A changing of the guard at City Hall. Two Boston City Council mainstays, Michael Flaherty and Frank Baker are stepping away after choosing to forego a run for re-election.
Flaherty has been an at-large councilor on-and-off since 2000 and spoke to NBC10 Boston about what he sees as his biggest accomplishment.
“I think marriage equality, I was the first elected official in Boston to support marriage equality,” Flaherty said.
He also discussed areas where he believes improvement is still needed.
“Boston is becoming unaffordable. We have a responsibility to help in that regard so I always wish we would have passed the Community Preservation Act sooner,” Flaherty said.
Baker has served District 3 since 2012 and spoke on the successes he’s had during his tenure.
“I’ve done some good things legislatively, but the really good things are the things you don’t put on Twitter of Instagram,” he said.
he also spotlighted the need for more work down the road.
“I wish we would have built more long-term recovery beds with ARPA money at Mass. and Cass,” Baker said.
Both councilors say part of why they’re leaving is current dynamics on the council.
“No one is willing to bridge, no one is willing to broker compromise, no one is willing to reach over the aisle,” said Flaherty.
“When fairness isn’t being applied as one of the main tenants of this body, then that makes it difficult,” said Baker.
They each shared advice to the new councilors arriving in 2024.
“Enjoy each other, bring each other to dinner, learn who people are and ask questions,” said Baker.
“Read Robert’s Rules of Order and also read the council rules,” said Flaherty.
Also leaving the council are Ricardo Arroyo and Kendra Lara, who lost their preliminary election bids. The new set of councilors will be sworn in at City Hall on January 1.
