Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune has appointed District 4 Councillor Brian Worrell to serve as the chair of the body’s Ways & Means Committee. Worrell, who previously served as vice chair of that committee under District 7 Councillor Tania Fernandes Anderson, is already preparing for the upcoming FY 25 budget process.

A self-described “numbers guy” with a degree in accounting from Northeastern University and a background in business and small business, Worrell said he had been waiting for this challenge since he was first elected in 2020.

“I do have a love for numbers, and I like staring at a screen with numbers and trying to figure out where the money is going and making sense of it all,” he told the Reporter. “My accounting degree and my jobs in the private sector will definitely help me in this job.

“At the same time,” he said, “I want to make sure the numbers on the pages are presented as something the people can easily understand. Sometimes when you pick up a budget it can be a whole different language. We want to make sure all residents can see where their dollars are going and easily understand our city budget.”

The Ways & Means chair is charged with leading the oversight process of budgeting with the mayor and the various city departments. The work often requires dozens of hearings during the budget season, which goes from April to June 30. The process has been more rigorous after it was amended in a City Charter change two years ago that allows more give and take with the mayor and the ability to amend line items. The 13-member council can even override a mayoral veto of any item with a supermajority of 9 votes. Before that, the Council could only vote up or down on the mayor’s entire budget with no ability to amend it.

Worrell said he and his staff have already convened meetings and began reaching out to city departments and mayoral staff to work out a timeline. He wants to find ways to get more involved with the Boston Public Schools (BPS) budget, which is crafted in January and February and then approved by the School Committee in March. The finished product is presented to the council in April, much too late to amend or to provide input.

“If we reject their budget, they will have to … produce a new budget and it would put us in a situation where we would have to put BPS on a .. monthly budget and we don’t want to put them in that situation,” he said. “We want to figure out how to get an opportunity to have the council’s voice in that process earlier.”

Worrell is also the chairman of the Small Business and Professional Licensure Committee, where he said he will continue to champion the bill at the State House that calls for 250 more liquor licenses in Boston that will be directed primarily to communities of color. He is also vice chair of the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee, and of the Committee on the Whole.

Other Notable Council Assignments

John FitzGerald, the new District 3 councillor, will serve as chairman of the Committee on Public Health, Homelessness, and Recovery. At-large councillor Erin Murphy will be the vice chair. FitzGerald will also be vice chair of the committee on Planning, Development, and Transportation, which Councillor Sharon Durkan will chair. FitzGerald will also be vice chair of Small Business and Professional Licensure, chaired by Councillor Worrell.

Councillor Tania Fernandes Anderson, whose District 7 seat includes parts of Dorchester, was named chair of Arts, Culture, Entertainment, Tourism, and Special Events. She will also be vice chair of Post Audit, Government Accountability, which will be chaired by at-large Councillor Julia Mejia, of Dorchester.

Erin Murphy will chair the Strong Women, Families, and Communities committee and also serve as vice chair of Public Health, Homelessness, and Recovery (FitzGerald chairs); Veteran, Military Families/Affairs (chaired by Councillor Flynn.)

New at-large Councillor Henry Santana was appointed chair of the Public Safety and Criminal Justice and Education committees. Santana, who lives in Dorchester, will be vice chair of the Community Preservation Act committee.