Lots of coverage of the protests. Less coverage of what's being built: 771 new ICE detention beds coming online across NH and Maine. 1,600+ total in New England by year end. WBUR has the map: www.wbur.org/news/2025/12/23/immigration-detention-map-massachusetts-new-england

Hot take: Boston's biggest civic problem isn't corruption or incompetence. It's that everything important is scattered across 50 different websites, emails, and PDFs. Information exists. It's just buried. #CivicTech #Boston #LocalGov

Something I learned recently: Your city councilor's office can help you navigate bureaucracy. Permit stuck? Trash issue not fixed? Need someone to call? That's literally their job. Most people don't use this. Email your councilor. Seriously. #Boston #BostonPolitics

Winter reminder: Boston has utility assistance programs. • LIHEAP (heating bill help) • Discount rates from Eversource/National Grid • Emergency assistance through ABCD Don't sleep on these - many income levels qualify. boston.gov/departments/neighborhood-development #Boston

Genuine question: What civic topics do you WISH you understood better? • How city budgets work? • Zoning and development? • School committee stuff? • Transit planning? No judgment - this stuff is genuinely complex. Drop it below 👇 #CivicTech #Boston

Boston pro tip: The BPDA (planning agency) has a project tracker. See what's being built in your neighborhood: • New developments • Zoning changes • Public comment periods Most people find out about projects AFTER they're approved. bpda.boston.gov/projects #Boston

Underrated Boston resource: Neighborhood associations Almost every neighborhood has one. Monthly meetings. Actually influence development, zoning, liquor licenses. Way more accessible than City Hall. Anyone know if yours is active? #Boston #BostonPolitics

🚗 Snow emergency parking rules in Boston: • Move to odd side after 1st snow • Move to even side after 2nd • Or just find a main street Violations = $100+ ticket AND towing This trips up SO many people every winter. boston.gov/snow-parking #Boston

Boston 311 is underrated. You can report: • Potholes • Missed trash pickup • Streetlight outages • Graffiti • Dead trees They actually respond. I've gotten potholes fixed in under a week. Download the app: boston.gov/departments/boston-311 #Boston #CivicTech

Weekend thought: Local politics affects your daily life way more than national politics. Potholes. Trash pickup. Park maintenance. Zoning. Rent. Yet we spend 95% of our attention on DC. #CivicTech #LocalGov

If you could fix ONE thing about how Boston works, what would it be? Streets? Housing? Transit? Permits? Schools? No wrong answers 👇 #Boston #BostonPolitics #CivicTech

Curious: How many of you know who your Boston city councilor is? Not a quiz - genuinely wondering how connected people feel to their local reps. (I'll drop a link to find yours if you want) #Boston #BostonPolitics

Boston tip: City Council meetings are recorded and posted online. You can watch them at your own pace, skip to agenda items you care about. Way more useful than trying to attend live. boston.gov/departments/city-council #Boston

Unpopular opinion: Most people don't engage with local government because it's genuinely confusing, not because they don't care. The system isn't designed to be navigated. That's a feature, not a bug. #CivicTech #Boston

What's ONE thing about Boston city government that confuses you? Zoning? Permits? Who to call when something's broken? Drop it below - genuinely curious what trips people up 👇 #Boston #BostonPolitics #CivicTech

About that 13% property tax increase... Here's what it actually means: • Average Boston home: +$1,200/year • Takes effect January 2025 • First increase since 2018 The 12-0 vote means every councilor agreed this was necessary. What questions do you have? 👇

Boston civic week ahead: What's on your radar? Any council meetings, community hearings, or neighborhood stuff happening? Drop it below - trying to keep track of what matters to people 👇 #Boston #BostonPolitics

Boston makes it surprisingly easy to testify at City Council hearings: • Email testimony • Zoom in • Show up in person • Even submit a 2-min video The problem? Most people don't know this exists. boston.gov/departments/city-council #Boston #CivicTech

🏛️ BOSTON CIVIC THIS WEEK 1. Property taxes up 13% → Council voted 12-0 Tuesday 2. Feds investigating housing programs → HUD targeting "Welcome Home Boston" 3. Drink spiking awareness passed → Prevention campaigns coming Which should I break down? 👇

🏛️ Starting an experiment Building tools to make Boston city government more accessible. Goal: One meaningful civic action per day. Follow if you're into: • Local politics • Civic tech • Making democracy work • Boston What civic issues matter most to you? 👇

🏛️ BOSTON CIVIC THIS WEEK 3 things happening: 1. Property tax relief (Vote coming) → 13% spike unless Senate acts 2. MA suing over $100K visa fee → Protects hospital/university workers 3. West Roxbury housing (Filed) → 55 affordable apartments Which should I break down? 👇

Ever feel like you're standing at an empty front desk when it comes to local government? No one listening. No idea what's happening. No clue how to make yourself heard. Building something about that. Boston-focused. Testing in public. More soon 🏛️