BALTIMORE CITY, MARYLAND

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

ORIGIN & FUNCTIONS

• Legislative Process
• Standing Committees

CITY COUNCIL

In Baltimore, the City Council constitutes the Legislative Branch of government. It considers bills (proposed legislation) offered by Council members and assigned to the Council's standing committees for consideration and hearings.

The City Council consists of fifteen members. Fourteen are elected by Council district voters, and one at-large member is elected as City Council President by voters throughout the City. While formerly members served four-year terms, effective January 2013, those members elected in 2011 were designated to serve five-year terms in order to align the City's elections with those of the State. With the elections of 2016, City Council members returned to four-year terms (Chapter 548, Acts of 2012; City Charter, Art. III, secs. 1-14).

City Hall, 100 North Holliday St., Baltimore, Maryland, June 2006. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

CYBERSECURITY & EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS COMMITTEE
The Cybersecurity and Emergency Preparedness Committee was initiated by the City Council President in June 2019, and held its first meeting in November 2019.

Causes of the May 2019 ransomware attack on Baltimore's computer system will be considered by the Committee, which will make recommendations for enhanced security.

EQUITY & STRUCTURE COMMITTEE
In December 2019, the City Council President authorized creation of the Equity and Structure Committee.

The Committee is to consider the nine charter amendments introduced this term, most of which concern government reform. Also, the Committee will oversee equity plans of City agencies, and the implementation of the Equity Assessment Program.

STANDING COMMITTEES

BUDGET & APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

EDUCATION & YOUTH COMMITTEE
The Education and Youth Committee started as the Education and Human Resources Committee by 1992. It later became the Education, Housing, Health and Human Services Committee. It reformed as the Education Committee in 2007, and adopted its present name by 2014.

EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE
The Executive Appointments Committee had organized by 1994.

HEALTH COMMITTEE
In June 2019, the Health Committee was organized.

HOUSING & URBAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
The Housing and Urban Affairs Committee started as the Housing Committee which had organized by 1992. Some of its functions were assumed by the Education, Housing, Health and Human Services Committee. Others were carried out by the Community Development Subcommittee of the Taxation, Finance and Economic Development Committee. Functions of that subcommittee were restructured as part of the Housing and Community Development Committee in 2011.

In December 2016, the Housing and Community Development Committee merged with the Urban Affairs and Aging Committee to form the Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.

INVESTIGATIONS COMMITTEE
Functions of the Investigation Committee became the responsibiity of the Judiciary and Legislative Investigation Committee by 2007. That committee's work was divided between the Judiciary Committee and the separate Investigations Committee in June 2019.

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
The Judiciary Committee started as the Judiciary and Legislative Investigations Committee, which formed by 2007. It reformed as the Judiciary Committee in June 2019.

LABOR COMMITTEE
Formerly a subcommittee under the Budget and Appropriations Committee, the Labor Committee was reconstituted under its present name in 2011.

LAND USE COMMITTEE
The Land Use Committee was created by 1992. Later reorganized as the Land Use and Transportation Committee, it adopted its present name in June 2019.

PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
Formerly the Public Safety and Health Committee, the Public Safety Committee adopted its present name in 2010.

TAXATION, FINANCE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
The Taxation, Finance and Economic Development Committee started as the Taxation and Finance Committee which functioned from approximately 1992 to 2007 when it reorganized under its present name.

TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
Starting as the Land Use and Transportation Committee, the Transportation Committee reformed under its present name in June 2019.

COMPTROLLER

The Comptroller is elected by the voters to a four-year term, and serves ex officio on the Board of Estimates, and the Board of Finance (City Charter, Art. V; City Code, Art. 5, sec. 1).

Under the Comptroller are three Departments: Audits, Communication Services, and Real Estate.

DEPARTMENT OF AUDITS
Through independent audit consultative services, the Department of Audits provides financial statements, reports, and recommendations to improve the accountability of government to the citizens of Baltimore.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION SERVICES
Under the Comptroller, the Department of Communication Services provides communications technologies and services for Baltimore government.

The Department is responsible for the Municipal Telephone Exchange and the Municipal Post Office. The Municipal Telephone Exchange maintains the telecommunications system through which voice, data and wireless services are provided for City government agencies. The Municipal Post Office distributes U.S. Postal mail and interdepartmental mail to City government agencies.

DEPARTMENT OF REAL ESTATE
The Department of Real Estate acquires real property for the use of the City. Moreover, for any property no longer needed by the City for public use, the Department arranges for its deposition. In addition, the Department manages the use of City-owned docks, wharves, piers, and other facilities which constitute the City-owned portion of the waterfront.

In overseeing the Department of Real Estate, the Comptroller records all agreements, contracts, deeds, and leases related to City properties, and maintains an inventory of these records. With the Director of Finance, the Comptroller updates and verifies the accuracy of this inventory quarterly.

The Department is headed by the City Real Estate Officer.

BOARD OF ESTIMATES

Annually, the Board holds hearings on the operating budget proposed by the Finance Director. To the President of the City Council, it then submits an ordinance of estimates, which consists of an operating budget, a capital budget, and a contingent fund appropriation to cover possible emergencies.

The Board of Estimates consists of five ex officio members: the Mayor; the City Comptroller; the City Council President; the City Solicitor; and the Director of the Department of Public Works (City Charter, Art. VI).

BOARD OF LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE

Serving on the Board are a representative of the City Council and six ex officio members: the Mayor; the City Solicitor; the President of The Johns Hopkins University; the Dean of the Carey School of Law, University of Maryland; the Dean of the School of Law, University of Baltimore; and the Director of the Enoch Pratt Free Library (City Charter, Art. VII, sec. 93).

City Hall, 100 North Holliday St., Baltimore, Maryland, June 2006. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

DEPARTMENT OF LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE
Work of the Department of Legislative Reference is concerned with legislative matters, and records and archives. Appointed by the Board of Legislative Reference, the Director supervises and directs the Department.

At the request of the Mayor, City Council committees, or heads of City departments, the Director investigates and reports upon the laws of Maryland and other states and cities; and compiles data showing the practical operation and effect of such laws. The Director also investigates and collects information relating to any matter which is the subject of proposed legislation by the General Assembly, or the City Council; and examines and reports on acts, ordinances, and records of any state or city, to the Mayor, City Council committee, or City department heads.

Upon request of any City Council member, the Director prepares or advises in the preparation of any bill, ordinance, or resolution; preserves and collects all information obtained, carefully indexed and arranged, so as to be at all times easily accessible to City officers and open to the inspection of the general public.

The Director keeps all books, documents, archives, records, official plats, papers, and proceedings of the City, except those in current use or whose custody the Board of Estimates shall by resolution otherwise direct or authorize. A complete series of the ordinances, resolutions, and proceedings of the City is collected, arranged and safely kept by the Director. Moreover, other documents pertaining to the City, which the Director deems to have historic value, or which by ordinance or resolution the Board of Estimates directs be kept, are received and kept by the Director. While such books, documents, papers, plats, or archives are retained in the Department, they are available for inspection and reproduction by the public under such reasonable regulations and supervision as the Director may prescribe. In addition, the Director prepares and keeps an index of all books, papers, records, and documents in the custody of the Department; and keeps a current separate index of all rules and regulations of other City departments and agencies (City Charter, Art. VII, sec. 93).

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