Board approves Municap fee change; members ask for future RFP and note Municap is a Maryland firm

Baltimore City’s Board of Finance approved a requested change to the fee schedule for Municap, the long‑standing advisor on tax‑increment financing (TIF) matters. The vote to approve the fee schedule was moved and seconded and carried by voice vote.

Several board members raised procurement concerns during discussion, noting that unlike the financial‑adviser and swap‑adviser procurements (which used RFPs), Municap’s work has been handled under a longstanding arrangement. One board member asked whether the city had recently sought competing bids; Treasury staff said Municap has been the city’s TIF adviser for many years and that the firm’s continuity was helpful during the implementation of the citywide affordable‑housing TIF. Treasury staff said Municap was first selected following an RFP in 2001 and that the contract currently operates as an evergreen agreement.

Joanna Levin of the Law Department responded to the procurement questions in the public meeting, saying Municap is a Maryland firm and that continuity during an active transaction could make mid‑deal replacement impractical. Members requested that Treasury and procurement staff review the arrangement and consider a competitive procurement at an appropriate time; Comptroller Henry and other members requested that the issue be placed on a future agenda for formal consideration.

The fee‑schedule change passed in the meeting; the board did not extend or alter Municap’s evergreen contract during the public session, but members asked staff to follow up on the procurement approach and timing.