Boston Mayor Wu Proposes 27% Cut to Arts Budget for FY2027

Boston's Mayor Michelle Wu has unveiled a budget proposal for fiscal year 2027 that significantly reduces funding for the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC) by about 27%, bringing it down to $3,365,057. This reduction marks one of the most substantial cuts to any municipal department, though it still exceeds pre-pandemic funding levels. The decrease coincides with the depletion of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, which allocated $26.2 million for arts and culture from Boston’s total $558.7 million ARPA distribution. Arts Activate Boston and MASSCreative are advocating for public input during a city council hearing scheduled for April 30. Currently, Boston's arts budget constitutes a mere 0.07% of the overall $4.9 billion budget. A 2016 report by the Boston Foundation indicated that Boston ranked last among 11 cities in terms of per capita government support for the arts. MOAC Chief Joseph Zeal-Henry noted that the Opportunity Fund, Strand Theatre Grant, and Boston Cultural Council Organizational Grant will be cut or diminished. The city is grappling with revenue challenges, as it relies 73.1% on property taxes, which are increasing at their slowest rate since 1998, alongside rising expenses such as a 23.9% hike in health insurance costs. The budget is set to be finalized by July 1.