The possibility of property tax relief this year for Baltimore homeowners vanished last night in a turbulent City Council meeting marked by heated exchanges and hostile political maneuvering.
Instead, after struggling over how to cut the $2.3 billion budget proposed by Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke for the fiscal year beginning July 1, the council opted for repealing the city's controversial bottle tax.
The council's actions mean that Baltimore residents will be able to buy a cheaper soda or beer as early as January. But they'll still be paying by far the highest property taxes in Maryland.
City Council President Mary Pat Clarke and five other council members -- Anthony J. Ambridge and Carl Stokes of the 2nd District, Martin O'Malley of the 3rd District, Lawrence A. Bell of the 4th District and Joseph J. DiBlasi of the 6th District -- voted against the budget.
Mrs. Clarke, Mr. Ambridge and Mr. Stokes said they could not support the budget when the school system had failed to provide a breakdown of administrative expenses and a contingency plan if the General Assembly cuts state aid next year.
"I think it's a bad budget. It's been a bad budget process," complained Mr. DiBlasi, who failed to muster enough support to cut the property tax rate by 3 cents.
The often-acrimonious council session followed a day of intense lobbying by the administration to avoid a showdown over property taxes. Mayor Schmoke insisted the financially strapped city could not afford to lower the tax rate -- at $5.85 per $100 of assessed value -- and also abolish the beverage container tax.
Yesterday, the mayor met with key council members to try to persuade them not to cut the property tax rate. He also tried to pressure the council by holding off signing the bill passed last month to phase out the bottle tax.
Mr. DiBlasi, who had vowed to seek a property tax break, focused first last night on finding $1.3 million in budget cuts to finance the bottle tax repeal. He then tried to use those cuts for property tax relief, but failed when a council majority voted against him.
At one point, when Schmoke supporters asked for a 45-minute recess to enable the administration to put together its competing plan, the meeting turned chaotic.
Mr. Bell turned to the mayor's staff and said, "I think y'all really dropped the ball today."
A flushed 3rd District Councilman Wilbur E. "Bill" Cunningham, a Schmoke ally, confronted Mrs. Clarke, who repeatedly banged her gavel for order.
