On June 7, BUILD, along with the No Boundaries Coalition and the Baltimore Youth Organizing Project (BYOP), won the restoration of $2.58 million in cuts to Baltimore City after-school and community school
programs. The BUILD One Baltimore campaign began in 2015 with jobs, safety, and youth program funding demands. Every major Mayoral candidate – including then-candidate Pugh – agreed to these demands at the largest Baltimore City mayoral candidate accountability forum in March 2016.
When Mayor Pugh reneged on her promise to retain funding for after-school programs, BYOP, BUILD, and the No Boundarie
s Coalition confronted the Mayor at a youth-led action attended by hundreds of youth and supportive adults. When she refused to meet demands, we stepped up the pressure by securing a unanimous commitment from City Council members to make cuts to the Mayor’s budget to force her to restore money to the school budget.
Halfway through the June 7 youth-led hearing before the Council budget committee attended by hundreds, Council President Jack Young announced that negotiations had ended with the Mayor agreeing to restore the funding.
Media coverage here:
http://digitaledition.baltimoresun.com/tribune/article_popover.aspx?guid=91c8ee6e-2037-4439-989e-6a3ff49c7fbe ; http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-city-budget-20170606-story.html