For nearly 30 years, Midtown Community Benefits District has kept Bolton Hill and three other nearby neighborhoods cleaner, greener, and safer, supplementing city government services. But unless property owners in those locales vote Yes before March 27 to re-certify Midtown, those services will disappear.
Last year Baltimore’s city council failed to reauthorize Midtown to maintain its status, as the state law which created the special benefits district requires every four years. Because of that failure, the neighborhoods have to affirmatively vote – as they did three decades ago – to legally reinstate Midtown. The law requires a super-majority – 58 percent of those voting.
The failure has proven costly. Midtown has spent thousands of dollars and diverted a lot of staff time to ensure that its constituents know about and vote in the election. BHCA’s board of directors is urging a YES vote. Community associations in Madison Park, Historic Marble Hill and Charles North have done the same.
If you are a property owner in the neighborhood and you have not already received a ballot in the mail, please contact Yes@MidtownCommunity.org immediately and one will be delivered. Ballots were sent out via the postal service on March 6. Ballots must be marked and mailed back before March 26. They also can be dropped off at these two locations through March 26:
- Baltimore Unity Hall – 1505 Eutaw Place, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. or Saturday, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- Peabody Institute – 17 E Mount Vernon Place, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. or Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
Ballots must be signed, dated and placed inside the sealed small envelope which, in turn, goes into the provided postage-paid return envelope. Envelopes must be received by the Board of Estimates by March 27, 2025.
Frequently asked questions:
I pay rent. Why can’t I vote? Midtown is a taxing authority. Only property owners, including apartment building owners, pay the special Midtown tax. The vote effectively binds property owners (but not renters) to pay that tax each year.
Two of us own our house together. Do we get two votes? Nope. Decide between you how your one vote will be cast.
We own more than one property in the neighborhood. Do we get more than one vote? Yes. You should receive a ballot for each property you own. If you did not, contact Yes@MidtownCommunity.org.
Why didn’t the city council and the mayor take care of this last year? Because we live in Baltimore! They screwed up. But it’s important to keep Midtown going, so please cast your ballot ASAP.
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