Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott to deliver the State of the City address

CBS News

20-04-2025

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott will deliver his State of the City address on Monday, April 21.
In April, the
mayor has touted the decline in violent crime
and has
revealed the city's proposed fiscal year 2026 budget
, which aims to address an $85 million shortfall. The State of the City address also comes just over 10 years since Freddie Gray died following an arrest in Baltimore, which ignited protests across the country.
Mayor Scott sat down with
WJZ in April to discuss
the city's downward crime trends.
At the beginning of April, Scott said homicides were down 22% and non-fatal shootings have declined by 28% compared to this time in 2024,
according to Baltimore City data.
As of Friday, April 18, Baltimore City police responded to 37 homicides, compared to 51 in 2024. There have also been 83 non-fatal shootings, in comparison to 123 last year.
"We are just acknowledging the progress and pushing forward," Scott said.
On April 1, Scott said total violent crime was down 20% this year, aggravated assaults were down 13%, robberies were down 22%, auto thefts were down 46%, and carjackings are down 23%. The mayor also said at the time that about 600 guns were recovered by police.
"We are not resting on that," Scott said. "There are still far too many people being murdered and injured in our city. We won't stop."
The mayor has complemented the city's Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan, which aims to prevent violence with a public health approach, community engagement, and accountability.
From the beginning, the
prevention plan has aimed to approach
violence as a public health issue. In the updated plan, there's a new focus on youth justice. It builds upon some of the plan's previous work but also adds new goals.
"We are seeing crime across the board drop in the city, and we just want to work together with everyone to keep that going," Scott said. "We are seeing that work and seeing that partnership under the vision and plan that I laid out coming to fruition."
Saturday, April 19, marked 10 years since the death of Freddie Gray, who died a week after sustaining injuries in Baltimore police custody in 2015, sparking unrest and protest across the city and country.
On Saturday, several people gathered under a
mural dedicated to Gray on N. Mount Street
in West Baltimore. Fredricka, Gray's twin sister, placed down a wreath in honor of her brother.
"It's still justice for Freddie Gray," Fredricka said.
Gray was
placed in police custody on the morning of April 12, 2015
. He was placed into the back of a police van, where he would suffer injuries that ultimately killed him.
Gray was shackled and unsecured in the van, and he he asked for help several times, but police failed to give him any assistance until it was too late, according to prosecutors.
By the time Gray got to the police precinct in West Baltimore, he was drooling, unable to speak and had a fractured neck. The medical examiner later ruled his death a homicide.
Days of protests turned violent
shortly after Gray's funeral.
In the aftermath of Gray's death, the Baltimore police department was placed under a consent decree. Earlier this week, a federal judge
released the department from two sections of that decree
, saying BPD was now in compliance.
During Saturday's event, Mayor Scott acknowledged the progress being made.
"We are not the perfect Baltimore that we all want to be, and with that said, we've double-downed on wanting to be after 2015 and the unrest that followed Freddie's death," Scott said. "Yes, we are better, and we will continue to get better each and every day."
The city's proposed budget for
fiscal year 2026 prioritizes
youth development, public safety, neighborhood revitalization, and responsible use of resources.
In order to trim the city's monetary shortfall
, the budget balances the deficit through $26.6 million in new revenue from updated fee structures, $43.7 million in citywide cost optimizations, and $14.7 million in agency-specific reductions. The proposal does not include increases in property or income taxes.
The spending plan involves $624.8 million for youth initiatives, including $6.9 million to expand the YouthWorks summer jobs program to 8,500 participants at $15 per hour and funding for two new recreation centers.
Public safety would receives $1.2 billion, with full funding for the citywide expansion of the Group Violence Reduction Strategy and continued efforts to transition administrative police tasks to civilian roles, according to the proposed budget. These efforts are expected to save $1.1 million annually in overtime costs.
According to the proposal, the budget would allocate $1.1 billion for neighborhood services, including $5 million to enhance trash and recycling collection with 15 additional crews and $36.7 million from the Opioid Restitution Fund to combat the opioid epidemic.
Scott's plan also includes $346.4 million for neighborhood development, featuring an additional $1.5 million for the mayor's $3 billion vacant housing initiative. That funding
will also cover Bmore FAST
, a new program to improve the city's property permitting process.
An additional $2 million would be used to establish a new Office of Art, Culture, and Entertainment.
The budget now moves to the City Council for review before the start of the fiscal year on July 1.
"This year's budget outlook is filled with both opportunities and challenges, exacerbated by uncertainty at the federal level and a significant state deficit being addressed in Annapolis," Mayor Scott said. "Even in the face of challenging economic circumstances, my administration is committed to investing in our young people and older adults, improving our core service delivery, and continuing the historic progress we have made on public safety. The FY2026 budget is a reflection of our city's values. This is not just our financial plan for the next year; it is a roadmap for our future- designed to invest in the safety, health, and prosperity of every resident."
Here's a look at the city's
proposed FY2026 budget
.