Sounding a theme of tight finances, Mayor Sheila Dixon focused on squeezing efficiencies from Baltimore?s government in her second annual State of the City address Monday.
Saying that generous city budget surpluses buoyed by a rising real estate market were a thing of the past, Dixon emphasized a leaner city government in response to a new fiscal constraints.
“In previous years our progress came with a surge in tax revenues, thanks to the booming housing market,” Dixon said to a packed city council chambers.
“But the high rate of growth we have enjoyed over the past few years has slowed. Now we must think more creatively and act strategically,” shesaid.
“Good government, in particularly in time of slowing resources is not about programs, it?s about systems.”
As part of her planned redesign of city government, Dixon said she would establish a Bureau of General Services to focus on energy conversion, fleet management and construction.
“A stand-alone Department of General Services will provide cost-effective, high quality and timely support services on-time and on-budget.”
Dixon also said the city would be pushing legislation in Annapolis to jump-start a city land bank.
“The land bank will have a targeted and well-defined mission of acquiring, maintaining and selling vacant property.”
“It can be more adaptive and flexible than the many departments and agencies collectively responsible for selling our inventory of roughly 10,000 vacant buildings and lots.”
To bolster city finances, Dixon also promised to create a separate agency to handle tax and fine collections called the Bureau of Revenue Collection.
