City Council President Brandon Scott's New Agenda Wants To Let Teens Vote, Focuses On Crime Prevention
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Brandon Scott has been Baltimore's City Council President for almost three months, and Wednesday morning, the City heard his list of priorities.
Scott laid out his legislative agenda at City Hall, and crime was at the top of his mind.
"But have you ever heard of a dysfunctional government reducing crime?" Scott said.
Scott said all city agencies should be involved in the mission of lowering crime and serving those with violence-related trauma.
"Violent crime is the biggest impediment to the quality of our life. People are dying on our streets and our residents don't feel safe," Scott said.
The City is still recovering a ransomware attack that brought city government to its knees.
The plan also calls for increasing funding for the City's Board of Ethics in the wake of an ethics scandal that forced the resignation of former Mayor Catherine Pugh.
He wants charter amendments to reform the Board of Estimates and the City charter and lower the voting age in City elections to 16-years-old.
"Young people need the opportunity to provide meaningful input. We must lift their voices in the conversation," Scott said.
The council president said local funding for City Schools needs to be increased too above all else.
"Any agency's budget should be open to being reduced in order to increase education," Scott said.
He said Wednesday's policy proposals are independent of any potential run for mayor. He said he is planning a series of town halls beginning a week from Thursday in Cherry Hill.
Thursday, August 8 – 6:30-8:00pm
Cherry Hill Elementary
801 Bridgeview Road, Baltimore, MD 21225
Tuesday, August 13 – 6:30-8:00pm
Weinberg Y in Waverly
900 E 33rd St, Baltimore, MD 21218
Thursday, August 15 – 6:30-8:00pm
Baltimore City Community College
2901 Liberty Heights Ave, Baltimore, MD 21215
Tuesday, August 20 – 6:30-8:00pm
Edgewood Lyndhurst Recreation Center
835 Allendale St, Baltimore, MD 21229
Thursday, August 22 – 6:30-8:00pm
Lillie May Carroll Jackson Charter School
2200 Sinclair Ln, Baltimore, MD 21213
Tuesday, August 27 – 6:30-8:00pm
Enoch Pratt Free Library - Southeast Anchor Branch
3601 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD 21224
Wednesday, August 28 – 6:30-8:00pm
Online Virtual Forum
Details Forthcoming
Thursday, August 29 – 6:30-8:00pm
Mount Pleasant Church and Ministries
6000 Radecke Ave, Baltimore, MD 21206
Thursday, September 5 – 6:30-8:00pm
TBD
