Costello Leads Effort to Reach Budget Agreement

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After 49 1/2 hours of Committee hearings and dozens of hours of negotiations, Council President Jack Young and Councilman Eric Costello, Chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, publicly announced an agreement with Mayor Pugh’s Administration on the FY2018 budget. This budget articulates both of the City Council’s and the Mayor’s shared priorities for additional funding for education and programming for our youth. More information on the agreement is outlined in the letter below from Council President Young and Councilman Costello to the Mayor on June 8, 2017:

June 8, 2017

Mayor Catherine E. Pugh

100 N. Holliday Street

Baltimore, MD 21202

RE: Agreement reached on the Fiscal Year 2018 Ordinance of Estimates

Dear Mayor Pugh,

On behalf of the City Council, Chairman Eric Costello and I would like to thank you and members of your administration for working constructively with us to craft a supplemental appropriation to the proposed Fiscal Year 2018 Ordinance of Estimates that accomplishes the following shared goals:

  • $10.4 million to Baltimore City Public Schools System (BCPSS) as part of the City-State “Bridge to Kirwan” partnership ($3 million in fiscal year 2018)
  • $2,580,000 to the Baltimore City Foundation to support Community Schools and Out-Of-School-Time programs (of which over $1 million funds community schools, and all programs previously funded last year will be guaranteed in fiscal year 2018)
  • $1,500,000 to support Safe Streets
  • $176,000 to AARP Experience Corps Baltimore
  • $170,000 to University of Maryland, Cooperative Extension
  • $150,000 to Maryland Food Bank (to be funded through the Baltimore Community Foundation, and not the Ordinance of Estimates or supplemental appropriation)

We recognize your administration’s strong support for BCPSS by committing the following funding above the state required maintenance of effort:

  • $22.4 million in fiscal year 2018;
  • $32.3 million in fiscal year 2019; and
  • $35.5 million in fiscal year 2020.

We also appreciate that you share our values related to the need to additionally fund BCPSS. Our shared commitment as part of this agreement is that BCPSS will be appropriated an additional $3 million above the aforementioned commitments, in fiscal years 2018, 2019, and 2020. The Guaranteed Tax Base State formula will result in approximately $700,000 in additional State funds in fiscal years 2019 and 2020, as a result of the increased maintenance of effort from Baltimore City.

We have spoken with BCPSS CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises, and her senior team, and she has told us that the most effective use of these funds would be spread out over three years, and focus on leadership training for our principals and assistant principals, the middle grades initiative, and community schools. Please find a copy of the memorandum attached letter.

In addition, as a result of this three-year commitment we’ve reached as part of the City-State “Bridge to Kirwan” partnership, the Council will not need to seek additional funds for City Schools in Fiscal Years 2018, 2019, and 2020. As a legislative body, we remain committed to funding other youth-related activities and we look forward to working with your administration to continue to support children and youth.

With your help and cooperation, thousands of children and youth in Baltimore will have access to high-quality, out-of-school-time programs and activities that will support their holistic growth.

As part of this agreement, we are committed to expeditiously passing the Ordinance of Estimates as originally introduced, along with any supplemental appropriations associated with fiscal year 2017 closeout. We look forward to working together with you to support youth education, activities, and programming and to help move our City forward.

 

Sincerely,

 

Bernard C. “Jack” Young, City Council President

Eric Costello, Chair of Budget and Appropriations Committee

 

CC:

Joan M. Pratt, Comptroller

City Council, All Members

Kim Morton, Chief of Staff, Mayor’s Office

Jim Smith, Chief of Strategic Alliances, Mayor’s Office

Peter Hammen, Chief of Operations, Mayor’s Office

Henry Raymond, Director of Finance, Mayor’s Office

Karen Stokes, Director of Government Relations, Mayor’s Office

Anthony McCarthy, Director of Communications, Mayor’s Office