Crime
Frank M. Conaway Sr. "We need to make the police department accountable by … using video and audio recordings. … We need to encourage our state's attorney to practice triage. ... Repeat offenders and violent offenders should move to the front of the line when it comes to allocation of manpower and resources."
Joseph T. "Jody" Landers III "Increasing the number of police officers on the street is certainly a part of the solution, along with targeting the arrest and prosecution of the most violent offenders. … We also have to maintain preventative programs like recreation activities, youth athletic leagues and after school programs … It is also critical that we restore public confidence in the police force … Finally, we need to limit the amount of time and resources spent in pursuing victimless crimes."
Catherine E. Pugh Would work with police, gang prevention tasks forces and neighborhood organizations to combat crime; ensure that every police officer has access to "the most innovative and effective crime fighting technologies;" increase street lighting; and push for greater penalties on repeat violent offenders convicted of crimes involving illegal weapons.
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Would lobby for stronger state sanctions for illegal guns and repeat offenders, focus enforcement on criminals most likely to carry illegal guns and commit acts of violence, maintain funding for police, hire hundreds of new officers and provide them with "state-of the-art technology" to help fight crime.
Otis Rolley Would improve recruitment standards, training, and compensation for police; impose a $1 per bullet tax on all bullet purchases; work with the faith-based community to use mediators and mentors for youth; fund summer and after-school job programs; ensure the incarcerated aren't receiving city checks; and reduce possession of small amounts of marijuana to a summary offense.
Property taxes
Frank M. Conaway Sr. "The property rate is too high. However, it is unrealistic to think that it can be cut without hurting services like trash pick-up, education, public safety, and upkeep to the infrastructure. Many candidates have promised to cut taxes, but it is unrealistic. 50 percent of the $2.7 billion budget is derived from property taxes. It cannot be done without expanding the base (i.e. occupying the 47,000 vacant houses and deriving taxes from them)."
Joseph T. "Jody" Landers III "My goal is to reduce the property tax rate for all property in the City by 25 to 35 percent over the next four to six years, which I believe is both realistic and achievable." Would permit different tax rates to be applied to different categories of property — inhabited homes, occupied commercial property, vacant property, blighted property. "Property owners who maintain and improve their properties, and are thereby helping to increase the tax base, reap the reward of a lower tax rate, and those who are detracting from the tax base pay a higher share of taxes."
Catherine E. Pugh Would make the city's property tax rate comparable to those of other Maryland jurisdictions.
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Has outlined plans to use 90 percent of city revenues from the proposed Baltimore slot machine casino to reduce property taxes for homeowners by nine percent over nine years; says challengers' plans for deeper cuts are unrealistic.
Otis Rolley Would conduct a census of all property in the city; cut property taxes for every homeowner, and most by more than 50 percent; raise taxes and fees on vacant and blighted property to encourage its stabilization; increase code enforcement; and provide a 10-year property tax abatement for new conversions and rehabs.
Education
Frank M. Conaway Sr. "We need to make sure that the enormous expenditures made for schools don't get squandered by profiteers. There's a huge revenue stream associated with education. We have never gotten straight answers to some of the questions that arose a few years ago when the school system couldn't tell you what happened to its money. We need an active inspector general overseeing the school system's finances."
Joseph T. "Jody" Landers III "I would work with the superintendent to raise the morale of teachers and to assure that they have an avenue through which their concerns can be heard and addressed. … I would support efforts to expand the number of charter schools, along with efforts to reduce class sizes and improve instructional outcomes in zoned schools."
Catherine E. Pugh Would increase parent involvement in education; give all interested parties a role in decisions about the use recreation centers, swimming pools and other programs; improve vocational education opportunities; and create ongoing summer learning programs at college and university campuses for grades six through nine to increase science, math and technology abilities.
