Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn is on the warpath against the city's burgeoning rat population, pushing for a new municipal role dedicated to eliminating the pests. The proposed "rat czar" position, aimed to streamline the fight against rodents, comes as Boston grapples with a title it could do without – one of the nation's rattiest cities. According to NBC Boston, the city has made it on Orkin's list four years running, currently holding the 13th spot based on the number of rodent treatments carried out.
Residents have had their fill of the brazenly large rats, with complaints seeing an astronomical 86% increase from 2020 to 2022. Flynn, on the heels of Boston's unenviable rat ranking, plans to introduce an ordinance to establish the Office of Pest Control. This follows a surge in rodent-related grievances cataloged by Boston public 311 service, which tallied roughly 3,900 last year. Flynn's pitch for this consolidated rodent crackdown initiative is supported by Mayor Michelle Wu, who previously backed his efforts, as reported by WCVB.
The proposed office promises a unified approach, pooling resources that are currently scattered across several city agencies including the Department of Public Works, Inspectional Services, and the Water and Sewer Commission. “Instead of having three or four different departments focus on it, have one overall city department coordinate and streamline city services," Flynn said in a statement obtained by WCVB. Drawing insights from New York's first rat czar, Kathleen Corradi, Flynn is looking to replicate NYC's concerted effort right in Boston's backyard.
While many Bostonians echo Flynn's concerns, singing the same weary tune of frustration at seeing giant, fearless rats on the streets, there is a discordant note among the populace. Allston resident Ethan Goldstein downplayed the issue, telling WCVB, "I can think of nothing lower priority than rodents who are not hurting anybody and who are just, like, basically picking up our trash for us." Despite mixed reactions from the public and the legislative process ahead, Flynn is set to file the ordinance during Wednesday’s City Council meeting, moving one step closer to establishing a dedicated pest control department.
