Wu's property tax plan earns Boston City Council approval, heads to State House

A plan by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu to further shift the city's property tax burden from homeowners to commercial property owners won approval from the City Council on Wednesday.

The council voted 8-4 in support of a home rule petition that would give the city authority to make the shift, an idea that drew opposition from influential business groups.

Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata, who led a committee's review of the topic, urged her colleagues to move on the matter.

"This allows us the ability generally and the flexibility with specific guardrails to move swiftly if we need to protect Bostonians," Coletta Zapata said. "Otherwise, we're going to be back here having the same discussion on an even more expedited timeline, and next time, with potentially hundreds of calls from residents wondering why the council did not act to keep their property tax bills as low as possible."

"The longer we wait, the longer the delay, the less time there is for our colleagues at the State House to take this up before their formal sessions end on July 31," she added.

Councilors John Fitzgerald, Ed Flynn, Erin Murphy and Brian Worrell voted against Wu's proposal, and Councilor Julia Mejia voted present.

The proposal needs approval from the Legislature and Gov. Maura Healey before it can take effect.

House Ways and Means Committee Chair Aaron Michlewitz, who represents Boston's North End, has avoided taking a stance on the topic.

The home rule petition could still emerge after the July 31 end of formal sessions, but the route could be more tricky in August and beyond. Once the Legislature shifts into informal-sessions-only mode, any single lawmaker's objection can stall any item's progress.

Opponents, who include the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, argue that allowing the city to increase the share of property taxes owed by commercial owners for a few years will add unnecessary burden as businesses struggle to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It sends the completely wrong message to businesses, especially at a time when we want to be competitive and we want to be able to provide all the necessary services property taxes provide us," Murphy said. "In fact, if we were Worcester or Providence or even Charlotte, North Carolina, I'd be absolutely thrilled with this proposal. It makes their sales pitch so much easier."