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"Investing
Where Baltimore Lives" |
January 4, 2008 |
Dear
Friends:
When I travel and speak to people about Baltimore, many cite some of the City's great assets: our museums, our renowned medical institutions, and attractions like Harborplace and our sports venues. But one thing they are generally not so enthusiastic about—our high property taxes. Baltimore's property tax rate is $2.28 per $100 of assessed value, which is at least twice the rate in surrounding counties. This represents a competitive disadvantage as we try to attract residents and businesses to the City.
That is why last spring Mayor Dixon appointed a Blue Ribbon Committee on Taxes and Fees, to provide options for lowering the city’s property tax rate. This week the Committee released their report for a period of public comment. I’d like to thank the panel for their hard work on this important issue. Baltimore has become an attractive location for new homeowners in recent years, but the escalating property values have resulted in heavy tax burdens for many longtime residents. Many of the Committee's recommendations would substantially reduce property taxes, easing the tax burden of our current residents and making the City more attractive to new residents.
I’m also very pleased that many of the Committee's recommendations encourage more coordination between the City and the State legislature, so that the City can collect adequate revenue from a variety of sources, without overburdening current Baltimore residents to make up the difference.
As we consider the Blue Ribbon Committee's menu of options, I look forward to hearing from the public, because our first priority must be to ensure that current residents are secure in their homes and not priced out of the City. As we move forward, the timing of any changes to the City's tax structure may prove to be just as important as the revenue measures themselves.
The Committee's report is available on Baltimore City’s website, www.baltimorecity.gov, and will also be available in hard copy at all Pratt Library branches. I encourage Baltimore residents to read the report and to participate in a public meeting on January 16, 2008 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Poly-Western auditorium. Citizens can submit comments via mail to: The Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee on Property Tax Reform, 250 City Hall, Baltimore, MD, 21202. Citizens can also e-mail comments to taxpanel@baltimorecity.gov through January 31, 2008.
Stephanie
Rawlings-Blake
President, Baltimore City Council
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Baltimore wins HGTV Contest for Pen Lucy Community Projects
Thanks to the voting efforts of readers of the Rawlings-Blake Roll Call and many other supporters throughout the City, Baltimore was selected as one of the winning cities in HGTV's "Change the World. Start at Home." campaign. The five winning cities were officially announced during HGTV's coverage of the Rose Parade on New Year's Day. Now, with the support of HGTV plus local volunteers and businesses, Rebuilding Together Baltimore will be able to complete three very important projects in the Pen Lucy community. You can find more details on these projects here.
Rebuilding Together Baltimore is seeking volunteers for these projects, especially individuals with plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and landscaping skills. Volunteers can contact Rebuilding Together Baltimore at 410-889-2710 or info@RTBaltimore.org.
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Each
week in the President's
SchoolSpot,
Council President Stephanie
Rawlings-Blake highlights the outstanding
accomplishments of Baltimore City Schools students
and staff. |
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Another BCPSS School is Awarded Blue Ribbon Status
Cecil Elementary School #007 is hailed as one of the best schools in the state. State Schools Superintendent Dr. Nancy Grasmick announced last month that Cecil Elementary is a 2008 Maryland Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. It is the seventh BCPSS school to receive the extraordinary honor, and it is one of six schools statewide to be awarded blue ribbon status this year.
2007 Maryland School Assessment (MSA) data shows that nearly 91% of Cecil elementary students scored at the proficient or advanced level in reading and nearly 96% of all students scored at the proficient or advanced level in math. Cecil Elementary consistently meets Adequate Yearly Progress on the MSAs. Cecil was nominated in a category recognizing economically disadvantaged schools that have shown significant improvement on the tests in the past three years.
Cecil Elementary Principal Roxanne Forr says collaborative instruction and high teacher retention have fostered the school’s success. The East Baltimore school maintains strong partnerships with organizations including the East Baltimore Community Corporation, St. Ann’s Catholic Church, PNC Bank and Junior Achievement.
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a state and national program that recognizes and honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that exhibit high performance and/or significant improvement in reading and mathematics achievement as measured by Maryland’s assessments. Schools must meet rigorous standards developed by the Maryland State Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education. These schools are either extremely high achievers in reading and mathematics or are economically disadvantaged schools exceeding norms and dramatically closing achievement gaps of their students in reading and mathematics. Under No Child Left Behind, schools must make Adequate Yearly Progress in reading/ language arts and mathematics. Each state sets its own academic standards and benchmark goals.
Congratulations and good luck to the administrators, teachers, students, parents and staff at Cecil Elementary as the school competes for National Blue Ribbon Awards in the fall.
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Have
an exciting news item on achievements
in
Baltimore City Public Schools?
Let us
know so that we can feature them in the President's
SchoolSpot. Call Council President
Rawlings-Blake's office at 410-396-4804 or send an
e-mail to Marva Williams at
mwilliams@baltimorecitycouncil.com. | | |
City
Council This Week
The City Council has recessed until January 28, 2008.
Christmas Tree Recyling: Turn Your Tree into Mulch
Saturday, Jan. 5 10am-2pm
Sunday, Jan. 6 9am-2pm
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute Parking Lot, Cold Spring Lane and Falls Rd.
Remove all ornaments and tinsel. Bring a container if you would like to take mulch home for your garden.
Also ... Curbside Tree Recycling Lasts Through Jan. 31.
Trees should be set out on your second trash collection day, which is either Thursday, Friday or Saturday. They should be placed in the same location as your trash and put out no later than 7am on collection day.
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Saturday, January 5
League of Women Voters of Baltimore City Legislative Breakfast
Urban Medical Center, 2600 Liberty Heights Ave., 10am. Meet your Delegates and Senators and hear their plans for the 2008 General Assembly. Free and open to the public.
Info: lwvbaltimore@verizon.net.
Wednesday, January 8
Workshop for ESOL Families, St. Elizabeth’s Church (basement), 27 N. Lakewood Ave., Make reservations with Liz at 410-558-1230 or lobara@pppcs.org.
Upcoming/Ongoing
Free Citizenship Preparation Classes offered by Baltimore City Community College Classes begin Jan. 5, for a listing call, 410-580-2756.
Enoch Pratt Library’s Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Lecture presented by Rev. Tim Tooten of WBAL-TV11, Jan. 13, 2pm, Wheeler Auditorium, Central Library, 400 Cathedral St., 410-396-5430.
Public Meeting on Report of Blue Ribbon Committee on Taxes and Fees
Jan. 16, 7pm, Poly-Western High School auditorium, Cold Spring Lane and Falls Road.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Parade, Jan. 21, 12pm, steps off at MLK Boulevard and Eutaw Street, and travels south on MLK Boulevard. 410-752-8632.
Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU) Maryland’s Do Something Series on Civic Engagement and Volunteerism, Jan. 21 Noon-2:30pm, Frederick Douglass Isaac Myers Maritime Museum, 1417 Thames St., Lunch provided. You must pre-register, 410-366-6030, ext. 115 or Naomi@volunteercentral.net.
20th Annual Black History Month Booklovers, Jan. 26, featuring John Edgar Wideman, Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel, 700 Aliceanna St., Advance Registration only, $35. www.prattlibrary.org
The Guardian Angels is recruiting new members. Recruits must be 16 and older. The three-month training includes classes in conflict resolution, defensive martial arts, first aid and a law class. Call 410-353-9472.
Find out more about TransForm Baltimore: The Zoning Code. Learn how you and your community can stay involved to help craft a vision for the future development of Baltimore City. TransForm Baltimore Community Open Houses are: Jan. 30 Edmondson High School, 4501 Edmondson Ave., 6pm-8pm; Feb. 13 Dept. of Planning, 417 E. Fayette St., 8th floor, 12pm- 1:30pm Feb. 26 Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, 1400 W. Coldspring Lane, 6pm-8pm. For more information, call 410-396-PLAN or plan@baltimorecity.gov.
Baltimore Healthcare Access, Inc. is announcing a new initiative to protect the health and well-being of city residents. Through this initiative, city residents can call 311 for screening and referral to a range of health insurance programs and low-cost healthcare options.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, January 23, Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
Port Discovery Children's Museum: Five Friends from
Japan!
October 13, 2007 - February 3, 2008, Port
Discovery Children's Museum, 35 Market Place. No passport? No
problem! Meet five special friends from Japan and learn about
their similarities to and differences from you!
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