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.

“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.

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.

“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.”

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.

Originally Published: December 11, 2024 at 9:14 PM EST

The Chicago Cubs have been linked in trade rumors to Chicago White Sox star starting pitcher Garrett Crochet.

While the rumors had been swirling about the Cubs being a potential landing spot, he has now been traded elsewhere.

According to a report from ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, Crochet has been traded to the Boston Red Sox.

Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe has been credited for reporting the news first that the Red Sox were on the verge of trading for Crochet.

Crochet is a massive addition for Boston. He has legitimate superstar potential and a move to the Red Sox will certainly help him develop and place him on a team that can contend.

While Crochet would have been a very intriguing pickup for Chicago, Jed Hoyer is not known for making super aggressive moves.

Trading with the White Sox is never an easy thing to do for the Cubs. They usually have to pay a premium due to the crosstown rivalry.

During the 2024 MLB season, Crochet ended up making 32 starts. He compiled a 6-12 record to go along with a 3.58 ERA, a 1.07 WHP, a 6.3 K/BB ratio, and 146.0 innings pitched.

Ahead of the 2024 MLB trade deadline, Crochet was widely expected to end up being moved. That didn’t end up happening, but clearly Chicago was ready to move on.

At just 25 years old, Boston is getting a piece that they can build their rotation around. He has legitimate ace potential if he reaches his ceiling.

Moving forward, Chicago will continue looking to make some moves. The Cubs have been heavily connected as a trade suitor for Houston Astros star outfielder Kyle Tucker.

Hoyer may end up making a splash move this offseason, but no one should be shocked that Crochet wasn’t the addition.

Expect to continue hearing rumors swirl around surrounding Chicago.

The Cubs are still being rumored to have interest in moving both Cody Bellinger and Nico Hoerner.

It’s going to be an interesting next few weeks.

BOSTON (WHDH) – Break out your umbrellas, rain boats and coats – a messy day of rain and wind is in store for Eastern Massachusetts.

Strong winds are expected in the afternoon and evening Wednesday as temperatures surge into the lower 60s, with gusts from 40 to 60 miles per hour, creating the chance of tree damage and power outages.

Rain is forecasted to taper off just after midnight.

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