CITY CHARTER REFORM
Draft: City Charter Reform Document (March 17, 2025). HERE
City Council Charter Reform Process: Draft: City Charter Reform Document (March 17, 2025) HERE
Finances: On March 3, 2025 City Manager Huang announced at Council that Cambridge was now entering a period of serious financial concern if not peril, akin to the dangers of COVID due in large measure to impacts of the U.S. Government on funding that is important to local universities, hospitals and federal employees. Read more here: “Trump Policies Could Hit as Hard as Pandemic Officials Say in Assessing Financial Worst Case” HERE
March 17, 2025: City Manager requests from Council an OK to transfer of $30 million from "Free Cash" fund to mitigate anticipated debt service costs in future years for the City’s major capital projects. (#9 3.17.25) HERE
A March 16, 2025 Boston Globe article notes that the biotech industry in Cambridge and Boston is grappling with a record 16.1 million sq ft of unleased lab space. Read more: HERE
CCC supports a re-evaluation of citywide spending in the face of this looming crisis.
City Council Charter Reform Process: Draft: City Charter Reform Document (March 17, 2025) HERE
Finances: On March 3, 2025 City Manager Huang announced at Council that Cambridge was now entering a period of serious financial concern if not peril, akin to the dangers of COVID due in large measure to impacts of the U.S. Government on funding that is important to local universities, hospitals and federal employees. Read more here: “Trump Policies Could Hit as Hard as Pandemic Officials Say in Assessing Financial Worst Case” HERE
March 17, 2025: City Manager requests from Council an OK to transfer of $30 million from "Free Cash" fund to mitigate anticipated debt service costs in future years for the City’s major capital projects. (#9 3.17.25) HERE
A March 16, 2025 Boston Globe article notes that the biotech industry in Cambridge and Boston is grappling with a record 16.1 million sq ft of unleased lab space. Read more: HERE
CCC supports a re-evaluation of citywide spending in the face of this looming crisis.
City Council Charter Reform Process: Draft: City Charter Reform Document (March 17, 2025) HERE
UTILITY COSTS
Electric and gas prices Are through the roof Learn about the different categories of your electric bill and a see sample bill with explainer tool tips. This is an interesting part of the electric bill explanation. Any upgrade to the system (infrastructure or generation) are passed along to the other customers. The up-zoning will cost everyone here more in electricity needs. Check your Eversource bill: HERE
CITY FINANCES
Our budget is over $1 billion. Over the past five years, the city budget has swelled by 7.1 percent annually...." Harvard Crimson Oct 29, 2024
Close to one quarter of our city lab spaces sit vacant: HERE
Residents are facing even higher residential taxes for owners and renters alike since the city's commercial income (Biotech etc.) has significantly decreased. These significantly increased taxes hit people on fixed incomes especially hard.
Local businesses also are being forced to close by these tax increases.
Read the 2025 Report by Claire Spinner on the Cambridge Budget: HERE
Close to one quarter of our city lab spaces sit vacant: HERE
Residents are facing even higher residential taxes for owners and renters alike since the city's commercial income (Biotech etc.) has significantly decreased. These significantly increased taxes hit people on fixed incomes especially hard.
Local businesses also are being forced to close by these tax increases.
Read the 2025 Report by Claire Spinner on the Cambridge Budget: HERE
Image above and below from the Nov. 10, 2025 report. With commercial tax revenues in the city rapidly declining, and the city's own budget and staffing numbers greatly increasing we are facing a short fall that the City Council and Staff most likely will seek to replace with significantly increased residential taxes.
March 17, 2025: City Manager requests from Council an OK to transfer of $30 million from "Free Cash" fund to mitigate anticipated debt service costs in future years for the City’s major capital projects. (#9 3.17.25) HERE
May 6, 2025: City Budget Statement on Financial Crisis and Likely Impacts on Property taxes: