Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 26
Baltimore Mayor Backs Baby Fund Ballot Measure Requiring 3 Cents per $100 in Property Taxes
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 26

Baltimore Mayor Backs Baby Fund Ballot Measure Requiring 3 Cents per $100 in Property Taxes

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 26

Summary

  • Brandon Scott formally joined the campaign for Baltimore’s Baby Fund after organizers cleared the 10,000-signature threshold and secured the measure a place on the November ballot.
  • Voters would decide whether to amend the city charter to create a permanent municipal fund for newborn families, financed by 3 cents per $100 of assessed property value.
  • The fund could provide direct cash payments, subsidies or supplies to parents of newborns, while the City Council would later set eligibility and disbursement rules through enabling legislation.
  • Scott cast the proposal as an extension of Baltimore’s 2022-2024 young families cash pilot, which supporters said reduced food insecurity, stress and missed work among participants.
  • The measure follows models such as Flint’s Rx Kids program and fits a broader guaranteed-income push backed by more than 150 U.S. mayors, even as critics question whether such programs are constitutional.

Insights

Could an outside legal challenge permanently derail city-funded newborn support programs nationwide?
Will flexible municipal subsidies provide the same life-changing stability for new parents as guaranteed direct cash?
What happens when voters approve a $15 million permanent tax without knowing who actually gets the money?