Embedded Files
Our report explores BPD salary data and finds that the average BPD employee collected more than $31k in non salary pay in 2024, primarily through excessive overtime pay. This cost the city $84 million.
BGE operates as a state-granted monopoly, extracting hundreds of millions in profits from Marylanders while residents face rising utility bills and shutoffs. While officials push for modest reforms, the real solution is public ownership. Baltimore and surrounding counties have the legal authority to take BGE into public hands, ensuring lower costs, better infrastructure, and alignment with sustainability goals. It’s time to give voters the choice—should their energy system serve corporate profits or the public good?
The Baltimore City Council proposed legislation to explore the root causes of chronic absenteeism. In this paper, Nate Golden, a teacher in Baltimore City Schools, provides his own ideas.
Governor Moore proposed progressive tax reforms. While legislators deliberate these changes, they should use the momentum to enact other progressive policies. We propose switching from a standard deduction to a standard credit.
This paper proposes a more equitable parking system. Free parking in the City primarily acts as a subsidy to the wealthy and non-residents. A better system would charge for parking and share the revenue with everyone in the city.
In response to the unrest in Baltimore following the killing of Freddie Gray, to expand programming for children in the city. But a careful look at the budget finds much of the appropriation isn't making it to children.
This post explores Maryland’s opportunity to lead with bold policies that address systemic inequality and improve lives. From a New Deal for Maryland to ending child poverty and fixing the housing crisis, we outline transformative ideas to make Maryland a model for the nation.
In this paper, we examine Baltimore's water transportation system, focusing on the challenges and opportunities presented by the current arrangement with Sagamore company. We propose expanding services to South Baltimore and adding free travel on the weekends.
In this paper, we examine the ineffectiveness and negative consequences of Baltimore's Gun Offender Registry Act (GORA), implemented in 2007 to deter gun crime. We argue that GORA has failed to reduce crime while suppressing property values in Black neighborhoods, wasting city resources, and perpetuating injustices in the criminal justice system, ultimately proposing several reforms including potential repeal of the law.
In this paper we expand on our critique of local income taxes and advocate for a state income tax and revenue sharing to replace the current county income taxes.
County-level property taxes reward economic segregation. Wealthy areas get low rates & better services. In this paper we propose a more just system, a flat property tax rate across the entire state and sharing the revenue with each county proportionally.
Members of the Maryland General Assembly have, undeniably, some of the most consequential jobs in our state. Yet those tasked with formulating the policies and laws that govern us are given less than a quarter of the calendar year to do so. A job of this nature should be full-time, professional work. It is time for Maryland to make this constitutional change.
With passage of the HOME Act in 2020, Maryland added important protections for vulnerable renters — it’s time to enforce them.
The strict requirements and high cost of driver's education are bringing many Marylanders into contact with the criminal justice system and funneling millions into evidence-lacking private companies. Read our recommendations for reform in this report.
Baltimore has nearly 14,000 vacant properties. We explore potential policy reforms to reduce vacant properties and reinvest in the city. Read on to learn more!
Explore our report on the Homestead Credit in Baltimore City, which uncovers significant economic disparities in its distribution. We advocate for a policy shift to increase equity in neighborhood investments, backed by comprehensive data from Open Baltimore.
This blog post delves into a bold proposition for Maryland: replacing the existing state income tax, local income tax, local property tax, state property tax, state sales tax, and corporate income tax with a single land value tax. (11 minute read).
The Renew Baltimore charter amendment proposes slashing the city's property tax rate, potentially creating a $500 million budget deficit. This report examines the limited and often detrimental options available to fill this gap, from drastic increases in income and sales taxes to significant cutbacks in city services. (3 minute read).
Maryland allows taxpayers to subtract billions of dollars from their taxable income via itemized deductions. This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the beneficiaries of these deductions and explores how eliminating these deductions could create a more equitable and efficient tax code while significantly raising revenue. (7 minute read).
In this white paper we partner with the Maryland Child Alliance to introduce a more inclusive and efficient approach to family tax benefits in Maryland (12 minute read).
The personal exemption excludes the poorest households. In this blog post we partner with the Maryland Child Alliance and propose converting the personal exemption into a fully refundable tax credit (5 minute read).
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