Behind The Mic With Joe Mathieu: Mayor Walsh Asks For Budget Cuts

BOSTON (CBS) – The inaugural parties are over. The Dropkicks have stopped playing. And the confetti has stopped falling.

Now it's time for Marty Walsh to deal with reality.

And other than building his staff this is Walsh's first major task as mayor of Boston - writing a budget. It's a process that can be painful, especially when you're cutting. And that's what's happening as the mayor asks department heads to find ways to spend less in the new fiscal year.

Unclear how much less. But the Boston Globe reports that some big agencies, like the fire and police departments, have been told to cut one-percent.

And in the case of Boston public schools they will still get more money from the city - an increase of almost four-percent - but not enough to make up for a drop in federal grants as well as higher costs to cover things like pay raises and health insurance.

Unclear how most agencies will cope. The budget isn't due until April.

But there is a particular concern about the schools. Some have reportedly been told to prepare for cuts in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Curley School in Jamaica Plain, for instance, may have to cut a half-million dollars which would mean losing over a dozen positions, including some teachers.

And the mayor's plan to expand the number of kindergarten seats may have to take a back seat.

Follow Joe on Twitter @joemathieuwbz