Council Works to Boost Voter Participation

Dear Baltimoreans,

This past November, after a record low number of registered voters cast ballots in the Baltimore City general election, most people agreed that work needed to be done in future elections to improve voter turnout.

On Monday, January 23, 2011, the Baltimore City Council took the first step toward boosting participation in city elections with the introduction of a Mayor and City Council Resolution by Councilwoman Rochelle “Rikki” Spector (District 5).

Councilwoman Spector proposed amending the City Charter to allow Baltimore City to align its elections with the presidential election cycle beginning in 2016. I support Councilwoman Spector’s resolution because this change would go a long way toward boosting voter turnout in city elections.

While the Baltimore Election Change Coalition proposes placing the city’s elections in line with the gubernatorial cycle, this move would dilute the city’s influence by stacking the ballot with candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, and candidates for the Maryland General Assembly.

I agree that an important goal should be to get as many people as possible to participate in the democratic voting process, but we should also consider how moving city elections to the gubernatorial cycle would detract from the attention given to important issues facing Baltimore City.

A close look at voter turnout figures for Baltimore City in the gubernatorial and presidential election cycles, dating back to 2000, shows the difference in participation to be negligible. Keeping city elections separate from the gubernatorial cycle would help to ensure that issues unique to Baltimore city continue to receive a complete vetting by voters and the local press. A change to the gubernatorial cycle, however, would only serve to dilute issues unique to Baltimore City at the expense of statewide issues and elections.

In November, Baltimore City experienced historic low turnout when only 13.2 percent of registered voters cast ballots. You can’t argue against the fact that placing the city in line with the gubernatorial election cycle would increase turnout over 2011’s poor numbers. But the point of moving the city’s elections should be threefold: increase voter turnout, save taxpayer dollars and highlight issues of concern that are unique to residents of Baltimore City.

Councilwoman Spector’s bill is co-sponsored by 13 members of the Baltimore City Council and was referred to the Judiciary and Legislative Investigations Committee. A hearing date will be scheduled in the near future, and if approved by the committee and the full City Council and signed by the mayor, the resolution would appear before voters on the ballot during the upcoming November presidential election.

Click here for more information on Councilwoman Spector’s resolution.

Bernard C. “Jack” Young
President, Baltimore City Council

YouthWorks Summer Job Applications Available

Baltimore City’s YouthWorks summer jobs program will match young people between the ages of 14 and 21 to six-week work experiences with private sector, nonprofit, and city and state government employers. The program will operate from June 25, 2012 to August 3, 2012. The YouthWorks slogan – summer jobs launch careers – describes the lasting effect that a productive summer job can have on a young person. Through targeted matching of jobs to older teens’ career interests and an emphasis on effective work behaviors and financial literacy for all participants, YouthWorks is sure to be a success this summer and beyond as it helps prepare our future workforce. For more information about YouthWorks, please contact the YouthWorks office at 410-396-JOBS (5627) or summerjobs@oedworks.com.

Employers can sign up now to hire youth for this summer by completing this form.

Worksite Applications

Organizations interested in becoming a YouthWorks worksite must complete the application and return it no later than Thursday, February 16, 2012.

Registration Information

YouthWorks registration forms are available now and can be obtained at the following locations:

All Baltimore City High Schools

Cherry Hill Home Tenant Council
2700 Spellman Road
Baltimore, Maryland 21225
Registration Forms Available:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 3:00pm - 6:30pm

Eastside One-Stop Career Center
3001 E. Madison Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21205
Registration Forms Available:
Monday - Friday 9:00am - 4:00pm

Mayor’s Office of Employment Development 
YouthWorks Office
101 W. 24th Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218
Registration Forms Available:
Monday - Friday 9:00am - 4:00pm

Northwest District Community Action Center
3939 Reisterstown Road  
Baltimore, Maryland 21215
Registration Forms Available Monday - Friday 9:00am - 4:00pm

Enoch Pratt Free Library (all locations)
(click here for location and hours of operation)

Mayor's Office of Employment Development home page

State Subsidies for Small Businesses

The State of Maryland has a subsidy program to assist small businesses with their health insurance costs – The Maryland Health Insurance Partnership Program.

Under the PARTNERSHIP, a small business that meets the following criteria:

• Has 2 to 9 full-time employees (working 30+ hours weekly)
• Has not offered Group health insurance to its employees during the previous 12 months
• Meets wage and salary requirements established by the Commission (average combined employee wage is $50,000.00 or below)
• Owner(s) eligible utilizing AGI (Adjusted Gross Income)
• Companies incorporated out of state are eligible if more than 75% of employees work in Maryland

Employers are eligible to receive a subsidy of up to 50 percent of the premium of monthly employee health insurance costs immediately. Health insurance costs can be paid by employee, employer or both.

Family coverage can also be subsidized. Once enrolled in the Partnership, the business is likely to continue to be eligible for the subsidy in following years.

To learn more, visit http://mhcc.maryland.gov/partnership/

Also, starting in 2010, up to 4 million small businesses that offer healthcare coverage to their employees may be eligible for a tax credit If your company currently offers employer sponsored health insurance. To learn more , visit http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=223666,00.html (IRS Website).

Here is a snapshot of the many meetings, events, discussions and visits Council President Young engages in on a daily basis as he works to strengthen Baltimore's communities.

Council President Young and Councilman Bill Henry (District 4) welcome Boy Scout Troop #161, one of the oldest troops in the city, to the City Council chambers on Monday, January 23.

Council President Young attends a briefing before the Maryland Senate on using alternative financing to help improve city schools on Tuesday, January 24.

Photo courtesy of Marie Green, Director, J.D. Gross Recreation Center

Council President Young's P.L.A.Y. (Productive Lives, Active Youth) campaign in action: The Goldstarz Marching Band of J.D. Gross Recreation Center performs at halftime of the Coppin State University men's basketball game on Saturday, January 14.

Resources for Doing Business with Baltimore City

Click HERE for a list of helpful contacts and information that will help companies and individuals do business with the city. City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young has a fond appreciation for the importance of small businesses, how they fuel our economy and how they facilitate jobs and a better quality of life for our residents.

JustAdvice Legal Counseling
Through Sunday, February 26
The Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt Street
Attorneys at JustAdvice offer help for only $10 in the areas of family, housing, criminal, employment, expungement, insurance, elder, tax, civil, and social security law. JustAdvice can also. Help with expungement of court records for only the cost of court filingsis also available! This service is a project of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.
For more information on dates and locations or to make an appointment, call 410-929-4809, email justadvice@law.maryland.edu or visit justadvice.wordpress.com.

High School Juried Art Show
Through Sunday, February 26
The Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt Street
The Reginald F. Lewis Museum, in partnership with the Maryland State Education Association, proudly displays winners of the fourth annual Maryland Statewide High School Juried Art Show. This year’s theme, Building Community through Civic Engagement, focuses on improving communities through civic or political actions. An opening reception will be held Sunday, January 15, 2:00 pm-4:00 pm.
For more information, call 443-263-1800 or visit www.AfricanAmericanCulture.org.

Free Tax Preparation Services
Various Locations
Did you or a family member work some or all of 2011? If yes, you may be eligible to receive tax credits totaling almost $5,000 this year! Visit the nonprofit Baltimore CASH Campaign for FREE tax preparation services! Families who made under $50,000 or singles who made under $25,000 may be eligible for free tax prep services and qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit worth thousands! The Baltimore CASH Campaign can also help you open savings account, purchase a U.S. Savings Bond, and see if you qualify for public benefits.
To make an appointment, call 410-234-8008 or visit bmorefreetaxes.org.

Homebuyers Workshop
Saturday, January 28 from 8:45 AM to 2:00 PM
Wayland Village Senior Center, 3020 Garrison Boulevard
Come and learn about the home buying process from a certified homeownership counselor. You will learn how to qualify for a mortgage, the four "C's" of lending, the difference between FHA, CDA and VA loans, and about assistance programs. You must attend the two-part session which includes the one-on-one counseling session to be eligible for certificate. Please call to pre-register.
For more information, call 410-947-0084 Ext. 2 or email Afelder@go-northwesthrc.org

Greening University
Saturday, January 28 from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Sojourner Douglass College, 500 N. Caroline Street
CPHA, Parks and People’s CGRN and Baltimore Green Space Citizens Planning and Housing Association, Parks and People Foundation's Community Greening Resource Network, and Baltimore Green Space have teamed up to provide Baltimore with a Greening University.  The morning of training is for both new and experienced gardeners and community professionals.  Workshops and resource tables will detail the best practices for gardening and managing open spaces, led by Baltimore’s premier gardening experts!  Learning sessions will cover such topics as “Just Starting? You Need Site Evaluation!” “Soil: What Yours Has and What it Needs” and “Working with Community Associations.” In addition to the three sponsoring organizations, groups that offer assistance to gardeners will also be available to discuss your garden and open space needs. Organizations include: Power in Dirt and the Community Law Center. A donation of $1 to $3 is requested.
To register, visit cphabaltimore.org.

Your Community...Your Health
Tuesday, January 31 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Cylburn Arboretum Vollmer Visitor Center, 4915 Greenspring Avenue
If you live in Dorchester/Ashburton, Forest Park/Walbrook, Greater Roland Park/Poplar Hill, Mount Washington/Coldspring, North Baltimore/Guilford/Homeland, Pimlico/Arlington/Hilltop, or Southern Park Heights, join Baltimore City Health Department Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot for a community meeting to present your 2011 Neighborhood Health profile. Share community health concerns and ideas for change, discuss opportunities to work together to improve health, and receive health education materials.
For more information, visit www.baltimorehealth.org or call 410-396-4398.

Family History Fridays
Friday, February 3 from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 East Pratt Street
Begin your family tree at the museum's Resource Center. Visitors will participate in genealogy starter sessions, identify public records, and devise a research strategy.
For more information, call 443-263-1816.

August Wilson's JITNEY
Thursday February 9 through Sunday, February 12
Morgan State Murphy Fine Arts Center, 2201 Argonne Drive
This landmark production, presented by Theatre Morgan and directed by Shirley Basfield Dunlap, examines father-son relationships and cab service culture during the Jim Crow era. Starring Roscoe Orman as Becker the cab company boss, and featuring a cast of Morgan State University alumnae and theatre majors, join seven Jitneys, who are ready to share the reality of their lives, hopes, and dreams in America during the year 1977.
For more information or to purchase tickets, call 443-885-4440.

Jazz Legends: Satchmo and Baby Dolly
Friday, February 10 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
City Hall, Board of Estimates, 100 N. Holliday Street
This theatrical reading set to music captures scenes from the play Satchmo and Baby Dolly by Camay Calloway Murphy and Randolph Smith. The play recognizes the accomplishments of Baltimore’s own Blanche “Baby Dolly” Calloway. Under the tutelage of jazz icon Louis Armstrong, Baby Dolly became the first black woman to front an all-male orchestra. This event is part of the It’s More Than History brown bag lecture series. Make sure to bring your favorite brown bag lunch and photo ID for entry.
For more information, call 410-878-6411.

Disability Income Tax Day
Saturday, February 11 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Northern Community Action Center, 5225 York Road
Goodwill Industries, 222 E. Redwood Street
Office of Employment Development: One Stop Center, Mondawmin Mall, 3rd Floor, 21215
Persons with disabilities living in Baltimore Metro Area whose income is less than $50,000 are eligible to get their income taxes completed for free and get other disability services and asset planning. Bring a social security card for each family member, all W-2 forms, child care provider's name, address and tax ID number, all banking account information, a copy of your 2010 tax return, any document about money received from the IRS or the state of Maryland, all 1099 forms, and any other tax documents you have received.
To register, call 410-333-6119 or visit baltimorecashcampaign.org. Call 443-984-3170 if you need special accommodations.

PNC Transformative Art Project
Applications Due Wednesday, February 15
The PNC Transformative Art Project supports communities in their efforts to improve their surroundings with long-term and lasting projects. This program requires neighborhoods to collaborate with arts organizations and/or artists to permanently reinvent community spaces using art. The Transformative Art Project focuses on bringing the arts community and community development together to create dramatic visual impact that will attract visitors to your neighborhood.
For more information on the PNC Transformative Art Project, call 410-752-863 or visit promationandarts.org.

Free Walk-In Tax Day
Saturday, February 25 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
St. Helena Community Building, 6509 Colgate Avenue
The AARP is hosting this free event, and there is no appointment needed. When you come, bring a copy of last year's income tax return(s), W-2 forms from each employer, unemployment compensation statements, an SSA-1099 form if you were paid Social Security benefits, all 1099 forms (1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099-B, etc.) showing interest and / or dividends and documentation showing original purchase price of sold assets, 1099-Misc, showing any miscellaneous income, 1099-R form if you received a pension or annuity, all forms indicating federal income tax paid, dependent care provider information (name, employer ID, Social Security number), all receipts or canceled checks if itemized deductions, and Social Security cards or other official documentation for yourself and all dependents.
For more information, call 410-633-6077.

Johns Hopkins Summer Job Program
Applications due Friday, March 2
The Johns Hopkins Summer Jobs Program (JHSJP) is a six-week paid internship program for Baltimore City high school students. The program begins on Monday, June 18, 2012 and runs through Friday, July 27, 2012. Preference will be given to students who are residents of Baltimore City, attend a Baltimore City School, and are at least 15 years old by March 30, 2012, and will be based on the competitiveness of the applicant pool and number of openings. GPA and attendance may be considered in determining who will be invited to the interview session. If invited to apply to the program, students must attend a Saturday Interview session.
Those who are asked to continue as applicants following the Saturday Interview Session must attend an Occupational Health screening for TB testing (and be cleared), an all-day orientation session (if cleared by Occupational Health), and a "Meet and Greet" session.
Interns must commit to work 30 hours a week. The hours are 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from Monday through Friday, from June 18 through July 27. The pay rate is $7.25 for all participating interns. The dress code is business casual, which means a solid color polo shirt, khaki pants, and closed-toe, comfortable shoes. No shorts, tank tops or flip flops are permitted.
For more information or to apply, visit http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/jhhr/Community/youthprograms.html.

Family-to-Family Mental Illness Course
Saturday, January 28 from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Govans Boundary United Methodist Church, 5210 York Road
Tuesday, February 21 from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 905 Frederick Road
Wednesday, March 28 from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Kingdom Harvest Christian Center, 12 Gwynns Mill Court
Family to Family is a free 12-week course sponsored by NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) for close relatives of individuals with severe mental illness. The course teaches the clinical treatment of major mental illnesses and the knowledge and skills that family members need to cope more effectively.  Topics include: communication skills, coping techniques, brain biology, medications, advocacy and more and are taught by trained family members. NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore is sponsoring three classes this winter/spring session.  Participants must call to register.
Classes fill quickly, so call today at 410-435-2600.

Art Classes at School 33 Art Center
January through May 2012
School 33 Art Center, 1427 Light Street
A variety of art classes are offered at School 33 Art Center. Let your inner artist shine with drawing, oil painting, mixed media, and watercolor classes. Classes for children are also available.
For more information, visit www.school33.org/index.cfm?page=education&section=1.

Maryland Summer Youth Connection Grant
January through May 2012
School 33 Art Center, 1427 Light Street
A variety of art classes are offered at School 33 Art Center. Let your inner artist shine with drawing, oil painting, mixed media, and watercolor classes. Classes for children are also available.
For more information, visit www.school33.org/index.cfm?page=education&section=1.

Office of the City Council President
100 N. Holliday St., Suite 400
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-396-4804 (p) 410-539-0647 (f)
CouncilPresident@baltimorecity.gov
Copyright (C) 2011. All rights reserved.
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