Boston Considering Adding a Rat Czar

BOSTON - New York City isn't the only major metropolitan area that may have a rat czar.

As reported by the Boston Herald, in April Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's administration was working to formalize the creation of a rat czar position in Boston, a rodent-killing job that would be handled by a current city employee already considered to be the lead on municipal pest-control operations.

In January, Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn filed an ordinance to “create a legitimate position within the city to tackle the rodent crisis that appears to have gotten worse during the pandemic, when many restaurants shut down and people created more waste at home,” according to  https://www.wcvb.com/.

Currently, pest control is tackled by the Department of Public Works, inspectional services and the water and sewer commission. But Flynn is pushing for one office to handle the rat issue, hoping it will centralize it and become more efficient, WCVB reported.