Baltimore City Council Approves Nearly $5 Billion Budget Amid Concerns Over Mayor's Office Expansion

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore City Council has approved a budget of nearly $5 billion, which includes significant investments in public safety, immigrant affairs, and resources for youth. However, the decision to increase funding for the Mayor’s Office has drawn criticism from some council members.

City Councilman Yitzy Schleifer expressed concerns during the budget discussions about a proposed $4.5 million increase for the Mayor's Office, which would expand its staff to a total of 134 positions. This represents a substantial increase from just 39 staff members a decade ago, growing from 105 by 2025.

“We have so many agencies strapped that need extra help, need new equipment and instead that money is going toward their administration for record level staffing,” Schleifer stated, questioning the feasibility of accommodating such a large staff in the existing office space.

Despite these concerns, the budget passed unanimously on Wednesday. City Council President Zeke Cohen defended the funding, emphasizing that it supports services essential to Baltimore residents. Notably, the FY 2027 budget allocates an additional $1.6 million for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, aimed at providing legal and mental health services for immigrant families.

A spokesperson for the Mayor's Office clarified that most of the new positions are reallocations from existing roles in other agencies, with only one being a truly new addition. They assured that none of the positions serve as personal political aides for the Mayor.

Cohen acknowledged the need for fiscal responsibility, particularly in relation to “ghost pins,” which refer to budgeted positions that remain unfilled. He noted that the council has engaged in extensive discussions with the administration to address these issues. Cohen praised the City Administrator for making strides in reducing ghost pins and improving hiring practices, although he admitted that some overtime expenses are unavoidable.

“There’s never going to be a time where there will be no overtime for City employees, but our job as the City Council is to continue to pay attention to those practices,” Cohen added.

Reported by HarborBeat based on WCBM (source).