‘Rat czar’ in Boston? City council president proposes new position for rodent Did they just become best friends? Video shows dog and duck playing on Iowa farm
By John Atwater
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BOSTON (WCVB) — The president of the Boston City Council is proposing a new government position in an effort to tackle the city’s rodent problem.
Complaints about rats from Boston residents have skyrocketed over the last few years. The city logged 2,253 rat complaints last year compared to just 1,212 in 2020, an increase of 86%.
“Very frustrating, but if everybody works together, I think the problem can be solved,” said South Boston resident Eddie Nave.
“It’s a major quality of life issue,” said Boston City Council President Ed Flynn. “It certainly increased significantly during the pandemic.”
The new position proposed by Flynn is similar to New York City’s new “rat czar,” who was hired earlier this month.
“This is what city government is all about,” Flynn said. “It’s not sexy, but it’s quality of life issues.”
“I just think we need a fresh set of eyes to look at the problem,” Nave said.
Boston’s new “rat czar” position would consolidate oversight of the rodent problem that is currently spread out among three different city departments.
Flynn said his proposal will be discussed during Wednesday’s Boston City Council hearing. If there is support for the new position, it could still take months before a final vote on the proposal is held.
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