The following is Mayor Brandon M. Scott’s 5th State of the City Address, as prepared for delivery. Mayor Scott convened city officials, state electeds, stakeholders, and community members at M&T Bank Exchange to deliver the address on Monday, April 21, 2025. The speech can also be downloaded by clicking here.

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Thank you, Congressman Mfume!

And thank you, Baltimore, for allowing me to lead you for another four years!

I also want to say thank you to members of the Cabinet.

Could you all stand?

I love this city.

Everyone knows that.

No matter what anyone may think about me…

The one constant is that I am Baltimore to the core.

Whether it’s my love of club music,

Under Armour sweats,

Pride in my school, Mervo,

My hatred of the Steelers and Yankees,

My Baltimore accent,

And hell, even my children’s names…

Everyone knows I’m a proud Baltimorean who is just as proud to be from Park Heights.

There is no city in the world like ours.

Baltimore is built different.

So, we have to build different.

We have to build the Baltimore way…

By leaning into our strengths, our grit and our charm…

And not shying away from our challenges,

But seeing them as opportunities to be better.

When I took office, I promised that my administration would always do the right thing.

Not the easy thing, or the popular thing, but the right thing.

Especially where we know we’ve gotten things wrong for quite some time.

Here’s a perfect example:

When I announced Baltimore’s first-ever Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan…

And said we were going to reduce homicides by 15% every year…

People didn’t think it was possible….

That first year, we didn’t hit 15%.

And they kept doubting.

But we stuck to our strategy:

And here we are, four years later.

There were 335 homicides in 2020.

There were 201 in 2024.

That’s down 40%.

Shootings were down 43% over that time.

In the first few months of 2025, we have had the fewest homicides in 50 years.

Think about that.

Baltimore has less violence today than we’ve had in 50 years.

Robberies are down 23% since last year.

Carjackings are down 19%.

Auto thefts are down 40%.

Every year, U-S News puts out a list of the 25 most dangerous cities in America.

This year, Memphis was number one.

Followed by St. Louis... Detroit... Birmingham... Little Rock... New Orleans... Cleveland... Kansas City... Myrtle Beach... Denver...

And I could keep going.

Baltimore isn’t on the list.

But this is not a moment for celebration.

This is progress, but we have more work to do.

We’re staying focused on the goal we set at the start:

Reducing homicides by at least 15% every year.

Because one life is One. Too. Many.

Here’s our North Star…

Stories like Kelief’s are possible because of Roca… and the resources we’ve created through Group Violence Reduction Strategy.

Ending violence in Baltimore is going to take all of us working together.

That’s what this strategy is built on:

Bringing together all of the pieces of the community violence intervention ecosystem.

Empowering residents to help us make their neighborhoods safer.

And offering real alternatives for those who want to change their lives.

It should have never been up to BPD alone to keep our streets safe.

But building a stronger, better department is still a critical part of this work.

Four years ago, BPD’s homicide clearance rate was 42%.

Today, it’s 68%.

That’s over ten percent better than the national average.

In the last four years, they’ve taken over 10,000 guns off of our streets.

And under the Consent Decree… they’re doing the work to restore pride and trust with our neighborhoods.

Police involved shootings are down 67%.

Use of force incidents have been cut in half.

And complaints are down 67%.

BPD is doing their work with fewer sworn officers...

WHILE reforming.

That’s especially meaningful as we mark 10 years since the death of Freddie Gray.

This strategy has always been the RIGHT thing to do.

But now it’s also the POPULAR thing.

Baltimore is THE model for violence reduction.

And now that we’ve proven that this comprehensive strategy works, we are leaning in.

We will keep building, keep growing, and keep strengthening our approach to continue the progress we’ve made.

Now, let’s talk about how we engage our young people.

I know we all remember when the city used to balance the budget by closing rec centers.

We’re not about that.

Since I took office, I’ve increased our Rec and Parks operational budget by over 40%.

We’ve built or renovated 25 playgrounds, 6 rec centers, and 4 pools.

Pools like Walter P. Carter, Coldstream, and Towanda that will reopen this summer.

Rec centers like Chick Webb, Parkview, and Furley.

And we’re not done yet!

We’re about to break ground on Congressman Elijah Cummings Rec Center in Brooklyn Curtis Bay...

And we’re working with community members to build a new Lillian Jones Rec Center in Sandtown.

We’ve also teamed up with City Schools, and the Baltimore Children and Youth Fund…

To devote half a million dollars to middle school sports programs.

We want our athletes ready to bring home state championships by the time they get to high school.

This is good for student performance on and off the field.

Under Armour’s Project Rampart tells us youth athletes have better attendance…

Higher GPAs…

And are more likely to graduate than non-athletes.

Now recently, folks in Washington – who have never spent a day in our schools – have had a lot to say about education in Baltimore.

As a proud graduate of the best public school in Baltimore, I know the good, the bad, and the ugly of our school system.

I’m the first to say: we still have work to do.

But let’s not be ignorant to the facts.

Our kindergarten readiness is the highest it’s been in nearly a decade.

Chronic absenteeism is down.

Over the last three years, our students ranked second in the country for their reading progress.

Second, in the COUNTRY!

And we’re one of FIVE large urban districts in the entire United States…

Where young people are reading better than before the pandemic.

We’re also making our schools safer and healthier… by taking cell phones out of classrooms.

To keep all of this progress going, we are working alongside City Schools to meet two goals:

To increase the percentage of students who are reading and writing on grade level over 10 percent by 2027.

And more than double the percentage of students on grade level for math in that time.

I look forward to working with Councilman Bullock, our teachers, and all of Baltimore to reach these goals.

Now, let’s meet one of the educators who’s gonna help us get there:

Bettye Adams.

Could we have Bettye and all of our educators stand up?

We see you, we are here for you, and we’re in this together.

I’ll be straight with you: federal funding cuts won’t make any of this easier.

But we’re not gonna let their problems derail our children’s progress...

Or prevent young Baltimoreans from finding great careers after graduation.

So, we’re supporting things like Blueprint for Maryland’s future...

Which has placed career counselors at every middle and high school.

And Youthworks, which is offering 8,500 young people jobs for the summer, paying $15 an hour.

I’m excited to announce that we’re also creating a new Infrastructure Academy in Park Heights...

Where residents can get trained for jobs that the City needs to fill…

Like mechanics, H-VACs, carpenters, CDLs, and more.

This academy builds on existing apprenticeships...

Like D-P-W’s Y-H2O program...

Which has connected nearly 150 young people to good jobs.

Or our Department of General Services…

Which has apprentices from Edmondson-Westside, Forest Park, and Mervo.

We’ve created similar programs citywide, to help Baltimore residents of all ages and backgrounds find jobs.

Through my Office of African-American Male Engagement, we’re providing support for young Black men and boys.

Last year, our re-entry center helped 401 residents find jobs after serving their time.

And through the Squeegee Collaborative, we’re connecting squeegee workers with stable jobs.

Put it all together, and you don’t have to look far to find young people succeeding in Baltimore.

I’ve brought a few examples with me tonight:

That right there is what our work is all about.

We know that when we create opportunity for all of our citizens...

Especially our young people...

Everybody is better off.

Equity and DEI may be under attack in Washington, but they are alive and well in Baltimore.

So, call us the DEI Capital of the United States.

Call us whatever you like.

We are never gonna apologize for investing in the people of our city.

And that includes supporting our more seasoned residents – who have given so much to our city.

We’re joined today by one of those folks:

Mr. Sid Grossman, who’s here with us today.

Mr. Sid was the first face I saw when I walked into City Hall for the first time.

He has served the city for decades – not just at City Hall, but as a teacher for Baltimore City Schools.

Sir, I want to thank you for your service.

We’re committed to supporting older adults like Mr. Sid... to show our gratitude for all they’ve done for Baltimore.

Our new office of Older Adult Affairs and Advocacy has already held events with 700 people.

And we’re helping hundreds of folks stay in their homes…

By making them more physically accessible and energy efficient through programs like HUBS.

More broadly, to ensure all Baltimoreans can access the care they need...

We’re rethinking the way we invest in public health.

Fact is, Baltimore has the institutions and the talent to become the public health capital of the WORLD.

Institutions like Morgan State, Coppin, Johns Hopkins, and UMD.

Talent like Dr. Z, who’s been practicing medicine in Park Heights for decades...

And who went viral this year for his service to the community.

Dr. Z, thank you for your service.

When we talk about Baltimore’s strengths as a City, our doctors, nurses, researchers, and scientists are at the top of the list.

We’ve delivered investments to support these folks...

Including $2 million in grants for home health care workers...

Those on the front-lines of public health don’t always get the recognition they deserve – and they need more support.

Same goes for our paramedics and our firefighters.

Which is why we’re actively recruiting for these roles.

And expanding Tele911.

So if paramedics respond to a call that doesn’t require emergency care...

They can connect individuals to telehealth services, on the spot.

Baltimore is one of the first cities in the country to do this.

I want to give a special shout out to our 911 and 988 operators...

Who have earned multiple awards tied to this initiative.

Together, first responders keep our city safe – on good days and bad days.

In fact, could all of our first responders stand?

Our first responders help us tackle some of the hardest challenges we face on a daily basis.

The opioid crisis is a prime example.

Thanks to targeted investments and community support, fatal opioid overdoses were down 35% last year.

That’s progress.

But it will take time and resources to repair the damage done to our communities.

And that takes accountability…

For everyone responsible for the spread of opioids in our communities.

Not just dealers but also Big Pharma companies who profited from the overprescription of these drugs.

So, just like we went after gun companies for putting illegal weapons on our streets...

We sued these companies directly.

Big Pharma didn’t give it up – we took it.

Thanks to the leadership of City Solicitor Ebony Thompson and her team...

We’ve recovered nearly $700 million in settlements and legal victories.

And we’re investing that money directly into our neighborhoods...

Through a comprehensive strategic plan, led by our new Office of Overdose Response…

And supported by the Restitution Advisory Board.

All of these investments are building Baltimore into a healthier place to LIVE.

And we’re keeping it going by literally cleaning up our streets.

I’m happy to announce that we have completely overhauled 311...

So you can get more accurate information…

And know that reports marked “closed” are actually done!

We’re also making improvements at DPW – because it’s our responsibility to take care of the folks who take care of us.

To our DPW workers:

You have the most important jobs in Baltimore.

We want to make sure that you go home at the end of the day just as safe and healthy as when you clocked in.

So – we are investing in occupational health and safety improvements.

And Mr. President, Councilman Glover, you’ll appreciate this:

We will raise DPW wages in their next contract.

To support DPW’s important cleanup work, we’re connecting folks to good jobs in Clean Corps.

This past year alone, these teams cleaned 12,000 alleys, over 1,000 tons of trash, and 8,700 vacant lots.

Starting this June, we’re all gonna get in on the work.

We’re launching a sprint to clean every single block of the city.

We’re removing graffiti. Mowing vacant lots. Fixing up tree pits.

Clearing overgrown sidewalks. Cleaning dirty storm drains.

And targeting illegal dumping, in every neighborhood.

For those of you who want to get a head start – you can join us this weekend for Spring Cleanup.

Call 311 to sign up!

It’s about doing the simple things well – like paving our streets and making it easier to get where you need to go.

We plan to repave 111 miles of road this year...

Repair 700,000 square feet of sidewalk...

And fill 100,000 potholes.

And we’ve expanded our transit options.

For years, we’ve parked Circulator busses in Cherry Hill.

But the residents there could not ride the Circulator because it didn’t stop There.

Not anymore.

It’s been 6 months.

And already, 85,000 passengers have taken the Cherry Hill Circulator...

To the grocery store, to work, to the doctor – making their lives easier every day.

To put it simply:

We’re making Baltimore a better place to live, work, and grow.

And it’s paying off.

This is the place to be for people and companies looking to make BOLD MOVES.

CFG left the county and moved into the city.

Under Armour and T. Rowe Price opened up new headquarters.

Innovators and entrepreneurs are flocking to Baltimore – including to tech hubs like the 4MLK Building.

And together, we are reimagining Harborplace, to meet the needs of businesses and residents alike.

Baltimore has serious momentum right now.

And more and more people are seeing it for themselves.

We had over 28 million tourist visits to our city last year...

Thanks to events like the CIAA tournament...

Which we will bid to host beyond 2026..

We’re also home to incredible outdoor events – including Artscape, AFRAM, and the Preakness.

With that said, I’m excited to announce a new Office of Arts, Culture, and Entertainment...

Which will organize these events and others – and serve as a resource for local artists and creators.

Plus, we have big conferences headed to the Baltimore Convention Center.

But to make sure we can keep hosting moneymakers like these, we have to make some upgrades.

We see how successful the renovation of CFG Bank Arena is.

I look forward to working with our state partners –

Led by Governor Moore, Senate President Ferguson, and Speaker Jones...

To bring the same success to our convention center.

All of this work supports our Downtown RISE initiative:

A plan to revitalize the heart of our city and deliver support for local artists, restaurant owners, and businesses.

We’ve already delivered millions to help small businesses transform vacant storefronts…

With a focus on Black and women-owned businesses.

We’re launching a new initiative to bring restaurants into vacant spaces.

And we’re showing love to our favorite Downtown small businesses...

From Stem and Vine flower shop, to Viva Books, to Collegiate Luxe.

Altogether, we’re looking at $7 billion in public and private development Downtown through 2028.

Whether you’re a Fortune 500 company or a startup, we want you to get in on the action.

Consider this a personal invitation from the Mayor:

Come to Baltimore!

And that’s not just an offer for businesses.

Elon Musk and DOGE may not appreciate the talents and service of our federal workers.

But we do – and we’re hiring.

We want young people, older adults, federal workers, families, lottie dottie and everybody to see what Baltimore’s all about.

And that’s especially true for Black people… women… the LGBTQ community…

Anybody who currently lives somewhere they live in fear… where they can’t be themselves… or read books that they want to.

Come to Baltimore. We only require that you’re law abiding.

You are welcome in our city.

And more folks than ever are moving here!

In fact, our population grew last year, for the first time in TEN YEARS!

And to keep this going...

I’m excited to announce that we’re partnering with Bloomberg Philanthropies, Hopkins, and Harvard Growth Lab to keep this going.

Our partnership is all about the facts:

Using data and real-world experience to diversify our economy and grow our population.

We’ve delivered an additional $900,000 in Home Ownership Incentives, to attract new homebuyers to our city...

And over $750,000 in “Buy Back the Block” grants to help Baltimoreans like these folks buy a home:

We want more people to have stories like this but not just in EV, but in Mondawmin and every neighborhood.

And to make that happen, we need more affordable housing available.

Since I took office, we’ve built or preserved more than 7,000 affordable homes citywide, through projects like:

The Terraces at Park Heights…

The second phase of Uplands…

And innovative projects like Hope Village, a community of tiny homes designed to help families exit homelessness.

But most significant of all:

We are finally doing something about vacants – which have been a problem in Baltimore longer than I’ve been alive.

When I was little, every time I cut the grass at 2551 West Cold Spring Lane, my dad made me cut it at 53 and 55.

55 was a vacant.

And he would say to me and my brothers:

“When people drive past to get on 83, they’re not gonna say, ‘that one house really cares about their grass.’”

“They’re gonna say, ‘those people don’t care about their neighborhood.’”

Now, we’ve made real progress on this front.

Right now, there are less than 13,000 vacant properties citywide.

For the first time in over 20 years.

But we’re just getting started.

In 2023, alongside BUILD and GBC, we launched our vision to end the vacants crisis for good – within 15 years.

Tonight, we’re unveiling its official name: Reframe Baltimore.

On our new website, residents and developers alike can see the history of how we got here – and resources on how to get involved.

Through Reframe Baltimore, we’ve mapped out a $3 billion capital stack of state, city, and private funding...

Including $50 million every year from the state.

And I want to thank Governor Moore, Secretary Day, and their teams for their continued support, especially during a tough budget process.

The next piece is reviving the Baltimore Industrial Development Authority, to rehab 1,000 additional vacants.

And then we get to the most exciting, innovative part of this plan:

The nation’s first-ever non-contiguous TIF – focused on turning vacants into affordable housing.

Or, in other words:

We are taking tax breaks beyond Downtown and Harbor East into every neighborhood – targeting every vacant.

We expect to see results from the first round of funding this year.

And to make sure that we’re getting the most bang for our buck...

We’re reimagining how we issue permits, approve projects, and zone neighborhoods.

Because frankly, it takes too damn long to build in Baltimore.

Thanks to the leadership of Councilman Dorsey...

We’re proposing changes to building and zoning code standards that prevent us from expanding multifamily housing options in the city.

That means everybody can find a home that meets their needs…

Whether they’re a big family, an older adult looking to downsize, or a young person looking for their first place.

And for the last piece of this strategy:

We’re shortening approval times for new City projects...

Whether it’s bridges, highways, roads, pools, rec centers, or homes.

This morning, I signed an executive order that will speed up project timelines by as much as eighteen months.

Put it all together, and Reframe Baltimore is the vacants strategy many of us have waited for since we were kids.

And it’s going to help us make Baltimore the most welcoming city in the nation.

From housing to health to education and safety, we have a clear vision for our city’s future.

But we also know that with this unpredictable crew in charge in DC, the only certainty is uncertainty.

They’re coming after everything that really makes this country great:

The right to speak your mind… to make choices about your body… to live your life... love your spouse... and educate your children.

Your right to worship the God of your choosing.

Your right to exist as a Black, or brown, or gay person.

It’s the same stupidity and hatred we’ve heard for generations.

Baltimore is not gonna sit and take it.

The City has filed lawsuits to protect federal funding…

Funding, mind you, that Congress already approved, according to the Constitution.

But if the Trumpers succeed, it won’t matter that we have an all-star budget team.

The impacts would still be devastating.

It would require tough choices for – not just the leaders in this room – but all of Baltimore.

And we have to prepare ourselves for what that would mean for our city.

For now, in the face of all this uncertainty and chaos, we stay focused on what we can control:

The resources we can deliver to build a better Baltimore.

I am about to release my 10-year financial plan…

Which will shore up our finances for the future, and continue our growth as a city.

Including our population growth.

We want everybody to come to Baltimore and stay in Baltimore.

But I know some folks still aren’t convinced.

So, I want to answer a question that a resident named Daniel asked in an op-ed this month:

“Baltimore city leaders, tell me why I shouldn’t move to the county.”

Now, what Daniel’s really asking about in this op-ed is property taxes.

Because despite all this growth…

We know the real thing that’s stopping a lot of folks from moving here – or pushing them out – is our tax rate.

So – my ten year plan will not raise income taxes.

And I’m happy to announce, that by 2028…

Together, we will bring residential property tax rates under $2.00.

Property taxes haven’t been that low in 50 years!

This is good news for our city, for our economy, for our friend Daniel…

And for all of the people who want to move to, or stay in, Baltimore.

Yes I’m biased.

But I can’t think of a better place to get a job, grow a business, buy a house, or start a family than our city.

Yes, it’s because of all the great progress I just talked about:

Record reductions in violence.

Economic growth.

Investments in public health.

New housing initiatives.

World-class arts and culture.

But mostly, it’s because of Baltimore’s greatest asset.

The thing that makes us Charm City.

You. The people of Baltimore.

This city is full of folks who love her...

Want to make her better...

And will check anyone from outside who comes after her.

I’m grateful that I get to go to work, every day, to help them do just that:

To make Baltimore better – for your children, my children, and all of us.

Baltimore is built different.

We are building different.

And I invite you all to build with us.

Thank you.