District 9’s Liz Breadon has served as City Council President for just over two weeks now. Her election came after the surprise withdrawal of District 1’s Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata and a one-vote victory over District 4’s Brian Worrell.

Her predecessor, Ruthzee Louijeune, presided over the council as an at-large representative, serving the city as a whole. Breadon represents a single district made up of only two neighborhoods. 

“First and foremost, I’m elected to represent my district, District 9 – Allston-Brighton,” Breadon said. “I have people argue that Brighton’s not in Boston. So I really want to use this new role as an opportunity to elevate the issues that we face, but also work with other district councilors who feel that their districts are also sort of forgotten and marginalized because they’re further away from the core of the city.”

In her first weeks, Breadon has moved to consolidate several city council committees to reduce their sheer number. A single new Committee on Census, Redistricting, and Elections has been created to “enhance coordination across policy areas and ensure committees are tackling both present and future issues impacting Boston residents.”

She called President Donald Trump an inspiration behind this new committee.

“I’m really concerned that as we look forward to the 2026 election, that the Trump administration will do anything and everything to disrupt the election so that they can turn around and discredit the process and say ‘this wasn’t a fair election, therefore we won,’” Breadon said.

She added that with the president’s plan to radically change the 2030 census to skip counting noncitizens, this committee will have an important role to play in ensuring Boston receives its maximum possible block grant, federal funds that aid law enforcement, social services, public health, and community development.

Between inflation, growing job insecurity, and the slowing down of some of the city’s key industries, Breadon said affordability is a critical issue she hopes to tackle during her presidency. 

“I think we’re facing a particularly challenging time because we are facing an economic slowdown, you know, just generally,” Breadon said. “We’re also facing  the threat of cuts from the federal government. I feel that we, as a city council, need to be united and work together and to navigate these difficult, choppy seas that we’re facing.

She suggested reviewing the city-wide minimum wage as a potential avenue to explore. “Many jobs are paying more than minimum wage, but as the job market softens, that might undercut the increased pay that people have been getting,” she said. Breadon added that building more housing for the lower and middle-income families is essential to the city’s future.

Breadon also recognizes the council as a proper legislative body in itself. That the council should work to support Mayor Michelle Wu’s agenda while still exerting its own independence to bring forward issues important to the city’s individual neighborhoods. “Even though we have a strong mayor system, we have a co-equal branch of government that we are constantly working for our communities.I think that we get our best results if we all work together,” she said.

The Allston-Brighton councilor said she will preside over the council with steadiness and reliability. “I want to lead by example. We can agree to disagree on certain things, but at the end of the day, we are a team. I see myself as a team captain right now, and that we are dedicated to working every day for the people of Boston,” she said.