North Baltimore Journal

BALTIMORE, MD. - On June 20, Mayor Brandon M. Scott officially signed the FY2024 Baltimore City Budget, which will become effective July 1. The signing ceremony followed the City Council's passage of the budget last week, marking the first year that the budget process included Council-sponsored amendments.

"With this budget, we're prioritizing Baltimore's young people and communities all across the city like never before," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. "Through a new, collaborative amendment process, my administration was able to work closely with the City Council to outline a budget that is equitable, inclusive, and forward-looking for every single Baltimore resident - no matter where they live. In its final form, this budget maintained my priorities by making deliberate investments in education, youth engagement, public safety, economic development, and the revitalization of our neighborhoods. Once it goes into effect on July 1st, I know that Baltimoreans everywhere will feel the positive impacts it is designed to have on our entire City."

Members of the City Council joined Mayor Scott at City Hall for the signing ceremony.

"This was the first time in 125 years that the City Council was able to redirect. Baltimoreans can be assured that this finalized budget was designed to work for everyone and represent the needs of our youth, public safety, and workers while strengthening our city as we move into the future," said Council President Nick Mosby. "I am proud of the work of the council and administration, as we worked tirelessly and in partnership to achieve that goal."

"This year's budget process may have been new, but through it, the City Council was able to effectively collaborate on outlining a budget that met everyone's goals and strengthened the fiscal position of our city, in partnership with Mayor Scott and his administration," said Councilman Eric Costello, Chair of the Ways & Means Committee. "Thank you to Council President Mosby and the entire City Council for working tirelessly as we navigated this new process to come up with a budget we can all be proud of."

Mayor Scott made his initial proposal for the FY2024 budget in April 2023. After the budget was amended by the City Council through the newly formed amendment process, the resulting final budget was passed on June 14, 2023.

The final version of the $4.4 billion budget included:

• Record investments in Baltimore City Public Schools through $405.5 million for the City's total operating support for the school system
• Including a $79.4 million increase in contributions by the City related to the Blueprint for Maryland's Future.
• Funding for 7,000 young people to gain summer work experience through the Mayor's Office of Employment Development (MOED) YouthWorks Summer Job Program
• Additional support of $800,000 for programming within recreation centers aimed at increasing access for young people and additional program options
• Investments to expand the Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS)
• Expansion of Baltimore's Community Violence Intervention (CVI) ecosystem through increased grant support for community-based organizations
• Increased funding for the Baltimore City Housing Department to tackle vacant buildings throughout the City
• The creation of the Mayor's Office of Minority and Women's Owned Business Development to support the increase of opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses
• The inclusion of $1.2 million to expand programming and services for older adults
• This investment will fund 7 additional staff positions at the City's Senior Centers and lay the groundwork to establish the independent Office of Aging
• Investments for staffing and programing costs for the completion of the citywide equity assessment
• Continued funding for Baltimore's Police Accountability Board within the Office of Equity and Civil Rights
• Investment in the continuation of wage incentives for City positions requiring a CDL to improve recruitment and retention for critical positions across City services
• Continued funding to maintain the current level of service at the City's homeless shelters
• Increased funding for the Community Action Partnership (CAP) centers operated by the Mayor's Office of Children and Family Success designed to continue their work on eviction prevention despite the expiration of COVID related grants
• Increased allocations for upgrading and replacing fire equipment apparatus designed to help the Baltimore City Fire Department to reach its optimal fleet level

Original source can be found here.