Wu gets rid of green infrastructure office, lays off director

The Office of Green Infrastructure is being eliminated in Boston’s fiscal year 2027 budget. The office’s director position is being ended, while some staff will be incorporated into other teams. Green infrastructure includes stormwater management features that use natural materials such as plants and soil to remove pollutants and allow stormwater to absorb back into the ground. Examples include tree infiltration trenches and rain gardens. The city plans to integrate green infrastructure planning into citywide projects by moving the office into the Streets Cabinet’s Infrastructure and Design team. The mayor’s budget proposal includes a 2.1 percent spending increase and uses reserve funds to address deficits before the end of the current fiscal year.

"The Office of Green Infrastructure was created in 2022, shortly after Wu was elected mayor on a platform that emphasized her support for a "Green New Deal." Green infrastructure refers broadly to stormwater management features that incorporate natural materials like plants and soil to remove pollutants and let stormwater absorb back into the ground. Examples can be found throughout Boston, from "tree infiltration trenches" on City Hall Plaza to "rain gardens" in Codman Square."

"“The Office of Green Infrastructure is being integrated into the Streets Cabinet's Infrastructure and Design team to fully incorporate green infrastructure planning into projects citywide,” a city spokesperson said in a statement. Some of its staff will be incorporated into other teams, while the office's director is being let go."

"Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, a longtime advocate for policies that tackle climate change, is eliminating the city's standalone Office of Green Infrastructure. The director's position was eliminated in the fiscal year 2027 budget, and the Office of Green Infrastructure will be incorporated into the Streets Cabinet. Wu's office confirmed the news Friday."

"With her budget proposal for the next fiscal year, Wu is proposing a spending increase of just 2.1 percent, the smallest year-over-year spending increase since the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Frustrations over spending cuts have exposed divisions on the City Council. Meanwhile, Wu is looking to use $70 million in reserve funds to fill budget deficits before the end of the current fiscal year."

Read at Boston.com