Trash the Trash Tax

Blogger Sean Tully isn't a fan of a proposed trash fee in Baltimore.

Mayor’s Dig Highlights County, City Rift?

The neighboring jurisdictions seem to get on each others nerves despite contrary assertions from staff.

The mayor’s jab at the county during her State of the City Address was the latest provocation between the neighboring jurisdictions. During a segment in Monday’s speech, aimed at showing that housing incentives are luring residents back to the city, the mayor mentioned Destiny Junior, a former Baltimore County resident who bought a home in the city’s McElderry Park neighborhood. The mayor, in an unscripted moment, then may have revealed some lingering resentment toward the wealthier, mainly suburban, county. "It’s always a plus when it’s from Baltimore County," Rawlings-Blake said. Although staff in both jurisdictions have repeatedly denied any tension, there have been repeated incidents that show evidence to the contrary.   In 2011, when …

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State of the City Draws Council Members Praise, Concern

Council members share concerns about employee benefits, trash collection fees and audits.

Some members of the Baltimore City Council, who represent North Baltimore, liked parts of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s State of the City Address, but had some concerns about the initiatives she proposed. Scroll through the photos to find out what council members had to say about the speech.

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Sean Tully

4:09 pm on Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Earth to Baltimore City elected officials - the trash tax is a very bad idea.   more ›

Open Thread: Share Your Thoughts on Baltimore’s Looming Fiscal Crisis

Share with Patch how you think the city should address the shortfalls predicted in its 10-year fiscal forecast.

Earlier this week Baltimore released its first 10-year fiscal forecast, and its predictions were not good. According to the outlook, during the next decade the city is facing a combined $745 million operating budget deficit, a $1.1 billion general fund infrastructure deficit and $3 billion in unfunded retiree liabilities between fiscal years 2013 and 2022.  "In the coming days and weeks, starting with the State of the City Address on Monday, I plan to propose a bold set of major reforms to address the fiscal challenges outlined in the 10-year forecast. The reforms will focus on eliminating the deficit, making modern investments, and changing the city’s tax structure to make Baltimore more competitive for growth," Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-…

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Rodney C Burris

4:03 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013

Hello All! (pardon typos, bit of a rush! Heading out to go pickup my kid, so I need to make this brief.) In short, the city needs to cut spending (sorta like going from the $8 hotdogs to the $4 hotdogs, that we families do all the time.--There are clear ways to trim how much we expend on the items we consume, as a city.) Secondly, the city needs to increase it's taxpayer base --ie, Population…   more ›

Mayor Calls for Fiscal Reforms Following Grim 10-Year Forecast

The city is expected to have a cumulative $745 million operating budget deficit during the next 10 years.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will call for fiscal reforms after the stark predictions of Baltimore’s first 10-year fiscal forecast. It’s expected that the city will have a cumulative $745 million operating budget deficit during the next decade, $1.1 billion general fund infrastructure deficit and $3 billion in unfunded retiree liabilities between fiscal year 2013 and fiscal year 2022 if reforms are not enacted, according to a news release.  "This 10-year fiscal forecast makes clear that city government must implement serious new fiscal reforms in order to balance the budget, protect city services from major cuts, invest in infrastructure, and reduce the property tax burden for city residents over the next decade," Rawlings-Blake said in …

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Open Thread: What Do You Want From the State of the City Address?

The mayor has used the address in the past to highlight policy priorities.

In the past two State of the City Addresses, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake emphasized her desire to grow the city by 10,000 families in a decade, and to be an executive who doesn’t sugar coat the truth. She previously used the speech to roll out proposals, such as restructuring the quasi-public Baltimore Development Corporation, and increasing the city’s bottle tax to help fund the Better Schools Initiative. On Feb. 11, the mayor will deliver her next State of the City Address at City Hall. The mayor faces an improved budget situation, but still must close an expected deficit. She has also been lobbying state lawmakers to guarantee grants so the city can borrow the money needed to begin replacing city schools, the oldest stock in the …

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Denver Mayor Makes Good on Ray Lewis Dance Bet

The Denver mayor, after coming off the IR, fulfills his bet with Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

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Longtime Baltimore Delegate Dies

Del. Hattie Harrison served in the Maryland General Assembly since 1973.

Del. Hattie Harrison, who represented Baltimore in the Maryland General Assembly since 1973, died Monday night. Harrison’s death was announced during the House of Delegates' Monday night session by Del. Curt Anderson, the chairman of the city delegation. House Speaker Michael Busch called it is a sad day, and said colleagues had affectionately dubbed Harrison "The Godmother." "For a lot of us, she was the glue that held us together through a lot of tough times," Busch said.  He also said whoever takes her place would be trying to replace a lawmaker who was an important presence in Annapolis. "There will be someone who will come down here and take her seat, but no one will ever take her place," Busch said. Although Harrion's health has been…

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