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

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…