Cambridge city councilors are slamming Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino for ?luring? Vertex Pharmaceuticals to South Boston ? and criticizing state officials for providing some $60 million in aid to promote the move.
?Vertex Pharmaceuticals has been lured to the South Boston Waterfront by Mayor Menino, (which) could negatively impact (Cambridge) tax revenue, which could impact city services,? city councilors wrote in a unanimous resolution hammering ?the aggressive manner shown by Mayor Menino and the city of Boston to attract business (at) Cambridge?s expense.?
City councilors also voted 7-1 in favor of a second resolution calling state incentives for Vertex?s move ?especially egregious. Cambridge taxpayers are essentially helping foot the bill to shuffle cubicles across the river out of their city.?
Councilors are hopping mad over word last week that Vertex plans to leave Cambridge and relocate some 1,300 jobs to the South Boston Seaport District?s Fan Pier complex.
Vertex also agreed to create 500 additional jobs at the site in exchange for state aid that comes on top of some $12 million in city tax breaks.
Cambridge City Councilor Tim Toomey, who sponsored the measure slamming Menino, said Boston officials ?aren?t going to be making up Cambridge?s tax losses (from Vertex?s departure). If Boston wants to lure companies from Silicon Valley, that?s OK, but to go across the river to Cambridge isn?t.?
City Councilor Leland Cheung, who sponsored the second resolution, accused Menino of ?poaching? companies from Cambridge with the state?s financial help.
?If we?re going to be competing against Boston for jobs, that?s one thing, but the state shouldn?t be intervening between cities,? he said.
However, Menino spokeswoman Dot Joyce rejected such criticisms. ?The city of Boston feels that when one community thrives, we all thrive,? she said.
