The head of Boston’s largest police union is calling for the resignation of the City Council’s budget committee chair, following her “cowardly” attempt to blame the mayor for a controversial proposal that would cut millions from the police budget.
Larry Calderone, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, said officers were incensed by comments from City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, who said the mayor’s failure to settle the police contract left the Council without a clear sense of how much money was needed to fund their department.
“Councilor Fernandes (Anderson) has not once publicly supported the members of BPPA in our efforts to secure a collective bargaining agreement that is almost three years expired,” Calderone told the Herald on Thursday.
“She has consistently tried to defund the BPD and continually bashes the hardworking police officers publicly. She’s not fooling anyone with her phony statements of blame yesterday. She only further embarrasses herself with her lack of budget knowledge, leadership and responsibility for her own actions.”
Calderone described Fernandes Anderson’s attempt to shift blame onto Mayor Michelle Wu, who vetoed the Council’s proposal to cut nearly $31 million from the Boston Police Department, as “cowardly,” and one that shows she has “no business being chair of ways and means,” the committee that handles the budget process.
Fernandes Anderson said Thursday that she was “extremely disappointed, but not surprised” to hear Calderone’s remarks.
“I am committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all members of our city, and his message goes against everything I stand and fight for,” she said. “I am a dedicated public servant who works tirelessly to ensure that our budget is fair and equitable for all members of our community, including our police officers, firefighters and veterans.”
Fernandes Anderson added, “His accusations of my lack of knowledge and experience are baseless. He’s decided to not speak the truth about the numbers to justify his position. That’s his prerogative. The numbers don’t lie. He should speak the truth.”
Fernandes Anderson said at Wednesday’s City Council meeting that the cuts, which included a $22 million reduction in overtime, would not have resulted in any layoffs. Further, she argued that the budget reductions would have left BPD with more money than it is on pace to spend this fiscal year.
Calderone said, however, that a look at past years’ figures would show the police department is “constantly under-budgeted,” and in the “red by tens of millions of dollars each year.”
This, he said, is due to a lack of manpower, a lack of effective leadership, and “in effect, a City Council that has not appropriately funded the police budget for well over a decade.”
“Councilor Fernandes (Anderson) should stop trying to backpedal from trying to strip monies from police officers, veterans and firefighters by blaming someone else for her own lack of experience and knowledge of budget,” Calderone said.
Further, Calderone said her comments from Wednesday, where she called upon the mayor to treat police officers with respect and dignity by settling their contract, “were a complete insult to everybody that wears a badge and a uniform.”
“She should just step down and let a more experienced and fair councilor formulate a budget for police, fire and veterans that will help continue to protect the general public and benefits to veterans,” he said.
Fernandes Anderson pushed back, describing Calderone’s remarks as “unwarranted and unproductive.”
“You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” Fernandes Anderson said. “I never had a chance with these people. This man has never extended professional courtesy to engage in a dialogue. He clearly doesn’t know anything about my work, experience, knowledge, or what I’ve supported.”
She urged Calderone to contact her, reconsider his words and “refrain from making ignorant and hurtful comments.” She also questioned why the union president was defending the mayor, and not pressing her to settle an expired contract.
“As public servants, police officers should respect the democratic process and refrain from attacking elected officials who are advocating for fair resolution to their contract negotiations,” Fernandes Anderson said.
Calderone called this assertion “ludicrous,” pointing to the union’s filing for arbitration with the state. The application was accepted by the Joint Labor-Management Committee, which assists in resolving collective bargaining disputes involving municipalities and their police officers and firefighters.
Mayor Wu proposed a $404.97 million budget for the police department for fiscal year 2024. This would represent a $9 million increase over the current fiscal year. The Council’s proposed $31 million cut would have resulted in a $374 million budget, a $21.84 million decrease from fiscal year 2023.
If the Council were to override the mayor’s veto, which would require eight councilors to vote against Wu’s final budget, the cut to the police department would go into effect, as would the remainder of the body’s $52.9 million in amendments.
The Council had also proposed a $900,000 cut to the veterans services office, and sought to slash millions from city services like the transportation, public works, and library departments.
The $4.2 billion amended operating budget passed last week via a 7-5 vote, and a source told the Herald the Council doesn’t have the votes for an override.