After careful consideration, I'll stop using Twitter (or X). As a government official, I won't align with a platform fostering anti-semitism & hate. Find me on threads, Instagram, Facebook, our office's website, and in real life—despite its under-utilization in today's society.
Baltimore is a safe city. If you are a Baltimore City resident in need of legal immigration assistance or if you or someone you know is detained - please see the below research. Share widely.
Today starts my term as your Comptroller. I’m intimately aware that I am taking public office at a time when trust in elected officials is extremely low.
For over ten years, I have made the case that youth development is public safety and for over ten years, each police commissioner I have served with has privately agreed with me.
Congratulations to Baltimore’s Ace Hardwares in Canton, Fed Hill, and Waverly for becoming employee-owned! Employee ownership helps generate wealth for workers & strengthens our local economy. I’m excited for your next adventures!
If you are constantly reading the news, and are feeling overwhelmed, Baltimore's own Pro Bono Counseling project can help. Call in between 10:00-2:00 to talk to a counselor - for free. If you leave a message, it will be returned. The number to call is 410-825-1001.
I have absolutely no doubt that if thousands of darker-skinned folk had stormed the nation’s capitol, they would not have left upright and with souvenirs.
.
@MayorBMScott
has asked the Governor to ensure more Covid vaccine for older City residents
Today the Governor, at new vaccine site at M &T Bank Stadium, dismissed the question..saying City has gotten "far more than they are really entitled to"
City Health got 3500 doses for week
You know what would be really bad for our economy? Flooding the courts with evictions & creating a tidle wave of homelessness.
MD has the money. I encourage
@GovLarryHogan
to act now on these demands.
Only 23 days until evictions start in MD — in the middle of a pandemic! MD has $1.3 Billion in fed funds. 52 orgs and over 500 residents today demand that
@GovLarryHogan
provide
#MDHousingRelief
now: 1) extend and expand eviction moratorium, 2) $175 million as a down payment /1
Today I learned that I am the 17th Comptroller of Baltimore City. Two comptrollers have died in office, giving me about a 12% likelihood of kicking the bucket while holding this job.
Glad by superpowers kicked in...😄
I have spent a lot of time examining the limited public details on Renew Baltimore & here's what I have come up with: it will not work as quickly as the proponents are implying and could cause serious damage to Baltimore City for years to come.
Some of my colleagues and I are working to identify specific funding currently proposed to the Police Department and re-channel it to other agencies whose work also makes Baltimore City safer.
The Hampden-based ice cream maker officially becomes a worker-owned cooperative, joining the growing ranks of such companies in a city that’s becoming an incubator for this unique style of business.
“To set the city on that better path, to grapple with shrinking government revenues during the coronavirus pandemic and to challenge conventional wisdom, we endorse Bill Henry as Baltimore City Comptroller.”
It’s an honor.
This was the most important election of our lifetime. While results are still coming in across the country, I’m glad that here, in Baltimore City, voters decisively embraced change.
Thank you.
I'm excited to share some updates on my transition to being Baltimore City's next Comptroller.
Erika McClammy will be joining my office in December as the Deputy Comptroller.
Celeste Amato will be leaving Maryland Philanthropy Network to lead our team as my Chief of Staff.
This morning, I abstained from voting on the FY22 Preliminary Budget at the Board of Estimates.
I ran on a platform of change. One that promised collaborative leadership and a new level of transparency, accessibility, and accountability to our citizens and taxpayers. 1/
Baltimore County pays LESS than Baltimore City for water because of a 1972 court agreement.
Howard County pays less. Charles County pays less. Carroll County pays less. All less than Baltimore City.
If we are working towards equity, this ain’t it.
#WaterisaHumanRight
There’s a lot to be said about the city’s budget. That’s why I introduced 19-0379 Ordinance of Estimates - so the City Council can have power to move $$ around in the budget.
We’re having a work session this Wednesday at 3pm on the charter amendment.
Hope to have your support!
Today’s release of an extensive water billing investigation put a fine point on what we already know: our water billing system is not serving Baltimore well.
1/
It's a formality, but I wanted to share: tomorrow, 12/8 at 1:59pm I will be resigning from my seat on the City Council in advance of taking the oath of office for Comptroller of Baltimore City.
Today's the first day of 5 days of budget hearings. Here are the some things you should know--
Hearings generally go from 9am to 9pm each day. They will be accessible via Webex. Call-In/video information is listed here: .
Happy Election Day! Or, as some call it, last-minute voting!
In MD, the polls are open until 8pm. If you aren’t registered, you can still register at any voting center. And please, if you have your mail in ballot, drop it off at a ballot dropbox today.
This afternoon, I'll be sworn in as Baltimore City's Comptroller. After a brief ceremony with my family, I'll meet the press outside City Hall to discuss my initial plans.
Hope you can join me. 2pm,
Thank you, Baltimore! We've left it all on the field. Now, let's build a transparent and accountable government that better meets the needs of city residents.
Every time the BOE approves a legal settlement regarding the Gun Trace Taskforce, my office gets asked, "How much has that cost the City?"
So we created a tracker to show the devastating impact this has had on our bottom line.
Historically, as we have grown the Police Department, we have done so by defunding other entities whose work is also vital to maintaining our communities. This has resulted in mission creep for the police, who are routinely expected to do work that they are not properly prepared-
This week I was interviewed on Mobtown Ballroom’s weekly live stream about my campaign for Baltimore City Comptroller.
The viewers sent in memes that are too good not share..(thread)
Personally, I hope this effort will be a collaborative one, with the City Council, the Police Department, and the Mayor’s office all working together to arrive at the best possible balance for Baltimore.
The City Council immediately adopted my resolution calling on
@GovLarryHogan
to allocate at least $175 million for rental assistance + eviction prevention.
MD has $1.3 billion on COVID-19 funds that could be used to provide this aid.
We need to step up.
Each year, the City Auditor (in collaboration with the Department of Finance) produces the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) & the Single Audit, outlining the City's overall financial health.
See where the money resides:
I am honored to announce that I am endorsing my good friend, State Senator
@jillpcarter
, for the 7th Congressional District race. Jill has a track record of taking on the hard issues and winning. We need her in Washington!
If the state distributed the vaccine equitably, by targeting the counties that have the highest density of frontline/Phase 1A-C Individuals, then Baltimore would be receiving far more vaccines than our meager allotment.
Baltimore has lost three heroes today. My heart goes out to the families and friends of our fallen firefighters.
Please keep them and everyone at the BCFD in your prayers as they deal with this devastating loss. 🙏🏾
Comptroller-elect
@BillforBmore
states his support for repealing LEOBR and getting local control back in our city's police department. This is another top priority this year - thanks
@BillforBmore
for your commitment!
Then let me repeat my often-used response: "Apparently, the fifteen members of the City Council are capable of trying to address more than one of Baltimore City's problems at a time." 😮
Mayor Young makes his version of an often-heard criticism of progressive City Council members: "I would expect the council to be more concerned about violence and murders in the city of Baltimore" than renaming Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day
Publicly, none has been willing to voluntarily give back funding which could be more effectively invested in our communities, reducing the root elements of crime.
To everyone in the streets tonight sharing your anger, pain, and sadness over George Floyd and other victims of police brutality. I hear you, I see you. Wear a mask and march on.
Did you know that Maryland offers a student loan tax credit? If you have at least $20,000 in undergraduate and/or graduate student loan debt, & have at least $5,000 in outstanding student loan debt - you are eligible.
Apply by September 15th!
Happy birthday
@MayorBMScott
! I believe - but you can correct me if I’m wrong, the first picture was taken right after you were told you have to be at least 25 years old to be Mayor. Glad you are almost there!
As a City Schools parent & a City Council member, I completely support a virtual start for the Fall 2020 semester. But we can’t do this without high speed internet for all students & staff.
We need to bridge the digital divide.
This morning,
@MayorBMScott
,
@Nick_Mosby
and I sent a letter to
@GovLarryHogan
asking him to reverse his decision to halt federally-funded unemployment benefits nearly 2 months early.
We urge him to take immediate action.
Read the full letter here:
In the absence of a federal response,
@MayorBMScott
made the incredibly hard but necessary decision today to close indoor dining and place new COVID-19 restrictions on our City. I wholeheartedly support his executive order.
Five years ago, after Freddie Grey's death and the uprising that followed, I stood in the City Council chambers and said that my greatest fear was not that there would be more rioting. 1/
Okay 2020 - that’s it. I want to thank you for facilitating some important leadership changes, but for the most part, you were awful and I’m glad you’re over. Looking forward to 2021!
#weredonehere
Why can't we make it policy for BPD supervisors to just *not* assign an OT shift to an officer who is out on paid leave? Isn’t that the common sense thing to do?
Today, Gov Hogan rejected the 10 yr
#Blueprint4MD
– an EDU plan for our students
In the midst of hundreds of millions of hours of learning loss during the
#COVID19
pandemic we have no plan to support our students who, in some zip codes, were already behind the curve in learning
This article has a heckuva time trying to make
@jillpcarter
's police pension bill sound inflammatory, but really it is just good common sense, policy.
Nice try though!
After asking for the reasoning behind this spending decision at a BOE meeting, I’m hopeful it won’t happen again. I can think of so many better ways we could have spent these funds..
On October 1, Baltimore City's Plastic Bag Ban will go into effect. Plastic bags will be banned at the point of sale, and all other bags will cost 5 cents.
Learn more, talk to your neighbors, & make a plan! More info from our friends at sustainability--
Baltimore’s high car insurance rates are no secret. MD law allows insurance companies to use non-driving factors when underwriting insurance premiums - like education, zip code, and credit. This makes mandated auto insurance unreachable for many.
Less than two hours ago,
@mayorbcyoung
signed Council Bill 19-0379 Charter Amendment - Ordinance of Estimates into law.
It's now up to the voters to decide if the City Council should be able to move money around in the budget.