What is the Midtown Community Benefits District?
The Midtown Community Benefits District is a citizen-run neighborhood advocacy and improvement group authorized by law in 1996 to provide security and sanitation services along with promotional activities for a 150-block area. Midtown is made up of four communities: Bolton Hill, Charles North, Madison Park and Mount Vernon/Belvedere.   Its efforts are funded by taxpayer approved property tax surcharge. Midtown was created by voter referendum in an effort to make our neighborhoods stronger, better places to live and work.

How are assessments determined?
The basis to determine the surcharge is calculated in the same way as the annual property tax. The assessment is $0.132 per $100 of the property value.

How is the assessment different from the property tax?
The amount is derived from the formula and is in addition to your property tax bill, which is sent to you separately from the City of Baltimore.

How is the surcharge spent and who decides?
The Board of Directors prepares an operating budget for each fiscal year. The budget is then presented to the community at the Spring Town Hall Meeting of each year. Copies of the budget are available at the Midtown office. If you have any questions about the property tax surcharge of the budget, please call the Midtown office at 410-528-1512 and ask to speak to the District Administrator.

Who is in charge of the Midtown Community Benefits District?
A management authority that includes eight elected representatives from each of the four communities, one mayoral representative, one city council representative, two non-profit representatives, and four at-large members oversees the district.

When does the Board of Directors meet?
The Board of Directors of the Midtown Community Benefits District Management Authority normally meets on the first Wednesday evening of every month except August and January at 6:30pm at the University of Baltimore Foundation Building, 1130 North Charles Street. The Executive Committee meets at 6:00pm on the third Wednesday of the month at the Midtown office to prepare the agenda for the board meeting. Meetings are open to the public. (Certain meetings or portions of meetings may be closed in keeping with provisions of the Open Meeting Act.) Please call the Midtown Community Benefits District office at 410 528-1512 for information about the agenda and to confirm meeting time and location.