[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6057868,"mediaKeyId","3298836-34df444a31577e76337e1fa7e606db4d","parentId",3298836,"title","Council hearing on payment‑in‑lieu‑of‑taxes pilot draws broad testimony; sponsor, agencies and comptroller seek changes to task force language","audioSeconds",5454,"startMs",5467000,"endMs",12738,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3298836-34df444a31577e76337e1fa7e606db4d&start=5467&end=12","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3298836-34df444a31577e76337e1fa7e606db4d/thumbnail_5467000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6057868/Baltimore-City/Baltimore-County/Maryland/Council-hearing-on-paymentinlieuoftaxes-pilot-draws-broad-testimony-sponsor-agencies-and-comptroller-seek-changes-to-task-force-language","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6057868-cea25e6ae47c7e223d45c800736a9c5b/orig.mp4?Expires=1776325025&Signature=kD~GnI7xfAWY4EbfJmWoUGlqyZl8ACWu61kLlgRwuyVZX4YiB44GJf-udPSZCtY4Mnb66IDcRqE2UkHz7Hr-5bEGP2H3A9J93GdAAQL7C9G9GN8v3zcY4DYtX~KzlBl63jCu8Bj8yX67h-1Lo~xTPcZJoQYROMAsGB5LpyoM7f94J5HKmNSIQgscccvNBzzOs-dDi9JlA7UMpj5BjVIAMgBAP6KgofZ-LDpHBkwOTE8HBFOLanCuHcexDlEthWpJRSGGJPz4RhJH5kAnfd1ebFUjctSTbyTqyBn4XsD43ibgcLgQwt8cVWpq82vuId~FwHEUZ76yry2kmouXSrljyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Baltimore, MD","date","2025-05-14T18:04:17.247Z","article","Councilwoman Felicia Porter introduced a bill to create a Payment‑in‑Lieu‑of‑Taxes (PILOT) pilot task force to renegotiate voluntary contributions from Baltimore’s largest tax‑exempt hospitals and universities and to make the process more transparent and community‑focused.

Porter said the pilot would “educate and empower Baltimore” about the economic footprint of anchor institutions and described negotiated, stakeholder‑driven amendments that sponsor staff had circulated to proponents and some institutions. “Radical transparency is the crux of government efficiency,” she told the committee as she presented sponsor amendments developed with the mayor’s office of government relations and community stakeholders.

Agency witnesses offered generally supportive but cautious views. Hillary Ruley of the law department said the bill is “approved for form and legal sufficiency” but asked that language be edited to remove a conflict — the city solicitor should not serve as both the lawyer for the task force and a voting member of it. Bob Senamy, deputy director in the Department of Finance, explained background context: Maryland law exempts nonprofits from property tax, and roughly 27% of Baltimore’s taxable base is tax‑exempt property — substantially higher than the statewide average. Senamy said the city currently receives about $6 million per year under a voluntary agreement that expires at the end of fiscal 2026 and that a full tax treatment of those same parcels would yield well over $100 million annually; he urged a transparent process and noted the finance department is already studying standard formulas other cities use.

The Office of the Comptroller filed its own bill report and proposed amendments to the task‑force composition and rules. Casey Kelleher of the comptroller’s office told the committee the office supports a task force but urged narrowing the membership from 17 to nine voting members to mirror the Boston model, limiting professional lobbyists and ensuring the Board of Estimates receives the task‑force recommendations because BOE will be the body to approve any future pilot agreement. The mayor’s office of government relations and sponsor staff said they had circulated a package of sponsor amendments and were prepared to discuss the comptroller’s changes.

The hearing included two hours of public testimony from more than 50 speakers, including community organizers, nonprofit leaders, labor representatives and anchor‑institution staff. Testimony fell roughly into three camps: community and labor advocates and some nonprofit operators supporting a timely, transparent renegotiation with strong community and labor representation; anchor‑institution representatives and affiliated organizations asking the council to preserve the existing voluntary framework and to recognize the institutions’ current investments, grants and in‑kind services; and a range of nonprofit and neighborhood leaders asking for both accountability and clear mechanisms for community benefit.

Several witnesses described specific partnerships with anchor institutions that provide services to neighborhoods — for example, University of Maryland Medical Center’s community health partnerships, Johns Hopkins’ workforce and small‑business programs, LifeBridge Health’s support for a child advocacy center, and numerous nonprofit‑anchor partnerships for workforce training, food distribution and community safety programming. Other witnesses emphasized that the current voluntary agreement (negotiated in 2016) produces roughly $6 million a year while the institutions consume an estimated $47 million of city services, citing Comptroller‑office figures.

During committee Q&A the sponsor said she would accept some revisions and asked for more time to reconcile the comptroller’s package with the administration’s amendments; she stated on the record that she was willing to accept amendments 3 and 4 from the comptroller’s office and to reject 1 and 2 in that set. Law department counsel and finance staff also noted drafting edits generally needed for conflict‑of‑interest language and for staffing: the administration prefers finance to staff the task force rather than the comptroller’s office given resource needs.

No formal council vote was taken; the committee recessed after public testimony and scheduled further consideration. The hearing record shows broad agreement that a public, multi‑stakeholder process is warranted, but significant differences remain over composition, staffing, disqualification of lobbyists, and how recommendations would be delivered to the Board of Estimates for any future negotiations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Hearing: Budget & Appropriations; May 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Councilwoman Felicia Porter introduced legislation to create a Payment‑in‑Lieu‑of‑Taxes (PILOT) pilot task force to renegotiate voluntary contributions from Baltimore’s largest tax‑exempt hospitals and universities and to make the process more transparent and community‑focused.","taxTitle","Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Maryland","taxId",4816,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6057882,"Baltimore projects $8.2 million general‑fund shortfall as revenues, costs shift in third quarter",2517,93000,2610000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3298836-34df444a31577e76337e1fa7e606db4d&start=93&end=2610","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3298836-34df444a31577e76337e1fa7e606db4d/thumbnail_93000.jpg","/articles/6057882/Baltimore-City/Baltimore-County/Maryland/Baltimore-projects-82-million-generalfund-shortfall-as-revenues-costs-shift-in-third-quarter","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6057882-c67cd4582c3bc2e4ae7682cc0e594a3e/orig.mp4?Expires=1776325025&Signature=SQn-aJHtxWNkIgqiBbokN512Amq-kimZ8FporleprJqEGmSXDkZvR6NXJRD8Alshk5dGSVQ7oIEJjS3XhgwfKbX6GP7CxtTfnxgZ6~YE0hcAVLvKUPSm-ZUd7ieR8CbHI75DNdK7yeS839pefItsQfrwORkuEAtrCTZMTwh~MzZtZCYP2yYs~gV3Vp~QBIdhHKiICFLpvLpL2FT-CSQHverv9uQbwvn8pjV7mL4MDGaN1XXwsyoHFYAnpxBSvjD-BbOfC5cBnoQr6hGnT6jqY~LVFn3QKEfynzUZGYOTUANoDW0gorwdq1RhLtOeAJ9O0oDM90aCSKvZwaFZ1ruvbg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Baltimore’s budget director told the City Council Budget and Appropriations Committee that the city still faces a projected $8.2 million general‑fund deficit for fiscal 2025 after third‑quarter updates through March 31.

The information matters because the gap persists despite an improved revenue outlook: the finance team reported a $37.1 million revenue surplus driven by higher personal property, transfer and recordation taxes, and more highway user disbursements, while expenditures grew because of public‑safety overtime, recently ratified contracts for sworn personnel and winter‑storm response costs.

City Budget Director Laura Larson said the city’s third‑quarter picture is “essentially very consistent with what we were projecting at the second quarter.” She told the committee revenues improved by about $14.5 million versus the second‑quarter projection, but on the spending side the deficit widened by roughly $14.4 million, leaving net progress negligible.

Larson highlighted specific revenue and cost drivers. On the revenue side she cited a projected income‑tax surplus of about $15.1 million despite a $4.5 million downward revision from the previous quarter tied to revised state growth assumptions. Transfer and recordation receipts were projected to produce a $9.7 million surplus, with higher average sale prices supporting the gain. Personal‑property tax assessments filed by businesses contributed to a $5.1 million surplus in the property‑tax category.

On the expenditure side, Larson said roughly $16 million was spent on snow and ice removal in the winter months. She also attributed significant increases in sworn overtime and contract costs to the police and fire deficits: the fire department was projected to have a $39.9 million deficit and the police a $41.7 million deficit, the latter including roughly $16 million tied to a newly ratified FOP contract that took effect Jan. 1. Other agency shortfalls included transportation ($7.3 million, driven by snow response) and the convention complex (about $4.4 million, largely reimbursement obligations to an arena operator).

Committee members asked follow‑up questions about expenditure freezes and hiring. Larson said guidance from the city administrator instituting additional review of personnel and nonpersonnel spending — including deactivating many P‑cards and extra approvals for unbudgeted contractual staffing or reclassifications — remains in effect; she told the committee there is not a blanket hiring freeze for funded positions but that unbudgeted personnel actions are paused.

Larson and Council Vice President Sharon Green Middleton also discussed vacancies citywide and in particular stubborn sworn vacancies for police and EMS. Larson said citywide vacancies were down from about 1,900 to 1,459 compared with the prior year and that almost 70% of vacancies have been open for less than 18 months, but she acknowledged paramedic vacancy rates remain near 50%.

The committee did not vote on budget policy at the hearing. Members requested additional vacancy breakdowns and the budget office indicated it would provide the requested data ahead of a follow‑up hearing.","Baltimore’s budget director told the City Council Budget and Appropriations Committee that the city still faces a projected $8.2 million general‑fund deficit for fiscal 2025 after third‑quarter updates through March 31.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6057873,"City Schools reports year‑to‑date surplus in general fund; cautions on timing and federal grants",970,4056000,5026000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3298836-34df444a31577e76337e1fa7e606db4d&start=4056&end=5026","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3298836-34df444a31577e76337e1fa7e606db4d/thumbnail_4056000.jpg","/articles/6057873/Baltimore-City/Baltimore-County/Maryland/City-Schools-reports-yeartodate-surplus-in-general-fund-cautions-on-timing-and-federal-grants","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6057873-45dfea94d7c1df90c5941e44be4c5a3e/orig.mp4?Expires=1776325025&Signature=d66oC7BXJupAeZEA~-2RnZvS9cRJhxvSrA8DfIBxbo4qBjDQEO~wuTV-93GsQeK1fwDpAHtExU1AJ~oX~R2WjFQEe2Z9uct8lU5QwPhcfUeRpMkKfTxoxYAqMAWQ7N9~bDk733ILTrA0kGjt4aVvqIfMufYqcL2dqVBLapSu7qOs6fRU8jbqmW-kUhTVqX-yV468xDaIIrpf5JzE~8TiFRzGiCTX5OSLiendS53RDEQqOaBsHWr-FY8HqiOzPdYkNUkOReoceXcmY~IpoaOhrkSih0dnfw0hX2Cwdd-JeR~C5IvVPCIiaJlkwb6iOKdmhD38uz0Esw5VmOPsHwwFjA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Baltimore City Public Schools’ finance team told the Council’s Budget and Appropriations Committee that nine‑month results through March 2025 show revenues exceeding expenditures for the general fund, but year‑end adjustments and grant accounting will change the final closing numbers.

The update is required by local legislation and is the LEA’s regular quarterly financial briefing; Deputy Chief Financial Officer Mary Anne Cox presented the report and identified state funding as the largest revenue source, with city and federal funds making up the balance.

“At this point in time, we have an excess of revenue over expenditures,” Cox said, noting the district has received five of six state quarterly payments and that timing differences between budget assumptions (based on January state estimates) and actual receipts create expected variances.

Cox flagged federal receipts that increased year‑to‑date totals: the district received a FEMA reimbursement of about $9.1 million and $8.3 million from the Emergency Connectivity Fund during the quarter, and she said unusually high investment earnings were partly driven by high T‑bill rates in 2024. The district also noted that federal grant liquidations can extend into the fourth quarter; City Schools has been allowed an extended liquidation period for certain COVID grants and was awaiting final confirmation of timing for some recoveries.

On expenditures the district noted roughly 75% of its budget is salaries and benefits. Cox said transportation and special‑education transportation remain a sensitive area; the district plans to manage higher contract costs identified in recent bids and to free funding internally where necessary to cover higher transportation outlays. Committee members requested more detail on grants that appear in special‑revenue accounts and on the district’s workforce pipeline and recruitment partnerships with local colleges.

City Schools did not request council action at the hearing and will appear before the committee again as part of the district’s scheduled budget‑and‑audit review process.","Baltimore City Public Schools presented a nine‑month (through March) general‑fund update showing year‑to‑date revenue exceeding expenditures but warned that year‑end adjustments, grant timing and expected liquidation of encumbrances will affect the final audited result.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6057878,"City planning office outlines causes of slow capital spending, to start fully funding construction projects in FY26",1027,2649000,3676000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3298836-34df444a31577e76337e1fa7e606db4d&start=2649&end=3676","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3298836-34df444a31577e76337e1fa7e606db4d/thumbnail_2649000.jpg","/articles/6057878/Baltimore-City/Baltimore-County/Maryland/City-planning-office-outlines-causes-of-slow-capital-spending-to-start-fully-funding-construction-projects-in-FY26","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6057878-eccc9b890fd5e25b33cc497a9f4f212d/orig.mp4?Expires=1776325026&Signature=npX4ZIsePJWpUR6KpFI1Uy35lNbxsXvjJI9GQH~CI6fO5rcN4zPNEsDOMldxea~v6E-vA3lP7pdnRCvuZUUDPjhCC7F4CT96JLmKEO8IsEWXfcdDbwuoVVT9Rb6s3j9o2zB7XScqwgj~gKtX-XEKk7qvhWas3PL8Ufb-KBBPfqSu7X7OXQhXkkgIHKzShcLA2hoiZoEgvHENcYy2axcasHyfryiN6dIVc-01hFnZnJMi5amBF-nCFJZ9hZUaxZ7gKBuDfMjenPjmTg59PS2CNrPGkPojCUy-BD1YGZHy1jjg3CjxwZoq2WX9lIm~4wNYyBQZd5cE-zmoy~H-f74cIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Department of Planning told the City Council Budget and Appropriations Committee that a range of administrative and funding practices explains why many capital projects show little spending through the third quarter of fiscal 2025.

The nut of the issue is that projects often cannot be awarded until full construction funding and backing revenue are recorded. That practice — combined with legacy reserve accounts, duplicated project identifiers after software transitions, and appropriations entered without a confirmed federal or state revenue award — has left substantial appropriations unspent and slowed delivery.

“Starting in fiscal year 26, we put in place a new policy that we are fully funding a construction phase in a single year,” Planning Department presenter Sarah Parnellum told the committee, adding that the change should reduce delays tied to multi‑year partial funding. Parnellum also said the office recently went to the Board of Estimates and Planning Commission to consolidate duplicate project accounts and to deappropriate state and federal appropriations that lacked confirmed revenue; those actions will show in the quarter‑four report.

Parnellum explained other common reasons projects appear stalled: projects that need additional funding before bidding; multiple PRJ (project) identifiers for the same scope created during the migration to Workday and Adaptive budgeting software; and appropriations that were included in the budget in anticipation of awards that did not materialize.

She urged committee members to consult the capital report provided with the packet — which lists every project’s total appropriations, expenditures and obligations — and offered to connect council members with implementing agencies for project‑level follow up. Andrew Aileshire of the mayor’s Office of Infrastructure Development, in the hearing room, was named as a point of contact for process improvements and project delivery support.

Committee members asked whether fully funding construction in a single year would reduce the total number of projects funded; Parnellum acknowledged it likely would and said the administration will provide a council‑district breakdown of proposed FY26 capital investments.

The hearing did not produce a council vote; planning staff said they will return with cleaned‑up quarter‑four reporting and a district breakdown of proposed capital appropriations.","Planning staff told the Budget committee that low spending on many capital projects stems from incremental appropriations, duplicate project lines and unconfirmed state or federal revenue; starting in fiscal 2026 the city will generally fully fund construction phases in a single year to reduce multi‑year delays.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council hearing on payment‑in‑lieu‑of‑taxes pilot draws broad testimony; sponsor, agencies and comptroller seek changes to task force language

Baltimore projects $8.2 million general‑fund shortfall as revenues, costs shift in third quarter

City Schools reports year‑to‑date surplus in general fund; cautions on timing and federal grants

City planning office outlines causes of slow capital spending, to start fully funding construction projects in FY26