Full Breakdown
Baltimore Mayor Backs Ballot Measure for Taxpayer-Funded Baby Support Fund
8/26/2026, 9:44:38 PM
Proposed Baby Fund on the November Ballot
Mayor Brandon Scott is supporting a city-wide initiative that would amend Baltimore’s charter to create a permanent line-item in the municipal budget for a “Baltimore Baby Fund.” If approved, the measure would require the city to set aside 3 cents for every $100 of assessed property value. The City Council would retain authority to define eligibility criteria and disbursement rules through future enabling legislation.
Path to the Ballot
Organizers of the Baltimore Baby Fund (BBF) campaign gathered more than the 10,000 signatures needed to qualify the proposal, and after structural revisions the initiative secured a spot on the upcoming November ballot. The campaign’s statement notes that the measure reflects adjustments made in the 2026 version of the proposal.
Prior Guaranteed-Income Pilot
From August 2022 to July 2024, Baltimore operated the Baltimore Young Families Success Fund, a direct-cash pilot overseen by Scott in his role as National Co-Chair of Mayors for Guaranteed Income. The program provided unconditional payments to low-income parents and guardians aged 18 to 24 whose income was at or below 300 % of the federal poverty level. According to the BBF statement, participants in that pilot missed less work, were less likely to be food insecure, and reported lower stress, using the funds for education, debt repayment, emergency savings, and child-related expenses.
Official Position of Mayor and Campaign
In a joint Instagram post, the BBF campaign and Mayor Scott expressed a shared commitment to building public support for the ballot measure. The statement highlighted Scott’s long-standing support for the policy ideas behind the fund and his eagerness to move the revised initiative forward once voters approve it. The article notes that neither the Scott administration nor BBF representatives responded to requests for additional comment.
Broader Context and Potential Impact
The Baltimore Baby Fund is modeled after Rx Kids, a cash-assistance program launched in Flint, Michigan, by pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha and University of Michigan professor Luke Shaefer. The proposal aligns with the Mayors for Guaranteed Income coalition, which includes over 150 U.S. mayors and has backed more than 100 pilot programs since 2018. If enacted, the fund would add Baltimore to a growing list of municipalities experimenting with direct cash assistance to address cost-of-living pressures for newborn families.
