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jermaineajones
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jermaineajones
I graduated with a degree in Political Science from Syracuse University, then worked for years as a community organizer advocating for Baltimore neighborhoods. I was also President of the Metropolitan Baltimore Council AFL-CIO, where I represented over 150,000 workers, and more recently, I spearheaded the passing of legislation within multiple municipalities as Baltimore Director of the Baltimore/DC Building and Construction Trades.
We must invest in diminishing the root causes of crime; crime is just the symptom of an even bigger issue. To reduce crime, I propose we invest more in education so every student can have the resources necessary to learn, make greater investments in job/training programs so anyone who wants a job can have access to a career, and place a greater priority on mental health so we can identify and provide residents with the appropriate resources.
In 2016, Baltimore entered into a 10-year MOU with non-profit Universities and Hospitals on a Payment in Lieu of Taxes, limiting their tax collection to an annual payment of $6 million to the city. If taxed at the same rate as a for-profit corporation, they would pay Baltimore $116.5 million in property taxes annually. It’s time they pay their fair share; I would use that additional revenue to help fund our public education system.
As a community organizer, I learned to help people best, you need to meet them where they are. To address the health disparities in Baltimore communities, we need to hire more individuals willing to go directly into communities to provide individuals with the services they need. True impact will not be made within an office or behind a desk.
My priorities to increase sustainable practices and to increase the city’s resilience would be to develop and implement a comprehensive climate action plan with specific goals, invest in green infrastructure projects, improve public transportation infrastructure in addition to promoting walking and biking, and incentivize the use of electric vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
To rehabilitate vacant buildings, I would propose the city provide additional incentives for developers and contractors who choose to develop in areas that have a large number of vacant and experiencing little to no activity. When done correctly, this will kick start activity from other investors, so eventually, incentives will no longer be needed.
The advantage of reducing the size of the City Council would be that with fewer council members, it should be easier for the council to come to a consensus on key priorities. The disadvantage of reducing the size of the council is that it would result in an increased workload on council members, which could result in a decline in constituent services, which are one of the primary roles of a council member.
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