The Baltimore City budget season came to an end Monday evening with little fanfare as the City Council approved Mayor Brandon Scott’s $4 billion budget proposal without amendments.
Not included in that budget, however, is the additional $1 million Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates requested to help bolster staffing within certain investigative units. Bates asked Scott’s office to unfreeze 20 positions, that he said would be filled by prosecutors working on cases like those connected to the Group Violence Reduction Strategy.
During his budget hearing on May 30, Bates said the major investigations unit would be the one tasked with handling more cases, especially as Scott continues plans for a citywide expansion of GVRS. However, Bates’ additional request was not met in the final budgeting process.
In a statement released following the approval of the budget by the City Council, Bates called the decision not to include his $1 million additional request “disheartening,” and said it showed City Hall “placed public safety and accountability on the back burner in the latest budget.”
“The message is clear that when an agency creates tangible results that save lives in our city, it will be met with no additional investment to build upon the vital work that is undeniably needed. Simply unfreezing the positions, we used to have at this office so that we can operate with a full staff seems like a small request from the prosecutor’s office with the highest case volume in the State,” Bates said via statement. “While we are somewhat perplexed at the outcome, we fully understand the City’s budgetary constraints and remain steadfast in our commitment to being an active partner in Baltimore’s public safety.”
Scott’s office did not respond to a request for comment on Bates’ budget frustrations.
