Politics & Government

Benefits District Critics Call Foul

The Charles Village Community Benefits District and Baltimore City currently don't have an agreement spelling out the basic services that must be provided.

Some residents in the Charles Village Community Benefits District believe it can’t collect the surtax it currently charges residents because it does not have a “baseline agreement” with the city.

A baseline agreement is an arrangement between the city and district outlining the basic services the city will provide, such as trash pick-up and police patrols.

Christian Wilson, during a presentation Tuesday night on the district’s for fiscal year 2013, argued the Baltimore City Charter requires the baseline agreement, and that the surtax can not be collected without one being in effect.

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David Hill, executive director of the benefits district, said during the meeting that the district does not currently have a baseline agreement with the city.

However, Sharon Guida, a resident and an attorney, said it could be argued that the city’s previous baseline agreement is still in effect.

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The debate regarding the baseline agreement came up as the benefits district is seeking a half-cent increase in the surtax it charges residents of the neighborhoods that make up the district. The district is comprised of Old Goucher, Charles Village, Abell and Remington.

Currently the residents are charged 12 cents per every $100 of assessed value of their homes on top of their property taxes. The benefits district was created in the mid-1990s to provide supplemental security and sanitation services.

The district is seeking the half-cent tax increase in-part to pay to hire off-duty police officers to patrol the district. The district stopped providing private security in the area about three years ago because it was considered ineffective, and has focused primarily on sanitation efforts since.

If the surtax increase is approved the district expects it to generate $709,030 in revenue. According to the financial plan presentation, it costs about $35 an hour to hire an off-duty police officer with arrest powers at a cost of $21,840 for 624 hours a year.

During the presentation Deputy Marjor Richard Worley, the second in command at the , said if the district employed two off-duty police officers, and equipped them with Segways, it could make a big difference with crime in the neighborhood, particularly the that's an issue in lower Charles Village.

"Two officers on Segways are a big detrrent," Worley said.

Last year the benefits district, which hasn't raised its surtax since its inception, sought to increase the surtax to 13.4 cents per $100 assessed value to offset a drop in revenue caused by the falling values of homes. But the Board of Estimates voted against allowing the benefits district to raise the surtax.

What are your thoughts on the proposed surtax increase? Tell us in comments.  


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