Baltimore Mayor Scott touts crime reduction, economic growth in State of the City address

During his fifth State of the City address on Monday, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said the city has made significant progress in reducing violent crime and growing the economy. 

"I can't think of a better place to get a job, grow a business, buy a house, or start a family than our city," Scott said during his speech.

Scott says Baltimore City is a national model for violence reduction

Scott said that Baltimore is becoming a national model for violence reduction. According to Scott, police-involved shootings are down 67%, use of force incidents have been cut in half, and complaints against officers have also decreased by 67%.

The mayor pointed to continued progress in 2025, with homicides down 22% compared to the same period last year and non-fatal shootings down 28%.

He added that since 2024, homicides in Baltimore City have been reduced by 20%

"When I announced Baltimore's first-ever comprehensive Vision of Violence Prevention Plan... people didn't think it was possible," Scott said.

Baltimore's proposed budget to invest in youth and safety

The city's proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 prioritizes youth development, public safety, neighborhood revitalization and responsible use of resources. 

In order to trim the city's monetary shortfall, the budget balances the deficit through $26.6 million in new revenue from updated fee structures, $43.7 million in citywide cost optimizations, and $14.7 million in agency-specific reductions. The proposal does not include increases in property or income taxes.

The spending plan involves $624.8 million for youth initiatives, including $6.9 million to expand the YouthWorks summer jobs program to 8,500 participants at $15 per hour and funding for two new recreation centers.

Public safety would receive $1.2 billion, with full funding for the citywide expansion of the Group Violence Reduction Strategy and continued efforts to transition administrative police tasks to civilian roles, according to the proposed budget. These efforts are expected to save $1.1 million annually in overtime costs.

According to the proposal, the budget would allocate $1.1 billion for neighborhood services, including $5 million to enhance trash and recycling collection with 15 additional crews and $36.7 million from the Opioid Restitution Fund to combat the opioid epidemic.

Scott's plan also includes $346.4 million for neighborhood development, featuring an additional $1.5 million for the mayor's $3 billion vacant housing initiative. That funding will also cover Bmore FAST, a new program to improve the city's property permitting process. 

Scott said his ambitious plan to reduce the number of vacant homes to zero within the next 15 years will not displace people. 

Programs like Live Baltimore's Buy Back the Block program will be supported to help people buy their first homes in the city.

An additional $2 million would be used to establish the new Office of Art, Culture, and Entertainment (ACE). 

The budget now moves to the City Council for review before the start of the fiscal year on July 1.

Baltimore City's growing economy

Scott highlighted $7 billion in economic development initiatives underway in the city, including the $6.9 billion Downtown Rise strategic action plan aimed at revitalizing a one-mile radius through 2028.

"Innovators and entrepreneurs are flocking to Baltimore, including tech hubs like the four MLK building," the mayor said. Scott added that major companies like T. Rowe Price and Under Armour have opened new headquarters in the city.

Scott also mentioned that Baltimore attracted 28 million tourists last year, showing growing confidence in the city's future.

How is Baltimore addressing vacant properties?

In his speech, Mayor Scott discussed Baltimore's vacant housing crisis. 

The mayor announced the launch of Reframe Baltimore, a new initiative to eliminate vacant properties in the city within 15 years.

"Right now, there are less than 13,000 vacant properties citywide, for the first time in over 20 years," Scott said.

The plan includes a $3 billion capital investment comprised of state, city, and private funding, including $50 million annually from the state of Maryland.

Scott also announced proposed changes to the city's building and zoning codes to expand multifamily housing options and make housing more affordable.

How has Baltimore City improved education?

Despite recent criticisms, Scott said Baltimore City students are seeing progress in academic achievement. According to Scott, Baltimore City students have ranked second in the country for reading progress over the past three years.

The mayor also announced two ambitious goals: increasing the percentage of students reading and writing at grade level by more than 10% by 2027, and more than doubling the percentage of students at grade level for math in the same timeframe.

"Kindergarten readiness is the highest it's been in nearly a decade," Scott said, adding that the city has invested $500,000 in middle school sports programs.

What other initiatives were announced?

Scott announced several other initiatives during his address, including the creation of a new Office of Arts, Culture, and Entertainment to shape the future of Baltimore's creative economy. 

The mayor also outlined a complete overhaul of the city's 311 system to improve communication and accessibility, new investments to combat the opioid crisis that have already reduced fatal overdoses by 35%, and an executive order to modernize the capital project delivery process to streamline infrastructure projects.

"I can't think of a better place to get a job, grow a business, buy a house, or start a family than our city," Scott said. "Yes, it's because of all the great progress I just talked about: record reductions in violence, economic growth, investments in public health, new housing initiatives, and world-class arts and culture. But mostly, it's because of Baltimore's greatest asset. The thing that makes us Charm City: You, the people of Baltimore."