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Local Development Council Meetings, Minutes and Resources
Casino Local Impact Funds (CLIF) Program
Casino Local Impact Fund Spending Plans and Quarterly Reports
.jpg "Baltimore Casino Local Impact Fund")
The Baltimore Casino Local Development Council ("LDC") is the body appointed by the Mayor to advise the City on developing the multi-year and annual spending plans for Casino Local Impact Funds (CLIF) that accrue to Baltimore as a tax on revenues from electronic slot machines, or “video lottery terminals” at casinos in Maryland for the benefit of communities in “immediate proximity” to the casino in South Baltimore. The generic term that Maryland uses for this tax is "Local Impact Grant" funds.
As is required by Maryland State Code § 9-1A-31, “prior to the expenditure of Local Impact Grant funds,” the City “shall develop, in consultation with the Local Development Council, a multiyear plan for the expenditure of the Local Impact Grant funds for services and improvements.” The City “shall submit the plan to the Local Development Council for review and comment before adopting the plan or expending any grant funds.” In 2015, the City created and adopted the South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan as the guiding document for future expenditure of Local Impact Grant funds.
“The local development council shall advise the county or municipality on the impact of the facility on the communities and the needs and priorities of the communities in immediate proximity to the facility.” The Local Development Council “shall have 45 days to review, comment, and make recommendations on the plan. The City shall make best efforts to accommodate the recommendations of the Local Development Council before adopting the plan.”
In 2016 the State of Maryland and Mayor and City Council of Baltimore created the South Baltimore Casino Impact District Management Authority, which operates under the name South Baltimore Gateway Partnership, or SBGP. Since 2017, the State directs one half or fifty percent of LIG funds dedicated for South Baltimore (an amount equal to the allocation for the City of Baltimore) to SBGP, which is overseen by an independent Board of Directors. The Mayor and City Council President are each allowed to appoint two representatives to SBGP’s Board of Directors. South Baltimore Gateway Partnership submits its annual spending plan and quarterly updates to the Baltimore City Board of Estimates.
The LDC operates within the LDC Operating Procedures, revised after the formation of SBGP.
Per Maryland State Code § 9-1A-31, the composition of the Local Development Council is as follows:
∙ One (1) one Senator who represents the district (46th) where the facility is located or the Senator’s designee;
∙ Two (2) Delegates who represent the districts (46th and 40th) where the communities surrounding the facility are located or the Delegates’ designees;
∙ One (1) representative of the video lottery operation licensee (i.e., the casino located in South Baltimore);
∙ Seven (7) residents of the communities in immediate proximity;
∙ Four (4) representatives of businesses or institutions located in immediate proximity to the facility.
Local Development Council members are appointed or confirmed by the Mayor for terms of one (1) year, that start with the calendar year. Members may serve up to six (6) one-year consecutive terms.
| 2025 Local Development Council | |||
| Role | Name | Organizational Role | Organization/Neighborhood |
| Chair | President Bill Ferguson | Senator | Maryland Senate |
| Member At-Large | Delegate Mark Edelson | Delegate | Maryland House of Delegates |
| Member At-Large | Delegate Melissa Wells | Delegate | Maryland House of Delegates |
| Member At-Large | James Genail | General Manager | Horseshoe Casino |
| Vice-Chair | Councilwoman Phylicia Porter | Resident/ Council | Pigtown |
| Member At-Large | Councilman Zac Blanchard | Resident/Council | Federal Hill |
| Member At-Large | Peggy Jackson-Jobe | Board Chair | Cherry Hill Community Coalition |
| Member At-Large | Sharon Reuter | Resident | Ridgelys Delight |
| Member At-Large | Robert Baity | Resident | Westport |
| Member At-Large | Casey O'Neill | President | Citizens of Pigtown |
| Member At-Large | Michael Murphy | Board Member | South Baltimore Neighborhood Assoc. |
| Member At-Large | Taylor Schwartz | Executive Director | Federal Hill Main Street |
| Member At-Large | Zeevelle Nottingham-Lemon | Founding Director | Cherry Hill Strong |
| Member At-Large | Krista Green | Executive Director | Mount Clare Museum |
| Member At-Large | Paige Stamerro | Owner | The Stoop Café |
| Proxies | |||
| Name | Organizational Role | Organization/Neighborhood | |
| Proxy- P. Porter | Serena Watters | Resident | Barre Circle |
For questions about the Baltimore Casino Local Development Council, contact:
Chris Firehock, Casino Local Impact Fund Program Manager
Christopher.Firehock@baltimorecity.gov
410-227-1020