By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott is set to give his State of the City address at 6 p.m. on April 21 at the M&T Bank Exchange at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center. The annual speech recounts progress the city has made and outlines goals for its future.
This year’s theme is “Built Different, Building Different,” emphasizing the city’s unique identity and the need for equally unique approaches to its development.
During the address, Scott is expected to make several significant announcements.
In a meeting with reporters ahead of the address, Scott laid out his topics of discussion.
He aims to bring the property tax rate for homeowners under $2 by 2028. He also wants to double the share of Baltimore students reading and writing at grade level over the next two years.
He also detailed his plans for a new entity, the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment, to support local artists and attract events to the city.
“We really want to create an environment where we are supporting not just events– but the artists themselves,” said Scott.
The mayor is also expected to highlight strides made in improving public safety. Most recently, Baltimore saw a 23 percent decline in homicides in 2024. This is on top of a 20 percent drop in homicides in 2023. Non-fatal shooting also decreased by 34 percent in 2024. Scott said he plans to continue the trend of reducing homicides more than 15 percent year over year.
The mayor is expected to address blight and the thousands of vacant homes and businesses in Charm City. In 2023, Scott joined with Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD) and the Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC) to begin combatting the vacant and abandoned properties over the next 15 years. The city has committed $300 million to the $3-billion plan.
In light of chaotic political headwinds from the White House, Scott told reporters he will not “miss the opportunity” to address the actions of the 47th presidential administration in the White House.
“What’s happening there is real and it’s going to have real implications here,” he said. “This is real, it is not a drill.”
The 2025 State of the City will be live-streamed on CharmTV Baltimore and air on Comcast channel 25. The AFRO will also be live-streaming the address on its Facebook page.
