Finance Department Opposes Charter Amendment

A proposed charter amendment to allow the Baltimore City Council to create a dedicated fund for school construction could hinder the city's ability to pay for priorities in future budgets, according to Department of Finance officials.

Budget Director Andrew Kleine said during a Tuesday hearing of the Judiciary and Legislative Investigations Committee that his department is opposed to any legislation that would limit a mayor’s ability to appropriate funds as needed throughout the budget process.

Kleine also touted Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's funding of schools. 

“We’ve honored the maintenance of effort year after year when other counties are running from it,” he said.

The bill, which is sponsored by City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young and Councilman James Kraft, D-District 1, would alter the city charter to allow the council to create a dedicated fund for school construction and facility maintenance.

If the bill is approved, city voters will have to OK the charter amendment in November’s election for the fund to be created.

The legislation doesn’t include a dedicated revenue stream for the new fund. It does provide that the fund could be paid for through budget appropriations, donations, grants, fines and fees.  

During the hearing, council members insisted that a dedicated fund is needed to make sure that Baltimore City Public School facilities are adequately addressed.

“This is one of the most important pieces of legislation I’ve ever introduced,” Young said.

Council members argued that city school facilities are already inadequate. Citing a figure provided by the ACLU, council members said the city needs to find more than $2 billion to make city school facilities adequate.  

The bill was also supported by North Baltimore nonprofit Greater Homewood Community Corporation and by Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, D-District 14.

Andrew Stiller, a community school site coordinator, spoke on behalf of Greater Homewood. Stiller has been working with surrounding communities to help develop the new Waverly Elementary and Middle School.

Stiller told the committee students at the school feel the new building is a gift. He said he tells students it's not a gift, "just the system finally catching up to their potential."

Stiller said every student in Baltimore City Public Schools deserves adequate buildings with amenities such as drinking water and working clocks. But at hundreds of schools, and for thousands of students, there isn't even a glimmer of hope of getting the facilities they deserve, he said.   

The committee is scheduled to vote to move the legislation out of committee at 10 a.m. Wednesday.