Boston Mayor Michelle Wu took a swipe at the state Senate for killing her plan to hike commercial tax rates, while the City Council swiftly opted to set tax rates based on a conciliatory recommendation from the city’s chief financial officer.
The City Council voted unanimously to set the residential tax rate at $11.58 per $1,000 of value and the commercial tax rate at $25.96 per $1,000 of value, with the maximum shift of the tax burden allowed by state law, or 175%, onto businesses.
The average single-family homeowner will see a year-over-year property tax hike of about 10.5%, and will experience a 21% quarterly hike in their January third-quarter bills, city officials have previously said.
The Council also opted to set the residential exemption at the maximum rate allowed by state law, at 35%, which computes to a roughly $3,984 deduction from a qualifying homeowner’s tax bill.
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“This all falls under current state law,” Council Vice President Brian Worrell, chair of the Ways and Means Committee, said at Wednesday’s meeting. “If the state wants to change those laws, this body already has an income-eligible senior tax exemption petition at the State House that can be taken up.
“If they are seeking a way to work on targeted tax relief for homeowners, we also have that; it’s the home rule petition that was just declared dead.”
Worrell was referring to the mayor’s eight-month bid to hike commercial tax rates, which was approved in two iterations by the City Council and House of Representatives.
Wu’s plan died Monday in the Senate, however, upon the city’s release of final state Department of Revenue-certified valuation numbers that showed homeowners would not be hit with the dramatic tax increase the city had originally projected.
“The sky is not falling,” Worrell said at a Council hearing earlier in the day where the administration recommended the later-approved rates, echoing what state Sen. Nick Collins, a South Boston Democrat said when blocking the mayor’s tax plan for a third and final time on Monday.
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Collins on the Senate floor Monday, prior to Senate President Karen Spilka opting to formally kill the mayor’s tax bill, hammered the city for the discrepancy in the less dire final numbers that he said represented a “campaign of fear and manipulation” that was proven to be a “farce.”
Wu hit back on GBH’s Boston Public Radio on Wednesday, accusing the Senate of playing games, and Collins of making “misleading or misinformed” statements.
“We don’t have time at the city level to play games,” Wu said. “I took this process — and many, many residents, seniors, neighborhood leaders, advocates, union workers — took this process very seriously.”
Wu maintained that she had not been aware of the concerns of Collins or other senators ahead of time, saying that those senators did not reach out to her office to share their concerns or try to work with her on addressing them.
She said she was operating under the impression, based on the meeting she had with Spilka, Boston senators and the business groups to restart negotiations after a prior version of the bill stalled in the Senate this past summer, that the instructions that would lead to its passage in that chamber were clear.
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“The instruction” from those senators was, Wu said, “work it out with the business groups, and we’re good with that.”
Those talks led to a compromise bill with four business groups who withdrew their opposition contingent upon a lower tax shift onto commercial properties that would result in an annual tax hike for homeowners that was in line with the average increase over the past five years, or about 9%.
Wu’s administration in October released valuation projections that pointed to a 14% annual tax hike for the average homeowner without the legislation, but final certified numbers showed the year-over-year increase if the bill should fail would be in line with the past several years, or about 10%.
The legislation would lead to a lower annual tax hike for homeowners of about 5%, leading senators and the four business groups to back away from the deal.
Wu, for her part, maintained that the final numbers were in line with the range her administration had been projecting and that the higher numbers her team had been citing represented a “worst-case scenario.”
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Her chief financial officer, Ashley Groffenberger, insisted that without the legislation and based on the contingency tax rates the administration recommended, homeowners will see a “very, very significant increase in taxes.”
Groffenberger also said there was no time for other options, given the deadline her cabinet and departments were under to send out tax bills this month.
Councilor Erin Murphy, during the day’s Council meeting, had introduced a home rule petition to increase the residential exemption to 40%.
“By increasing the residential exemption, we can offer immediate financial relief, helping to stabilize tax bills and protect them from sudden increases,” Murphy said. “This measure is especially crucial as we continue to face rising housing costs and economic challenges.”
Murphy’s proposal was criticized by a city spokesperson on Tuesday for having the potential to shift more of the tax burden from homeowners onto renters, and was referred to a Council subcommittee for further discussion.
The club, in a statement posted on Instagram on Tuesday, said it was “deeply saddened” by Colon’s death and that employees at the nightclub rushed to her aid.
“Our staff responded immediately and called emergency services while an off-duty EMT rendered first aid,” it said. “We are cooperating fully with all inquiries from law enforcement and city officials who are reviewing this medical episode.”
When police arrived at theWarrenton Street venue, they found a personlying on the dance floor, unresponsive and without a pulse, according to an incident report. They began performing chest compressions with the help of a cashier at the club who said she worked as an EMT.
Police said in the report that the large crowd inside the club did not comply with orders to give space to emergency medical personnel. Eventually, officers ordered the club to shut down and told patrons to leave immediately.
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The woman, whose age was not disclosed, was then taken to Tufts Medical Center, police said.
Colon’s sister, Angelica Colon, wrote on social media Sunday that the club failed to immediately call 911 after being told about the medical emergency. She said only a few people at the club showed any “real concern,” while other patrons and staff “acted like nothing was happening.”
“My sister collapsed in the middle of the club,“ she wrote. ”I tried to lift her myself and couldn’t. I was screaming at the top of my lungs and was ignored. The music was only stopped for two minutes, then turned right back on — as if her life didn’t matter.”
Angelica Colon also couldn’t be reached for comment on Tuesday.
Anastaiya Colon, who was at the club to celebrate her sister Angelica’s birthday, had smoked before arriving and had “a few drinks” at the bar, according to the police report. Drug use was not suspected as a factor in the medical episode, according to the report.
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Angelica Colon said that, while her sister had a medical condition, “that does not excuse what happened.” She said in the post that she was considering legal action against the club’s owners.
“A business that refuses to act during a medical emergency does not deserve to operate,” she wrote. “If this could happen to my sister, it could happen to anyone.”
“She was the greatest mother to our son and her daughter,” Stackhouse wrote. “Wherever I fell, she compensated and gave me so much more grace than I deserve.”
Icon is operated by Pasha Entertainment, which also runs the nightclubs Venu and Hava, as well as prominent restaurants such as Ghost Light Tavern and Kava Neo-Taverna, according to the company’s website.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with the individual’s family and loved ones,” the club wrote.
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Last year, the city’ licensing board reviewed a 2023 incident at the club in which a woman was punched and thrown to the ground by another patron. Icon staff did not call police during the altercation, which the club’s director of security admitted was a “lapse in judgment.”
The woman who was punched later sued the club for overserving her attacker; Icon was ordered to pay $30,000 in damages, according to court records.
Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.
BOSTON (WHDH) – Getting around the city was made easier Tuesday after the Green Line reopened after a two-week shutdown affecting all branches.
The MBTA needed the closure to replace underground beams dating back to the 19th century.
Service returned Tuesday on the B branch between North Station and Babcock, on the C and D lines from North Station to Kenmore, and North Station to Heath Street on the E branch.
(Copyright (c) 2025 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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After four seasons in which he emerged as a veteran leader and key bench player for the Red Sox, Rob Refsnyder’s time in Boston is over.
Refsnyder has signed a one-year contract with the Mariners, the club announced. According to a major league source, the deal will pay Refsnyder a base salary of $6.25 million in 2026. It also includes $250,000 in incentives.
Refsnyder, who turns 35 in May, was a journeyman utility player when he signed with the Red Sox as a minor league free agent in December 2021. Over the last four seasons, he found a home in Boston, where he mashed left-handed pitching and became an important clubhouse voice. Along with Trevor Story and Alex Bregman, Refsnyder helped form a core of older position players who helped the Sox navigate treacherous waters in the fallout of the Rafael Devers drama (and subsequent trade) over the summer. On the field, he was plenty productive, too, as he hit .269 with nine homers, 12 doubles and an .838 OPS in 70 games in his limited role in 2025.
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In 309 games over the past four seasons, Refsnyder hit .276 with 27 homers, 119 RBIs, 48 doubles and an .804 OPS while serving as one of the best hitters in baseball against left-handed pitching. In 2025, he posted a .302 average, .560 slugging percentage and .959 OPS against southpaws, pairing with Romy Gonzalez to form a potent pair of right-handed platoon options for Alex Cora. Refsnyder’s .596 slugging percentage against left-handed starters was the fourth-best mark in baseball. Since the start of 2021, Refsnyder ranks third in the majors in on-base percentage against lefties (.405) among players with 300 plate appearances.
Refsnyder expressed strong interest in returning to the Red Sox in 2026 but in recent weeks, the writing has been on the wall for his departure. There aren’t many at-bats to go around in Boston’s crowded outfield/designated hitter picture and recent comments from manager Alex Cora made it harder to see Refsnyder returning in his role. Specifically, the club wants Wilyer Abreu — a platoon player to this point in his career — to get regular starts against lefties in right field, a position where Refsnyder logged 21 starts in 2025. Cora also praised the athleticism of Nate Eaton, who may take over Refsnyder’s role as a versatile, younger and cheaper version in 2026. Eaton had a .673 OPS against lefties in 49 big league plate appearances last year but the Red Sox think there’s more in his right-handed bat. Kristian Campbell is expected to focus on outfield work in spring training, too, further crowding a group that includes Abreu, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Jarren Duran and potentially Eaton and others.
The Mariners will be Refsnyder’s seventh major league team, joining the Yankees, Blue Jays, Rays and Twins. He had previously signed two deals to remain in Boston, agreeing to avoid arbitration at $1.2 million for 2023, then signing a $1.85 million extension for the 2024 season that included a $2 million option for 2025.
