St-Hubert, director of scheduling and advance.
Bologna’s economic system class flight price taxpayers somewhat over $1,302, when factoring within the $93 in journey insurance coverage he tacked onto the price — for an quantity that almost equaled the mayor’s complete reimbursable bills for the complete journey.
The mayor’s photographer additionally dropped $687.30 for a three-night keep on the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Lodge, bringing his complete bills to $1,990.07.
St-Hubert booked a taxpayer-funded flight that price $954.90, and spent three nights on the similar resort as Wu and Bologna, at a value of $732.74. She additionally paid $75.26 for transportation to and from the airports in Boston and Halifax – bringing her complete bills to $1,762.90.
The mayor, her household and two workers members arrived in Canada on Sunday Nov. 9, and returned to Boston on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Wu and her household visited Nova Scotia to focus on a unbroken partnership with the Canadian province that started after an explosion that befell there in 1917 in Halifax Harbor, killing roughly 2,000 individuals.
Nova Scotia supplies town with its Boston Widespread Christmas tree every year as a thank-you for town’s response which included sending medical assist and reduction provides following the explosion.
Wu grew to become the primary Boston mayor to attend and take part within the Boston tree-cutting ceremony within the Canadian province, the mayor’s workplace stated.
Wu was photographed not solely collaborating within the tree-cutting ceremony, however taking an precise chainsaw to the 45-foot tall white spruce that can arrive at Boston Widespread on Tuesday at 11 a.m.. The tree will function town’s official 2025 Christmas tree. This 12 months marked the 54th 12 months of the annual tree donation.
The tree will probably be lit at roughly 7:55 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 4, as a part of the Metropolis of Boston’s official tree-lighting ceremony that can happen on Boston Widespread, from 6-8 p.m. that night, the mayor’s workplace stated.
“It was an honor and delight to join our neighbors in Nova Scotia last week to deliver our thanks and support from Boston as this special tree started its journey,” Wu stated Monday in an announcement. “Our two communities share a special bond that continues to be strengthened year after year through this holiday tradition and our ongoing partnership.”
Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore stated “Halifax’s friendship with Boston spans centuries,” and added that he plans to go to Boston subsequent month.
“At our darkest hour after the Halifax Explosion, Boston was there,” Fillmore stated in an announcement. “Our bond is forged by history and strengthened through tradition. I was very pleased to meet Mayor Wu in Halifax, and look forward to seeing her in Boston in December.”
