Editorial: Wellness grants and block party $$ show Boston needs an audit

Boston Herald editorial staff, Boston Herald on Apr 23, 2026

Published in Op Eds

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The Boston City Council should rethink its “nothing to see here” stance on auditing city and school department spending, given recent revelations.

After an advertisement from a nonprofit indicated the city was spending taxpayer money on “wellness allowance” grants for LGBTQ migrants that could be used for gym memberships, yoga, meditation, reflection activities, transportation, and childcare support, among other uses, backlash was swift.

The city faces a budget shortfall, Boston Public Schools are cutting positions thanks to its own budget gap (a combined $100 million in the red for FY26), and yet “wellness” grants got the green light.

Those grants ranged from $250 to $500, distributed by a nonprofit called Outnewcomers that said the program is funded by the City of Boston.

One problem: Mayor Michelle Wu’s office said the nonprofit was using the funds inappropriately.

The city awarded the nonprofit a $7,500 grant, but the funds were not designated for and may not be used for the voucher program referenced in the organization’s recent posts and materials, Wu’s office said.

The group is returning the money.

But it begs the question: if the media hadn’t shed light on the grants, would City Hall have noticed what the money was spent on?

How many other grant programs are spending money inappropriately? And why, in the face of a fiscal squeeze and hiring freezes, did Wu allocate new discretionary block party grant funding for the FIFA World Cup?

The mayor’s office put the block party grant at $80,000 and cultural affairs community building grant at $100,000. Both are funded with FY26 dollars, but the block grant is privately funded.

Could that money have saved a teacher’s job?

City Councilors Ed Flynn and Erin Murphy came out swinging:

“We are deeply concerned that funding supporting core services, including mental health supports for older adults and youth employment opportunities, has reportedly been reduced or eliminated while new discretionary funding initiatives continue to be actively promoted,” Flynn and Murphy wrote last week in a letter to the mayor.

“At a time when essential services for seniors and young people may be at risk, the city must clearly explain how it is prioritizing resources,” the councilors wrote.

Better yet, the order for an audit of city spending should be re-introduced in the council.

The council voted earlier this month 8-4 to defeat a resolution from Murphy and Flynn calling for an independent audit of city finances.

The wellness grant fiasco and World Cup spend indicate that spending scrutiny is necessary and overdue.

“The Boston City Council had an important opportunity to stand with Boston residents to call for an independent audit of city finances,” Flynn said in a statement to the Herald. “Once again, city councilors failed to provide that critical oversight and positive leadership."

Bostonians don't want to learn after the fact that City Hall funds were spent inappropriately, or wonder how we can afford community parties but not teachers.

The City Council should speak for the people it represents and greenlight an audit of city spending. It's taxpayers' money, and we deserve to know where it's going.

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