This afternoon, the Boston City Council voted 11-2 to approve the operating budget for FY2011.  It was a tough process that involved many difficult choices and many compromises for both the administration and the City Council. 

Many Bostonians contacted my colleagues and I to voice their opposition to cuts in this budget.  Rush to close four branch libraries and extensive layoffs in the central library caused alarm throughout our city.  The Council wrote a letter voicing concern over the haste in which the decision to close libraries was made, and asking the Board to find alternatives to closings and to extend the period of public discussion.  This month, the Trustees agreed to delay closings and continue the conversation into the new fiscal year. 

Part of that…

This weekend, Boston Globe columnist Joan Vennochi wrote a piece about the recent compromise fostered by the City Council between the administration and Local 718 that will save the city $45 million over the original arbitration settlement.  Councilor Ross responded to Vennochi via email; here is his response.

Some of the positives of the Council's action with regard to the Fire contract worth mentioning but not included in your column:

Here are the tangibles:

• All new firefighters must take yearly physicals and pass a fitness test, otherwise no 1.5 percent. NO payment henceforth for drug and alcohol testing
• Over 20 years the city will save $45 million from the original agreement
• Fiscal year 2011's increase (of 2.5%) was delayed for 6 months, thus effectively serving as a 1.25%…