Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott signs off on City's FY2024 budget
BALTIMORE - Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott on Tuesday signed off on the City's Fiscal Year 2024 budget, which will become effective on July 1.
"We are gathered here, really, for one thing, to celebrate Baltimore," Mayor Scott said. "Today marks more than the official signing of the Fiscal 2024 budget, today marks the continuation of record levels of investment in our city.
The City Council passed the proposal last week after making amendments which include a $5.5 million upgrade to Baltimore City Fire equipment and $1.2 million to renovate the Citi-watch camera program.
Another $1 million will go to an apprenticeship fund to give the city's young people new opportunities for jobs and programs.
Mayor Scott said the City is making "historic investments" in education and youth engagement, innovative public safety approaches and prioritizing community engagement groups.
The budget also includes provisions to address vacant properties, which includes $6.8 million for demolition and stabilization, and an assist to support minority-owned businesses.
"By signing this Fiscal budget, we are delivering a statement to Baltimoreans in every neighborhood, on every single street, outlining what this city government is going to be doing for them in the next year," Mayor Scott said.
This was the first time in more than a century that Baltimore City Council was allowed to amend the budget.
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
