Regarding the recent hearing of the Charles Village Community Benefits District (CVCBD) on their "Recommended and Alternative Budgets for FY 2013", our community expressed concerns and here is another of the "Other voices from Charles Village", Joan Floyd, Benefits District homeowner:

SUPPLEMENTAL v. DUPLICATIVE SERVICES

THE CONCEPT

When they first authorized the Community Benefits District special taxing scheme for supplemental services, lawmakers prohibited the City of Baltimore from withholding regular services from the area where the special tax is collected and spent.  Lawmakers were aware that the City might be tempted to rely on Benefits District taxpayers to provide their own services.  Lawmakers required the City to sign a Baseline Agreement spelling out what regular services the City would continue to provide within the special taxing district. 

This mandate, if honored, should protect taxpayers from having to pay twice for the same municipal services. 

For example, let’s say the City puts these items in the Baseline Agreement: curbside trash pick-up, bulk trash pick-up, street sweeping, park cleaning, corner can collection and rat abatement. The City would not be allowed to refuse these services to any block within the special taxing district.  And residents of the area would not want the special tax used to pay for those services, since the City already provided them.      

THE PROBLEM

BALTIMORE – Baltimore is a magnificent city with wonders all around.  While the City government revels in the Inner Harbor, beyond that there is so much more in this city to see and enjoy, from the wonderful characteristics of its many, diverse neighborhoods, to its magnificent architecture, parks, churches, museums and statuary.  Baltimore could easily be the Paris of the Mid-Atlantic and a major cultural center of the region. But one of the main deterrents to have the City reach its full potential is that there is too much involvement by foundations in our communities which undermine the ability of the citizens of Baltimore to themselves achieve what is possible for their Grand City.