Money must be allocated to Fair Election Fund

Wednesday was Taxpayers’ Night, which is an opportunity for Baltimoreans to weigh in on the city budget and voice their opinions and concerns (“Taxpayers at Baltimore budget forum criticize Mayor Brandon Scott’s second straight proposed increase in police spending,” April 28).

I’m disappointed to see that Mayor Scott again excluded funding for the Fair Elections program in his preliminary budget.

Under the Fair Elections program, participating candidates must reject contributions from PACs, corporations, and any contributions over $150. In exchange, the contributions to those candidates from Baltimore residents would be matched on a sliding scale by the program.

This would serve the dual purpose of encouraging donations from Baltimore residents and limiting the influence of large and corporate donors, while enabling participating candidates to remain competitive with traditionally funded ones.

It’s critical that Mayor Scott allocates money to the Fair Election Fund so it is fully operational in time for the 2024 elections. More than 75% of Baltimore City voters supported Fair Elections when it was on the ballot in 2018, and I’m grateful Mr. Scott supported the program as a city councilman, council president and candidate for mayor.

In the spirit of Taxpayers’ Night, it’s time to ensure that every Baltimore resident — regardless of the size of their checkbook — has their voice heard in the political process. We’re counting on Mayor Scott and the Board of Estimates to support funding the program in the final budget.