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You are now viewing the WYPR Archive of content news. For the latest from WYPR, visit www.wypr.org.

Headlines: Baltimore Property Taxes, The VA Benefit Backlog, and Government Transparency

Baltimore property taxes are going down in the coming fiscal year, but will still be the highest in Maryland. Senator Barbara Mikulski holds a round table meeting aimed at reducing the backlog of disability claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs. WYPR Senior News Analyst Fraser Smith looks at open meetings and transparency in government. Plus: more on the "local hiring mandate" proposed for Baltimore, the opening of MD's 4th casino, Ocean City's "Walk Smart" campaign, and more.

Baltimore Property Taxes: Baltimore homeowners will be receiving an additional tax break in the upcoming fiscal year. The Baltimore Sun reports that the city's Board of Estimates has approved a tax credit that will mean a $140 reduction in the city's median property tax bill. It's part of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's plan to reduce property taxes by 22 percent over the next decade. Even with the new reduction, Baltimore's property taxes remain the highest in the state.

VA Benefit Backlog: Senator Barbara Mikulski is taking on the backlog of disability claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs.The Baltimore Sun reports that Mikulski held a round table discussion yesterday with high-level officials from Social Security, the IRS and the Department of Defense. Mikulski chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee... she says the first spending measure her Committee will take up next month will deal with Veterans Affairs and military construction.

Government Transparency: The taxpayers of Baltimore are about to front a developer $107 million in something called "tax increment financing." WYPR Senior News Analyst Fraser Smith comments in his weekly essay.

Baltimore's Local Hiring Mandate: The Greater Baltimore Committee is calling on the Baltimore City Council to reject legislation that would require companies that win large city contracts to hire more than half of their new workers from within the city. The GBC is opposed to the so-called "local hiring mandate" because it could lead to penalties on businesses that fail to meet the bill's requirements; such penalties include being barred from winning city contracts for a year. A spokesperson for City Council President "Jack" Young tells the Baltimore Business Journal that the legislation permits companies get waivers from the hiring requirment, if they show that they've tried to hire qualified city residents. The "local hiring mandate" won unanimous approval from the Council in a preliminary vote earlier this month; it's slated for a final vote in early June.

National Mortgage Settlement: Maryland homeowners have received more than $1.3-billion in relief during the past year from the National Mortgage Settlement. The Baltimore Sun reports that the amount of relief paid in Maryland so far is about 400-million dollars more than was originally expected.

Casino Gambling Comes To Western Maryland: The Rocky Gap Casino Resort is officially open for gambling. The Allegheny County gambling facility was approved for operation by state regulators yesterday, and the doors were opened at 4 in the afternoon. The Baltimore Sun reports that the casino will be open around the clock, featuring more than 550 slot machines and ten table games.

"Walking Smart" In Ocean City: The State Highway Administration is joining forces with Ocean City officials in launching a pedestrian safety campaign for the upcoming summer tourist season. As part of the "Walk Smart" campaign, pedestrians are reminded to cross streets by using marked crosswalks and to only cross with the signal. Police will also be aggressively targeting both drivers and pedestrians who don't follow the rules.

Obama At Naval Academy Commencement: If you're planning to attend tomorrow's Naval Academy graduation, you might want to plan extra time for security. The Annapolis Patch reports that President Obama is set be this year's commencement speaker at the Academy, so access will be extra tight for the 10 a.m. event.

Baltimore Baseball: the Orioles' winning streak now stands at two games, after they beat the New York Yankees 6 to 3 last night. Tonight, the O's will be in Toronto, for the first game of a four game series with the Blue Jays.

Preakness Ratings: The ratings for last Saturday's Preakness Stakes are much higher than they were for last year's race. Nielsen tells the Baltimore Business Journal says the race was watched by 9.7-million people around the country. That's a 13-percent jump from 2012, and the highest rating since 2009. The Baltimore market saw the nation's highest ratings for the race.