The benefits district was created to provide supplemental security. Instead, most of our surtax money goes to providing lots of trashcans throughout the district, and we receive minimal security services. The proposal is to hire 2 off duty police to patrol a total of 12 hours per week while retaining all of the trashcans and other sanitation services that duplicate City services. Instead of increasing the tax rate, they should spend all of our surtax money on hiring off duty police.

Why oh why didn't I move to Remington?
This double-dip tax is such an insult. They do nothing for my part of the neighborhood.
In fact, they do less than nothing. I attempted to take advantage of this burdensome tax and work with them to organize a block cleanup. All that they did was put my own contact information on fliers, offering my neighbors free coffee and hot cocoa, and then stood me up. Yes, they actually left me in a position of having to provide everything and field questions that I knew nothing about.
I thought they'd at least come pick up the trash that I spent all day gathering, but I had to call them to request they do that. They took some of it at least. The rest is still there, months later.
They constantly post broken links to crime reports on facebook. Their website is rarely updated.
Thanks for nothing CVBD but I'd rather have my taxes distributed throughout the city where they're needed anyway.

If they can guarantee to hire off duty police officers to patrol the area and keep Charles Village safer I'd be willing to pay more taxes. The crime around here is out of control and a lot of it comes from east of Guilford Ave.

Stephen, I don't think any of the surcharge was spent on those new trashcans. At least that's what I was told by david hill of the benefits district.
I don't mind an increase IF we get more security out of it. I didn't know the original purpose of the surtax was for supplemental security but we sure need it!

2 security officers? It's gonna take alot more than that to patrol the entire district. Owning a house in Baltimore City is a joke. The taxes I pay to the city and CVBD should be a cover story for the nightly news segment " the fleecing of America". But hey maybe my tax money should go to cleaning up all the cigarette butts CVBD's president David Hill throws into St. Paul street on one of his numerous smoke breaks

2 off-duty police working only 12 hours a week that appears to be a plan to pretend to be providing service and expecting a miracle to happen. It is time that this neighborhood stood tall and said to the CVCBD let's be democratic and let the residents vote and express their concerns. It is also time for the neighborhood to become proactive and tell the CVCBD that enough is enough. We don't need $600. garbage cans when the city provides them for free. We don't need you to have meetings with Central Baltimore and not tell the community what you, Mr. Hill learned from these meetings but not tell the community when we pay for your salary. What we need is what was promised and that is security 24/7 and we need it now before another resident is killed. Stop playing around with our lives and start doing for the community what was stated in the legislation.

Not only does their sanitation efforts duplicate the City's responsibility to provide these services under the "baseline agreement" that all communities in the City have, it is providing these sanitation services at a substanially lower pay level. This duplication could cause a dispute between the City and their unions. The only reason that the CVCBD has been providing duplicative services is that it is their ability to show the city some progress along those lines. It is easy to show that you picked up so many bags of garbage, rather than show to the city that you reduced crime. Instead of having the off-duty in police cars I would think that the community would be better served if the off-duty moved in segways as Midtown has been doing which reportedly has reduced crime in that area by 80%. While you cannot reduce all crime, an 80% improvement would be considerable for this area.

The figures reported earlier with respect to a 80% reduction in crime for Midtown statistics was based on Baltimore City Police Department statistics. About the use of segways, it is an alternate way of moving quietly through the streets of Baltimore and gives the off-duty police officer an advantage in getting from one area to another. A bicycle is an alternative, but in-as-much as Midtown had such a success using segways, why not? About duplicate services in respect to hiring an off-duty police officer, isn't the entire Benfits District an entire duplication of services ? At least this duplication of services may just save someone's life. As property owners are supposed to take care of the areas outside their houses anyway, why do we need the Benefits District to do what we are already obligated to do legally? The Benefits District is currently cleaning up most areas where absentee landlords are not, so simply fine the owners of these property and save a lot of money.

I'd be willing to volunteer to patrol from 11pm to 5am for 2 nights a month. Anyone else?

John, that is very nice of you to offer your services, however, in order to be an effective deterrent to crime, the off-duty police would have the ability to arrest an individual caught in the performance of an illegal act. I don't know your background, but having an unqualified individual walking the streets with another individual is not safe and not being trained could get seriously hurt or killed. We don't need another death in this community, there are too many already. The Benefits District was established on the fact that it would deter crime though 24/7 safety activities and since that time there have been a significant number of deaths in the area. Thus, this clearly indicates that it has been ineffective in the performance of its duties and now is the time to try alternate solutions.

To Able Baker, simply review the BCPD's statistics and you will see the results that I have given as to 80% decrease in crime. Or, alternatively you can contact the Administrator from the Midtown Benefits District who will advise you of the results in that community.

Well, I guess it is better for you to make a rude statement like that than to actually check the statistics yourself. On a subject that is so important to this community as a whole, I would have hoped that you would have refrained from such comments. You seem to dispute everything that everyone else has stated only to be insulting and rude. The statistics are there, you only have to review them, or alternatively you can contact the Midtown Community Benefits District and speak with the Administrator. The solution to the issue is simple, but your goal is not to resolve the statement but to argue about it. I don't feel it necessary to do your work for you.

I can see no reason to do your work on this issue as I have already suggested a solution to the problem, therefore why should we continue this discourse? Apparently with your quips you think that it is more important to argue, rather than to seek a solution to the crime issue in this community. I don't know if you live in the area or not but I feel there are more important things in life than arguing with you about this when a solution has already been proposed.

Are you employed by the Benefits District and/or on the Board of the Benefits District?
I have given you the means in which to find the answers and now you want me to do your work for you. Quite frankly, inasmuch as the news is old there is no further need for discussion on this matter.

Able Baker, thanks for keeping this on the front burner, because of you I can respond and tell you that the Benefits Distrist is not following its legislated mandate in that it does not provide 24/7 security as promised, nor does it provide marketing of the community and has no parks and recreation functions. All it has managed to do is clean up the area, with the assistance of the City. The City has mechanical sweepers who come and clean up the streets, and the Benefits District simply takes credit for it. To think that we the community have contributed almost $12,600,000. since its inception to have our streets cleaned which the City is already cleaning to have the Benefits District duplicate much of the city's services in sanitation. To insult the residents even further, the Administrator of the Benefits District advises our City that they are the voice of the community when they are our employees and have no say about what takes place in the community. So thank you Able Baker for helping me get the word out loud and clear about the Benefits District, because without you I would have not been heard.

...and still no answer from you regarding employment and/or whether you are on the Board of the Benefits District, so I guess we are even. I don't consider approximately $12,600,000. being thrown down the drain as playing, when that money could have been used for more important things, such as providing some safety net for those who have died in the community, or had their cars stolen, or houses broken into. Have a good day.

And so am I.

I did not make them up as these statistics were reported to me by a city official who advised me that they came from the police statistics. If you doubt it, go to the police statistics and report your findings. But still you haven't answered my question. Why do you hesitate to do so?

So "heard it from some guy" is your source. Thanks for that then.

I don't know what language you are talking in because "heard it from some guy" versus a "city official" is somewhat different in English. However, you refuse to answer my question, so I have to presume you are employed by the Benefits District and/or you are on the Board. So let's quit boring the readers and end the conversation.

Does an organization that pays its security forces to ride around on $2,500 Segway bicycles need to charge higher taxes? Walmart bicycles cost $150.

Does that fact that the CVCBD 2013 budget shows $0 from contributions show that the community supports higher taxes?

Does a tax increase seem like a wise way to stimulate property investment and home-ownership in a City whose property taxes are among the highest in the Nation?

CVCBD pays $110,680 in "contract labor", but offers the community no detailed accounting for that expenditure. Are contract wages comparable to City wages for the same work? Are these people CV residents? Should CVCBD ask the community for higher taxes without full transparency?

CVCBD wants to spend $8,000 in 2013 for uniforms. Does that seem like a reasonable cost for T-shirts? How many T-shirts does $8,000 buy, and what does that number say about employee turnover? Why so many new uniforms? Does that expenditure demonstrate a need to increase taxes on residents?

SAY "NO" TO HIGHER TAXES FOR SERVICES THAT SHOULD ALREADY BE PROVIDED BY BALTIMORE CITY

DISBAND THE CVCBD

Each of these questions could have been easily answered by looking at the charlesvillage.org website, attending a public meeting, or making a phone call or email to the CVCBD office:

1. "The CVCBD would provide ... an individual mode of transportation for each such as a segway, bicycle, or scooter (but NOT an automobile)." No one has suggested spending tax dollars for Segways or scooters, only possibly asking a foundation to buy some for the community.

2. The proposed budget (http://www.charlesvillage.org/board_directors/fin_plan/Grant_Funded_Projects_Recommended.htm) anticipates $255,000 in donations above & beyond JHU contributions, from foundations, area residents, and a local businessman.

3. Contract labor is spelled out in the budget (http://www.charlesvillage.org/board_directors/fin_plan/Budget_2012_2013_Draft_6.htm) to include a seasonal leaf removal team, Waverly Main Streets enhanced cleaning, rat abatement, off-duty police patrols, and a 2-week temp office worker. All of these contracts (likely with Tuerk House, Regional Pest Management, and BWI) were discussed in numerous public committee meetings, and in the presentation to the public last week.

4. The uniforms provided for sanitation workers include multiple t-shirts, shorts, pants, cold weather overalls / jackets / hoodies, along with limited weekly laundering. It's a perfectly reasonable expense that was discussed at length in public meetings in 2009 when the uniform program started.

With all due respect to JD, the budget was a hasty presentation at the hearing that lasted approximately 15 minutes as stated at the outset. The information posted by the CVBDMA about the budget was finally put on the web after a number of community residents requested same from David Hill and was placed on the site 3 days before the hearing along with a seven page promotional insert. The anticipated $255,000 in donations seems unrealistic indeed considering FY 2012's budget which included $65,000 in grants was not met in the proposed FY 2013 budgets. In fact thre is no mention of any attempt to secure $255,000 in grants in the budgets. The program revenues, in particular the CSX contract is really unfortunate when you consider CSX paid the former contractor $13,500 for the 9 month period that they cleaned up the area and the benefits district is only getting $2,700. Uniforms are one thing; these are bulletin boards advertising the Benefits District where a simple vest would be more than suitable. Lastly the Fall leaf, WMS, Rat Abatement, targeted security and receptionist for two weeks are all addtional expenses that were not in place in the FY 2012 budget. In fact the benefits district is getting $14,400 income and paying $14,000 in expenses according to the budgeets presented.