By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
The Baltimore City Council held its fiscal year (FY) 2026 Taxpayers’ Night on May 15.
Taxpayer’s Night is an annual opportunity for the community to voice their thoughts and concerns about Mayor Brandon M. Scott’s (D) proposed budget before the council decides whether to accept the mayor’s budget as is or make their own version and finalize it before the June 26th deadline.
At the hearing, Blaise Ngombin, alongside several other Central American Solidarity Association (CASA) members, advocated for funding for immigrants in the FY 2026 budget. CASA is a national organization that aims to improve the quality of life for immigrants in the U.S.
“It is challenging to find a job due to a language barrier,” said Ngombin, a Baltimore resident who immigrated from Cameroon. “Thanks to organizations like CASA, I have been able to access a variety of social services and receive assistance in my native language.”
“I urge the city to include funding in the budget to support immigrant community members like me,” said Ngombin. “We need programs and services that support those of us who pay taxes and simply want to continue growing and helping the city grow with us. I need your support.”
Andre Johnson, 49, brought attention to the current climate of the city’s healthcare services.
“Maryland has the largest emergency department wait times in the country because of short staffing,” said Johnson, a city resident and member of 1199SEIU, a union for healthcare workers. “Short staffing is not only hurting the quality of care, it’s affecting the city budget and slowing down emergency response times.”
Johnson said he is particularly concerned about how addressing the $85 million budget shortfall will impact public service.
“Working people are already bearing the brunt of the shortfalls through high property taxes and underfunded services,” said Johnson. “The City cannot ‘fine and fee’ its way out of this. Every day people do not have that kind of money. It is time for the wealthy, tax-exempt hospitals and universities to pay their fair share for the city services.”
According to National Nurses United, in 2016, tax-exempt properties made up nearly one-third, 30.9 percent, of Baltimore’s total property base. Institutions such as Johns Hopkins University and Hospital own a significant share of the tax-exempt property in the state.
Johnson advocated for the passage of Council Bill 25-0036, which aims to create a task force that would recommend a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) plan that is more transparent and ensures the labor force and community members have a say in the process.
“The pilot task force is an opportunity to do better for Baltimoreans, close the budget gap and build a city that’s with us and for us,” said Johnson.
Cristina Duncan Evans, chapter chair of the Baltimore Teachers Union, also drew attention to tax-exempt institutions and the task force bill.
“The diverse needs represented tonight indicate the need for more revenue, because we don’t want these needs to be competing against each other,” said Evans. “We want them all to contribute to a thriving and interconnected city. When we hear about environmental justice, when we hear about the need for more education funding, all of these things contribute to a thriving city.”
Evans said if Baltimore’s tax-exempt institutions would be paying $47 million for their services if they were not absolved of those costs.
“That’s just what they would be paying for services,” said Evans. “The amount that they would be paying in property taxes is much higher–that’s $107 million. We’re starting at a position of fairness.”
“We think they should pay for what they use,” said Evans. “We understand that their tax exempt status means that they don’t pay property taxes–and we’re not asking them to pay property taxes—but as a homeowner in Baltimore City, I shouldn’t be subsidizing a university or a hospital that has funds to do massive renovations when I’d love to renovate my house in that way.”
City Council hearings on the budget are expected to take place from May 28 to June 4.