Council committee advances Midtown Community Benefits District reauthorization with conditions and new voting rules

The Housing Economic Development Committee voted to adopt four amendments and moved Council bill 250019 (Midtown Community Benefits and Management Authority Establishment) favorably as amended, contingent on a property-owner election to reauthorize the Midtown Community Benefits District.

The committee vote Thursday followed testimony from Midtown leaders who urged continuation of the district and from multiple residents and property owners who said Midtown’s services — particularly street and alley cleaning, bulk trash pickup and tree care — have declined in recent years.

The bill, as amended, requires that each real property tax parcel be entitled to one vote in the reauthorization election, reduces the maximum mail-ballot window to 21 days, and preserves homestead and targeted homeowner tax credits when the surtax is calculated. A law department representative and committee members said the reauthorization must proceed as “new” language because the prior authorization lapsed; the ordinance will take effect only if 58% of ballots received vote in favor under Baltimore City Charter Article II, Section 63.

Why it matters: Midtown’s surcharge and programming fund cleaning, safety and greening in four central neighborhoods — Mount Vernon, Bolton Hill, Charles North and Madison Park — and the committee’s action sets the process for whether property owners will continue to pay the surtax that funds those services in fiscal year 2026.

Committee action and key amendments

Councilman Zach Blanchard, the bill sponsor, introduced four amendments the committee adopted before moving the bill favorably. Amendment highlights, as read into the record, include: -…