Council committee approves $7.7 million reallocation in FY2026 general fund to immigrant affairs, consumer protection startup and curbside pilot

The Baltimore City Council Budget and Appropriations Committee on a voice vote approved an amendment reallocating just over $7.7 million in general fund appropriations for fiscal year 2026.

The amendment “reallocates, just over $7,700,000 in general fund appropriations,” Laura Larson, city budget director, told the committee. "A number of highlights within that, $7,700,000 is allocating $2,000,000 in additional funding for the mayor's office of immigrant and multicultural affairs, allocating $250,000 for start up costs associated with establishing the Department of Consumer Protection and Business Licensing, and $750,000 to support the 0 waste curb side, yard collection pilot."

The nut graf: Committee members said the amendment repackages existing general fund dollars rather than adding new recurring spending. Larson said the reallocations are funded by “scaling back contractual spending, savings from a number of vacant positions, reallocating funds from the miscellaneous general special projects account, and then scaling back funding for new positions that were part of the fiscal 26 budget.”

Most of the amendment’s savings come from budget reductions across city accounts. Larson told the committee the city will scale back funding that had been allocated for newly created positions, including a portion of funding for the Law Department to support an affirmative action litigation team and funding in the Department of Housing and Community Development earmarked for the Vacants Initiative. Larson also described a separate $750,000 reduction in the transportation service for traffic safety tied to changes enacted by the Maryland General Assembly this spring: "Legislation passed this spring allows (certification of traffic citations) to be done by civilian staff" starting in October, she said, and the city removed sworn overtime costs no longer expected to be required.

The committee approved the amendment in committee; the ordinance of estimates (the FY2026 ordinance of estimates) with the committee’s approved amendments will move forward to the full council for further consideration.

Committee Chairwoman Danielle McCray led the motion to approve the amendment; the committee recorded the motion as passed. The committee did not receive public testimony during the hearing and limited questions to council members only.

The action affects multiple program areas including immigrant and multicultural affairs, consumer protection and business licensing start-up costs, curbside waste collection pilots, and the city’s traffic camera/citation program. The amendment repackages one-time and recurring general fund appropriations and depends on departmental spending adjustments described by the budget director.

The ordinance (25-0060, ordinance of estimates for the fiscal year ending 06/30/2026) with the amendment will move to the full council under the standard legislative process.