Baltimore Budget Passage Shifts Focus to Implementation Steps Ahead

The Baltimore City Council approved a $4.6 billion FY2026 budget on a 13-2 vote, directing nearly $7 million toward fine and fee increases plus dedicated amounts for migrant legal support, vacant housing reduction and sanitation worker raises.

This vote locks in spending levels that city departments must now translate into contracts, hiring and program launches before the fiscal year begins. The measure also includes $20 million total routed through the Office of Immigrant Affairs and $1 million earmarked for vacant housing work.

Executive order sets opioid fund rules

Mayor Brandon M. Scott signed an Executive Order that creates a governance structure and trust to manage $242.5 million in opioid restitution funds. The order immediately directs $20 million to the Health Department for crisis response, requiring the department to establish spending protocols and reporting lines within weeks.

These steps follow directly from the council action and the executive order, which together define both the revenue tools and the oversight framework agencies will operate under starting this summer.

Master plan and next budget actions

Mayor Scott also released the 10-year Downtown RISE Master Plan, which city staff must now align with the newly passed budget priorities. Officials at the Office of Immigrant Affairs and the Health Department will determine how the allocated dollars reach service providers and which neighborhoods receive initial vacant-property interventions.

Next decisions include finalizing trust board appointments for the opioid funds, issuing requests for proposals tied to the $1 million housing allocation, and confirming pay adjustments for sanitation workers. City agencies are expected to publish initial implementation timelines once internal reviews conclude.