By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Political Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Photo credit: Unsplash/Sincerely Media
As the last leg of Baltimore City’s Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) budget process gets underway, the city council hosted its annual Taxpayer’s Night on May 16, providing an opportunity for residents to have their say on what should be included in the budget.
Though not many were in attendance, residents who were there spoke passionately about what they wanted to see in the budget.
“My ask for the council is to adjust the operating budget under the public safety pillar to include a transparent line item with a dollar amount that is dedicated to youth violence prevention,” said Agzja Carey, Baltimore resident and executive director of Crayons and Culture, a non-profit. “Specifically, with the focus on getting dollars to Black-led grassroots organizations.”
This will be the second year that city council members have the newly permitted ability to move allocated funds around in the budget. Last year, with that power, they moved $10 million around to fund better equipment for firefighters, violence prevention and finer facilities for laborers.
Detrese Dowridge, a member of Baltimore Renters United, a tenant advocacy organization, asked that $2.5 million be allocated in the FY25 budget to pay for additional housing inspectors and put $20 million towards rental assistance.
“As a tenant advocate and organizer I not only hear but witness the unsafe and deplorable conditions that renters are subjected to live in here in Baltimore,” said Dowridge. “I would also like our city leaders to do better with speaking with and seeking input from organizers who are on the ground doing the work to make the city a better place.”
The need for housing inspectors was discussed in a March Baltimore City Council meeting on a bill that aims to strengthen renter safety. During the meeting, a representative of the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) explained that part of the issue is that inspectors have to go into unsafe environments with little to no protection, which can be a hindrance to DHCD’s ability to employ and retain inspectors.
Mayor Brandon M. Scott unveiled his $4.06 billion preliminary FY25 budget in April, amidst Key Bridge collapse recovery efforts. At the budget unveiling, Scott said no funding is included for the Key Bridge in his proposed FY25 budget because the city does not yet know what financial impact the collapse will have.
The budget includes $19 million in funding for school construction, $3.5 million for building enhancements at the southern and eastern police district stations and $14.2 million to modernize several citywide software systems.
Next, the city council will hold budget hearings with city agencies starting May 23 and continuing through June 6 in order to come to a consensus and pass the budget by June 26, per the Charter of Baltimore City.
Tashi McQueen is a Report For America corps member.
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