Proposed Budget Invests in Strengthening Core Services
BALTIMORE, MD (Wednesday, April 1, 2026) - Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott released his preliminary city budget for Fiscal Year 2027. This preliminary budget demonstrates a sustained commitment to investing in the City of Baltimore, and ensures that Baltimore continues to be a place where opportunity is accessible to all, collective wellbeing is at the heart of every decision, and every neighborhood has the tools it needs to thrive.
"This year's budget builds on the foundation we've built together by making smart investments, centering our youth, and strengthening the core services Baltimore residents rely on," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. "It reflects our shared values: putting our people first, making the local government more efficient, and ensuring every neighborhood not only sees the benefit of our growth but reaps the benefits. Despite a challenging economic environment - continued federal funding cuts, global uncertainty, and cost of necessities inflating and affecting cities across the country - the Fiscal Year 2027 budget closes a $12 million funding gap, allowing us to increase funding for priorities such as early childhood education, and sustains high-impact programs that were formerly federally funded. Our budget includes targeted strategic actions to strengthen core services and deploy city resources more responsibly and effectively."
This year the City embarked on a strategic refresh process, resulting in the adoption of new strategic pillars. The preliminary budget reflects the new pillars and similarly aligns City resources and agency work around a shared set of priorities to improve safety, opportunity, and quality of life for residents.
- Prioritizing Youth, Older Adults, and Vulnerable Communities
- Enhancing Public Safety
- Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Communities
- Equitable Economic Development
- Responsible Stewardship of City Resources
- Modernizing Public Infrastructure
This budget strategically invests in coordinated strategies and measurable goals to deliver services, strengthen neighborhoods, support economic growth, and invest in the systems that residents and businesses rely on every day.
The Fiscal Year 2027 budget includes key investments within the six pillars summarized below:
Prioritizing Youth, Older Adults, and Vulnerable Communities
The Preliminary Budget invests $645.3 million across all funds to support Baltimore's young people and some of our most vulnerable communities. Key highlights and investments include:
- An additional $300,000 for the Mayor's early childhood initiative, advancing a multi-year strategy to increase Pre-K enrollment and help childcare providers meet licensing requirements. The budget also allocates $3.2 million for PreK programs delivered by Baltimore City Public Schools under the Blueprint for Maryland's Future.
- $16.5 million for YouthWorks, funding 8,500 summer jobs for Baltimore youth.
- Development of an Age Friendly Baltimore Plan, so seniors can age in place.
- $3.4 million in investment to support Baltimore's immigrant communities through the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs.
- A $900,000 increase to expand the Enoch Pratt Free Library's collection, a 54% year-over-year increase.
- $1.2 million of funding to open two newly renovated recreation centers, Gardenville and Elijah Cummings.
Enhancing Public Safety
The Preliminary Budget invests $1.3 billion across all funds to strengthen public safety through a comprehensive, community-based approach. Key highlights and investments include:
- $4.35 million to sustain violence prevention efforts within the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, including hospital- and school-based intervention programs, support for returning citizens, and the Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS).
- $35 million of Capital funding to replace the Northeast Police District Station.
Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Communities
The Preliminary Budget invests $1.1 billion across all funds to maintain clean, safe, and healthy neighborhoods. Key highlights and investments include:
- Sustaining investments in additional trash and recycling crews within the Department of Public Works, along with dedicated yard waste collection to advance the City's Zero Waste goals.
- Increased funding of $2.3 million to support operations across the City's homeless shelter network. The capital budget includes $8.0 million to acquire two additional facilities as permanent shelters. Since the pandemic, Baltimore has shifted to a modern shelter model focused on dignity and housing outcomes, with 57% of clients exiting to permanent housing.
- $2.0 million to reopen a second Sexual Health and Wellness Clinic, restoring capacity lost due to prior Federal and State funding reductions and increasing available visits by 33%.
- $3.0 million to sustain the Clean Corps program, formerly funded in ARPA dollars, maintaining six regional teams providing proactive neighborhood cleaning services.
- Creates 5 new positions to enhance the City's graffiti removal response.
Equitable Economic Development
The Preliminary Budget invests $380.6 million across all funds to promote equitable growth and neighborhood stability. Key highlights and investments include:
- Continued investment in the City's permitting system, including dedicated customer service and 311 support, as well as $500,000 for additional Fire Department staffing to accelerate plan review.
- $1.35 million in additional staffing for the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Law Department to support the ReFrame initiative, our strategy to end the vacants crisis within 15 years.
- Ongoing support for broadband infrastructure to expand public WiFi access, along with capital funding to extend connectivity to public housing residents.
- $8.5 million for housing incentives including the "Buy Back the Block" program and funding to protect legacy homeowners.
- Increased operating and capital investment in the Baltimore Development Corporation, including the launch of a $15 million revolving fund, to drive business attraction, retention, and economic growth.
- Adds $0.9 million for new positions to support traffic calming projects.
Responsible Stewardship of Resources
The Preliminary Budget invests $239.3 million across all funds to ensure responsible, efficient use of City resources. Key highlights and investments include:
- Relaunching the Innovation Fund, supporting projects in Recreation and Parks and the Department of General Services that will generate recurring savings through reduced maintenance, fleet costs, and energy use.
- Increased investment in IT infrastructure to address system vulnerabilities, alongside continued efforts to reduce reliance on contractors by building in-house capacity.
- Funding to support the newly established Office of Business Licensing and Consumer Protection, including expansion of the Consumer Protection team.
Modernizing Public Infrastructure
The Preliminary Budget includes $1.0 billion of capital investment. Key highlights and investments include:
- $337 million in locally supported capital investment, more than doubling the annual average of the last twenty years.
- Over $300 million of transportation improvements across all funds, including neighborhood traffic calming, resurfacing, ADA compliance, bridges, and traffic signals, among many others.
- Over $45 million for recreation and parks, including $20 million for a new youth sports complex.
- $12.4 million for CAD system replacement to strengthen emergency response operations.
- More than $60 million for Public Works facility upgrades, demolition and stabilization.
Looking Beyond 2027
In December 2025, Mayor Scott released the City's updated 10-Year Financial Plan, which guides long-term investments, modernizes services, expands capital improvements, and provides property tax relief to residents. This Fiscal 2027 budget advances several key elements of that plan:
- An increase in GO borrowing to $125 million, $80 million in Highway User Revenue for capital investment, and the strategic use of FEMA COVID-19 reimbursement to boost one-time capital investments.
- The second year of the City's salary study implementation for CUB and AFSCME employees, ensuring more equitable pay structures and delivering an average 8% cost-of-living adjustment for some of our lowest-paid workers.
- The relaunch of the Innovation Fund to support initiatives that generate long-term savings and improve service delivery.
"This is meaningful progress, in line with our shared goals and values," said Mayor Scott. "But we also have to be clear about potential challenges we face, as ongoing uncertainty in Washington and global instability continue to impact our fiscal outlook. Even in the face of that uncertainty, here in Baltimore, we are modeling disciplined, fiscally responsible investment - while also delivering the services, resources, and projects our residents deserve."
The full FY 2027 Preliminary Budget Proposal can be found here.