In his first State of the City speech of his second term, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott promised continued growth and stability in the face of a tight state budget and uncertainty over actions by the federal government.
Thunderous applause roared from the crowd of the city’s elected and cultural leaders gathered at the M&T Bank Exchange when Scott announced that the city’s homicide rate is at its lowest in 50 years.
In his address, themed “Built Different, Building Different,” Scott says that is the type of progress Baltimore City progress needs to keep growing.
“There is no city in the world like ours,” said Scott. “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.”
In the nearly hour-long speech, Scott promised further reductions in violence, boasted fewer vacant buildings (down to below 13,000 from 16,000 when Scott took office in 2020), and new project approval timelines to get businesses, homes, and renovations done quicker.
