By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott released his $4.6 billion preliminary budget for fiscal year 2026 on April 2 with a plan to eliminate an $85 million deficit. The shortfall has been brought on by the city’s expenditures outpacing its revenue, much like the state of Maryland.
Some of the factors that influenced the budget deficit include wage and benefit increases for city personnel, growing debt service costs, impacts from inflation and coping with the strain from state budget woes and federal fiscal uncertainty.
“This budget isn’t just a financial plan for Baltimore, it is a roadmap for our future. It’s a strategy to drive economic growth, make government more efficient and invest in the health and wellness of Baltimoreans even in the face of serious uncertainty at the federal and state level,” said Scott at an April 2 press conference. “It balances our checkbook without cutting core services.”
Scott recalled years past when the city shifted the financial burden onto the people to maintain a balanced budget, whether through closing recreational centers or furloughing municipal employees. His budget does not take this route. It instead expands investments in youth programming, neighborhood development, public safety and health resources.
To close the deficit, the budget includes proposals to increase landfill dumping fees from $67.50 to $135 per ton of waste, hike emergency transport fees for non-Medicaid recipients by 20 percent, raise the city’s taxi tax from $0.25 to $0.38 per ride and redeploy traffic cameras.
“We promised we wouldn’t make ends meet by taking necessary investments from our kids or first responders. Through diligent work across agencies and some tough choices, I am grateful that we have been able to honor that commitment,” said Scott. “Our proposed budget fills the gap without cuts to city services, lay-offs or any increases in property or income taxes.”
The proposed budget invests $624.8 million to prioritize Baltimore City youth, $504.1 million to support public schools, $1.19 billion to enhance public safety, $1.07 billion to cultivate a cleaner and healthier city and $346.4 million to foster equitable neighborhood development.
Funding for Baltimore’s young people includes $6.9 million to allow more students to participate in Youthworks and $2.4 million to renovate two recreation centers, which will open in fiscal year 2026. Public safety investments include $1.3 million to sustain the city’s Gun Violence Reduction Strategy and $5.2 million from the Opioid Restitution Fund to deliver better emergency medical services.
To make Baltimore cleaner and healthier, the budget proposes $5.2 million to improve trash and recycling services and $24.6 million to fund city homeless shelters’ operations. As far as neighborhood development, it includes $1.5 million to create additional positions in the Baltimore Department of Housing and Community Development, which will help the mayor carry out his vacancy plan. It also calls for $4 million in home ownership incentives and $10 million for affordable housing initiatives.
“This budget is a reflection of our city’s values, a common sense strategy to balance our checkbook and invest in our communities at the same time. It’s a departure from how these decisions were made throughout our city history where most of our disinvested communities bore the brunt of tough city budget decisions,” said Scott. “It’s also a very different approach than we’re seeing at the federal level where the only certainty is uncertainty.”
The preliminary budget for fiscal year 2026 will be presented to the Board of Estimates on April 23. If approved, it will then go to the Baltimore City Council for a final vote.
