Posted on 06/21/23
| News Source: FOX45
The budget talks are over and Baltimore's new $4.4 billion budget for next fiscal year is now on the books.
Mayor Brandon Scott signed the new budget Tuesday afternoon.
It includes more than $405 million for city schools and $800,000 in additional funding for recreation centers.
Already, there are concerns about the 2024-2025 fiscal budget which could prove to be far leaner.
Funding for City Schools is expected to grow significantly next year as mandated by the state's Kirwan education formula.
Also raising concern, is the Governor's promise to relaunch the city's red-line, a more than one-billion-dollar light rail project with still unknown costs to the city.
"How in the heck are we going to afford it," asks former Mayoral candidate T.J. Smith on WBAL Newsradio on Tuesday.
Smith predicts the big ticket items could result in a leaner government or a larger tax bill.
"You've got to raise revenues somewhere so those become the big questions," said Smith.
However, City Councilman Robert Stokes made one firm prediction about next year's budget talks.
"We ain't doing no tax hikes," said Stokes.