By Megan Sayles | AFRO Staff Writermsayles@afro.com
The Baltimore City Board of Estimates hosted Taxpayers’ Night on April 22, giving residents the opportunity to weigh in on Mayor Brandon M. Scott’s preliminary fiscal year 2027 budget and outline their needs. The $4.98 billion spending plan includes $1.06 billion in capital spending and $3.91 billion for the operating budget.
At the hearing, several Baltimoreans requested funding to repair the Forest Park Senior Center, which suffers from a deteriorating roof.
“That building has been severely ignored by everyone,” said Kim Trueheart.
Trueheart leads the Liberty Village Project, a community organization that supports children, families and older adults in West Baltimore. She said she’s pulled from her own pockets to start the renovations.
With greater investment from the city, Trueheart believes the roof could be transformed into a space for youth to play sports.
“I’ve got a tremendous amount of support, I just need your support,” said Trueheart. “I need funding to bring that building back to life.”
Fellow resident Tessa Hill-Aston echoed Trueheart’s calls for capital. The pair have teamed up to draw more support for long-needed improvements to the building. Hill-Aston noted that her husband, Joseph L. Aston—former president of the Harbor Bank of Maryland—spends time at the senior center.
“The sicker my husband gets, the madder I get,” said Hill-Aston. “I’m not going to stop until Forest Park Senior Center gets some help.”
Resident Adrian Muldrow emphasized that with targeted funding, the Forest Park Senior Center could function as an anchor for older adults while also providing essential services for entrepreneurs, returning citizens and other local residents.
“I’m asking for funding for administrative help, as it not only helps seniors but also has the potential to serve as a hub for community services, business development and reentry,” said Muldrow.
Baltimore resident Christina Flowers testifies during the Board of Estimate’s Taxpayers’ Night on April 22. Flowers called for greater investment in grassroots organizations that are addressing homelessness in the city. Credit: Photo by J.J. McQueen
Baltimore resident Christina Flowers testifies during the Board of Estimate’s Taxpayers’ Night on April 22. Flowers called for greater investment in grassroots organizations that are addressing homelessness in the city. Credit: Photo by J.J. McQueen
Baltimoreans also appealed for greater support for grassroots organizations in the budget.
Resident Christina Flowers raised this need as it relates to addressing homelessness in the city.
She stressed the critical role community-based organizations play in trauma response during interventions with unhoused populations.
“When it comes to real solutions, I would like you to consider in this budget the work that we do on these streets when it comes to engaging and navigating,” said Flowers. “The Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services can’t do it alone.”
Taxpayer Kai Singleton called for investments in worker cooperatives, or businesses that are owned and controlled by employees. He specifically highlighted the Baltimore Roundtable for Economic Democracy (BRED), a coalition that supports worker-owned cooperatives, and Korner Boyz Enterprises, a Black-owned business created by former squeegee workers who transitioned to selling their own branded water bottles.
“Worker cooperatives deserve a place in Baltimore. They could benefit the entrepreneurial spirit of the city and community investment in Baltimore,” said Singleton. “Support for workers cooperatives demonstrates support for workers who have a vote in their workplace.”
Rita Crews, president of the Belair-Edison Community Association, thanked the mayor for sustaining funding for Clean Corps, an initiative initially funded by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars that hires unemployed residents to maintain vacant lots, alleys and sidewalks.
However, Crews also requested funding to build a community center in her neighborhood.
“There’s a renaissance going on, but not in Belair-Edison. My historic family-friendly, close-knitted community with tree-line affordable housing is in need of a renaissance,” said Crews. “We need a community center in Belair-Edison.”
The next Taxpayers’ Night, which will be hosted by the Baltimore City Council, will take place at City Hall on May 14.
