City Council Hearing: FY2027 CAO; May 27, 2026

This City Council hearing of the CharmTV Citizens' Hub on May 27, 2026, focused extensively on the FY2027 budget presentation by the City Administrator Faith P. Leachch. The discussion emphasized key procurement and budgetary issues including a $5 billion total budget with $2.8 billion in the general fund and over $1 billion in capital investments. Significant procurement-related topics included a $12 million investment to replace the CAD system, a $15 million economic development revolving loan fund, and a historic $337 million local capital investment for infrastructure modernization. The budget also addressed workforce investments with a 20% average pay increase for certain city employees and expanded staffing in various offices. Council members raised concerns about overtime costs in public safety departments, vacancy management, and the balance between contracting out services versus insourcing city workforce roles. The administration highlighted efforts to reduce overtime by increasing overtime budgets and creating trainee positions, as well as initiatives to bring more services in-house to improve cost efficiency and service quality. Other procurement-related discussions included the use of Tiger teams to improve forestry service delivery, the rollout of clear boarding for vacant properties funded by grants, and the Repave Baltimore program to overhaul road resurfacing with strategic contracting and utility coordination. The council also discussed the challenges of integrating technology systems like 311 and Salesforce to improve service request management. Property tax relief was debated with references to the 10-year financial plan and proposals to adjust the homestead tax credit. The meeting concluded with requests for detailed staffing and vacancy data and ongoing efforts to align budget allocations with strategic priorities and operational needs.