* Warning: This is an unofficial, introductory copy of the bill.
The official copy considered by the City Council is the first reader copy.
Introductory*
City of Baltimore
Council Bill R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Sneed
A Resolution Entitled
A Council Resolution concerning
title
Informational Hearing - Solid Waste Enterprise Fund
For the purpose of inviting the Director of the Department of General Services, the Director of the Office of Sustainability, the Director of the Department of Public Works, the Department of Public Works’ Bureau Head of Solid Waste, the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Innovation, the Director of the Department of Planning, the Director of the Department of Finance, and the Department of Finance’s Budget Director of the Bureau of the Budget and Management Research to discuss the potential benefits and challenges relating to the creation of a solid waste enterprise fund.
body
Recitals
The Baltimore City Charter provides for a variety of continuing, non-lapsing funds that finance City priorities, such as the Children and Youth Fund and the Special Fund for Fair Elections. Baltimore City currently covers the cost of sanitation, trash disposal, and future landfill needs through General Fund taxes. Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Howard, and Prince George’s counties charge a fee for solid waste collection, and Harford County requires residents to contract on their own for trash collection. In short, the City’s General Fund covers these services, while the general funds of those counties do not. This aspect of the City’s revenue structure compounds the perception of high local property taxes. The “headline” property tax in the counties would be higher if their general funds covered the trash collection services that the City General Fund covers. Shifting the costs of trash collection services to an enterprise fund and reducing the property rate on a dollar-for-dollar basis would allow for a more meaningful tax rate comparison between the City and these counties. Adopting an enterprise model with charges comparable to those in Maryland counties could enable a reduction of approximately 15 cents in Baltimore City’s tax rate. An enterprise fund could save money in the General Fund and the Capital Budget to be used for other priorities. An enterprise fund could also encourage recycling if waste collection charges were based on the amount of waste that was thrown away. For these reasons, the City Council is interested in holding an informational hearing to learn more about creating a solid waste enterprise fund.
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of Baltimore, That the City Council invites the Director of the Department of General Services, the Director of the Office of Sustainability, the Director of the Department of Public Works, the Department of Public Works’ Bureau Head of Solid Waste, the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Innovation, the Director of the Department of Planning, the Director of the Department of Finance, and the Department of Finance’s Budget Director of the Bureau of the Budget and Management Research to discuss the potential benefits and challenges relating to the creation of a solid waste enterprise fund.
And be it further resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Director of the Department of General Services, the Director of the Office of Sustainability, the Director of the Department of Public Works, the Department of Public Works’ Bureau Head of Solid Waste, the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Innovation, the Director of the Department of Planning, the Director of the Department of Finance, the Department of Finance’s Budget Director of the Bureau of the Budget and Management Research, and the Mayor’s Legislative Liaison to the City Council.