Circuit Court for Baltimore City outlines FY26 budget; funds added for in rem foreclosure staff and juror pay retained

Lionel Moore, court administrator for the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, told the Baltimore City Council Wednesday that the court's recommended fiscal year 2026 operating budget preserves a $30 juror stipend and includes new funding for staff to process in rem foreclosure cases.

Moore said the circuit court's FY26 budget is “$30,000,000, and some” with 134 positions and that part of the operating budget includes about $2,200,000 for the daily jury compensation fund. “It is the goal of the circuit court for Baltimore City to provide meaningful access to [the] justice system by the timely, efficient, and fair processing of all cases,” Moore said.

The recommended budget, Moore told council members, “maintains the funding to continue providing a 30 stipend to jurors, which was increased in fiscal year 20 24.” The proposal also allocates $165,000 for facility and maintenance costs at the courthouse.

On staffing, Moore said the budget includes an allocation of $270,000 “for additional staff to support a newly created … full time attorneys to operate or to process in rem foreclosure cases,” and he credited Councilwoman Ramos for work on the matter. Moore said the positions “will be formally created following adoption of the fiscal year 26 budget.”

Councilwoman Ramos described state and city allocations intended to increase capacity for interim/in rem property cases, saying the city had $270,000 and the state had provided roughly $300,000 in support. Ramos praised the magistrate handling those dockets: “Magistrate Welch is pretty amazing,” she said, and told colleagues the court’s Wednesday grama/in rem hearings are virtual and had helped the city move more than 300 properties under the interim process.

Moore told Councilman Edward Gray that the court’s conversion from paper to electronic case filing is working: “We just had our anniversary of the conversion in May. So we are very satisfied with it,” he said, while noting some lingering “kinks” as staff work through implementation.

Other administrative changes in the recommendation include funding for an additional operations specialist and a proposed transfer of a Court Secretary 2 position from the general fund to state funds, Moore said.

The court’s recommended budget items are presented to the council as part of the FY26 adoption process; Moore and council members said positions tied to the new funding will be finalized after the council and budget office complete the formal adoption steps.