As the president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, I see many opportunities and advantages for the people and businesses of our region. To bring these opportunities to reality, we need to align in a shared and bold economic growth agenda.

Whether it’s transportation, housing, education, talent retention and attraction in 2025 and beyond, we need to shift our focus from inputs to outputs and outcomes, from policy concepts and philosophies to actions. Earning public confidence and trust in government and in business leaders is critical to our success, and we can only do that by delivering results together. I believe that no level of government moves forward alone when faced with tough problems. The business community is a willing partner in developing solutions.

Last year, I called attention to the concern of safety in our downtown commercial district and other neighborhoods in Boston. I am pleased to celebrate with Mayor Wu, Commissioner Michael Cox, and the men and women of BPD that Boston was recently named the safest city in the country. We applaud the work of Commissioner Cox and District Attorney Hayden who responded to our call for greater attention to shoplifting and retail theft in downtown crossing and at the South Bay Mall. Our partnership with retailers on a strategy resulted in 73 repeat offenders being banned from the mall.

Now, let’s turn to Boston Public Schools. The Chamber continues to partner with Mayor Wu and Superintendent Mary Skipper to ensure that employers have a meaningful and impactful relationship with our school system to deliver the best for students and their families.

I am proud to announce the formation of a Boston Public Schools financial literacy pilot created by the business community and BPS administrators. With the new financial literacy learning units, our BPS students will learn to achieve more financial control and independence in their lives and careers with savings, investments, budgeting, and more. This is the first pilot of its type in the City of Boston, and it can demonstrate the power of employers and BPS partnering to prioritize the wellbeing of our students.

Financial stability is the bedrock of a strong and prosperous city. The Boston Chamber previously called on the Commonwealth to demonstrate fiscal responsibility, and they answered the call to action for the past two years with “belt tightening” within their budgets.

The upward trajectory of government spending in recent years is unsustainable, and the city can no longer rely on the same level of new commercial development that Boston experienced over the past 25 years to mitigate direct impacts on city residents. The city will need to reevaluate its approach to spending growth, understanding that its own decisions to increase spending directly impact residential and commercial taxpayers – decisions that are entirely under city control.

In 2024 and again this year, we are asking the City of Boston to prioritize fiscal discipline for the long-term stability of the city – build a FY26 City budget increase in line with inflation. This may involve tough decisions, but such decisions are an inevitable part of effective and responsible governance – just as they are a part of running a business or a household.

The Chamber and the business community are ready to roll up our sleeves in partnership to ensure that all people and all businesses can succeed. We should reprioritize attracting new commercial and residential development within the city, which contributes to the tax base with new revenue. We should collaborate on ways to keep our college students here to sustain our economy. We can make our region more appealing for young, innovative entrepreneurs who want to start their business. And we should work together on mobility to make sure that people who are trying to live their lives, get to work, or explore the city can do so more easily.

Throughout my decade leading the Chamber, we have not looked away from difficult challenges. We consistently work together to craft meaningful, bold solutions. That means not waiting to bolster opportunity and growth that will fuel our entrepreneurs as well as businesses and job creators of all sizes from our Main Streets to our downtowns. We know how to push through the unknown together and create a future that is stronger for generations to come. Let’s get to work.

James E. Rooney is the president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. This article is an abbreviated version of his 2025 Business Outlook address. Watch the full speech here.