May 2005

For years, Baltimore’s Safe and Sound Campaign has provided the City a roadmap for investments in positive youth activities.  Safe and Sound has marshaled tens of millions of public and private dollars into strategies proven to help make sure kids are born healthy, enter school ready to learn, have safe things to do and places to go after school, and live in safe neighborhoods.  Because of these efforts, thousands of children, youth and families have new opportunities – but many thousands still live in unacceptable conditions. 

The City of Baltimore has been an important part of this strategy, but recent serious budget constraints experienced by Baltimore and nearly every other major city have made it difficult for the City to significantly increase its investments in children.  When the City budget appeared headed for a surprise surplus this year due to the City’s strong economic performance, Safe and Sound was ready with the expertise on the best health and safety strategies to fund, and the grassroots support to help secure the investments.

Safe and Sound employed a “Cut the Check” campaign, calling for $10 million of the projected $37.5 million general fund surplus to be invested in after-school and other positive youth development programs.  On April 13, Mayor Martin O’Malley and City Council President Sheila Dixon proposed doing just that – except the investment will be $12 million, not $10 million, and the bulk of it will fund strategies promoted by Safe and Sound.

“Working together over the last several years, we invested in making Baltimore a safer, cleaner, healthier city; a better place for children to grow up; and a city where investment in neighborhoods and jobs is welcome,” O’Malley said.  “Today our efforts are paying off and as a result, we are able to invest a large portion of the surplus in improving the lives of children.”

The Mayor’s proposal would direct $12 million in one-time funds to boost the City’s overall investment in children-centered programs.  When combined with the proposed budget for these programs in fiscal year 2006 ($270 million), the City will spend 42 percent more on those activities than it did just two years ago.

“Everyone in the City will benefit when our children are put first,” said City Council President Dixon.  “Whole communities can be transformed.  We can use this surplus to build a stable and holistic environment for our children, so Baltimore’s young people can become educated, productive citizens – true stakeholders in their communities and our future leaders.”

One of the “Cut the Check” activities that preceded the announcement by O’Malley and Dixon was a Taxpayer’s Night hearing by the City’s Board of Estimates, co-chaired by O’Malley and Dixon.  Proponents of Safe and Sound’s after-school and family support strategies filled the 100-plus-seat hall, and dozens testified.  “We are worthy of your support,” testified 16 year-old Monet Griffin.  “Please tell me how many citizen signatures, phone calls or postcards you need to receive so that you will be convinced – we will deliver them!”

Griffin is one of Safe and Sound’s Youth Ambassadors.  In addition to participating in the hearing, the Youth Ambassadors hit the streets armed with petitions and other materials to explain to the public what the money, invested effectively, would do to improve conditions for Baltimore’s kids.

The $12 million announced by O’Malley and Dixon would be allocated to the following programs:

• Enhanced maintenance for city schools ($3 million)
• School-based after-school programs ($3.4 million)
• Enoch Pratt Library ($1.53 million)
• Operation Safe Kids ($1 million)
• Summer Jobs Programs ($1 million)
• Recreation Centers ($1 million)
• Youth AIDS Prevention Programs ($500,000)
• Opportunities at cultural institutions ($500,000)
• Mentoring/faith-based partnerships ($100,000)

O’Malley stressed that the additional $12 million is intended as a one-time investment.  The strong housing market credited as the principal driver of the increased City revenues is not likely to last forever, he noted.  Safe and Sound applauds O’Malley and Dixon, but considers the $12 million as phase one if its advocacy campaign – phase two is to ensure that the money becomes an annual appropriation.