Baltimore to finalize budget in record time
City officials in Baltimore expect to finalize a tax package and a $2.1 billion budget in record time, even though some of the most basic particulars remain undecided. Non-profits and manufacturers could see tax bills rise dramatically and residents face possible cuts in services and higher levies on energy, telephone services and real estate sales. Normally, it takes three votes at three separate meetings for a bill to pass the council. But, to get around that requirement, two meetings were scheduled where spending and tax plans could pass by simple majority. The council intends on filling in the blanks in the budget using this high-speed legislation. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/yahoo/bal-md.taxes21jun21,0,3766608.story?coll=bal-newsaol-headlines
