Isaac "Yitzy" Schleifer
City Council District 5
About
Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer is the Councilman for the 5th District of Baltimore City.
Councilman Schleifer is a lifelong resident of the 5th District and currently serving on the City Council since 2016. Councilman Schleifer is the Chair of the Rules and Legislative Oversight Committee and serves on both the Health, Environment, and Technology Committee and the Ways and Means Committee.
Statement from Councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer on Traffic Signal Outages
This morning, I met with the Director of Baltimore City Department of Transportation regarding the alarming number of traffic signals currently out across Baltimore City.
DOT operates with a $236 million budget and more than 1,000 employees, yet maintains only a skeleton crew dedicated to traffic signal maintenance. At a time when the agency prioritized hiring additional ticketing and enforcement personnel, it is clear that resources were misallocated. What we urgently need is more maintenance staff focused on keeping our infrastructure operational.
The frequency and prolonged duration of traffic light outages across our city are not inconveniences; they are public safety emergencies. When signals are down at major intersections, we see increased congestion and serious accidents.
Just as we respond to other emergencies with an all hands on deck approach, we must do the same here. The current strategy is not working, and continuing it will not solve the problem.
I am calling on DOT to take the following steps immediately:
• Request mutual aid from neighboring jurisdictions and MyBGE with traffic signal technicians.
• Retain qualified outside contractors with expertise in traffic signal repair.
• Deploy all traffic enforcement officers and ticketing agents to direct traffic at busy intersections experiencing outages.
• If additional manpower is required, coordinate with Baltimore Police Department and the Baltimore City Sheriff's Office to staff critical intersections, with overtime costs borne by DOT.
At the same time, DOT leadership must provide the City Council and the public with a clear, written action plan outlining both immediate corrective measures and long-term structural changes to prevent this recurring failure.
Baltimore residents deserve safe, functioning intersections. We cannot accept prolonged outages as the new normal. This requires immediate urgency and decisive action. ... See MoreSee Less
8 CommentsComment on Facebook
Your Request Sound Workable I Hope DOT Follows
How does one become a traffic engineer. I know traffic systems . Or at least an aide in helping if systems are down.
Thank you, help is needed
Thank you for doing this. I have been shocked lately by the conditions of the traffic lights lately. It is getting worse.
Thank you !! U be on it Bro 💪🏾
Reported amber lamp replacement necessary at York & Glenwood, issue marked closed without action months ago. balt311.my.site.com/citizen/s/service-request-details?c__srNumber=25-00927349&c__prePageName=Home
Maybe if the drivers went back to drivers ed and learned how to drive. Yellow is yield and red is stop. Why do the drivers here stop for yellow and let cars back up?! I know some are being nice but letting traffic back up I think is maybe confused drivers?! Like even when there isn't a car wanting to go through they just stop and wait for what seems like forever. It's not that complicated.
Huge intersections w lights out or flashing downtown, incredibly dangerous!
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If you don’t know Joni HeartSmiles Holifield , you better ask somebody!
Nine years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Joni through Heart Smiles when she invited me to speak to students at Northwestern High School about entrepreneurship. What started as a speaking engagement turned into a lasting friendship and a deep respect for the work she does every single day for Baltimore’s young people. Since then, we’ve supported each other, shown up for one another’s efforts, and stood side by side for our community countless times.
There is no better grassroots organization in Baltimore than Heart Smiles. Period.
Heart Smiles doesn’t just run programs; it builds leaders. It meets young people where they are, invests in their potential, and gives them access to mentorship, opportunity, and exposure that many would never otherwise receive. It’s personal. It’s consistent. And it works.
The City of Baltimore, partnering with the Children & Youth Fund, should invest in this proven, community-rooted solution. We should endow 1 million dollars towards the Heart Smiles sustained future.
We talk often about prevention, about uplifting youth, about empowering the next generation. Heart Smiles is doing exactly that without the fanfare, without the bureaucracy, just real work and real results.
Baltimore doesn’t need more programs on paper. It needs to double down on what works. And Heart Smiles works.
Ms. Joni has poured her heart into this city’s children. It’s time for the City to provide sustained support to Heart Smiles. ... See MoreSee Less
17 CommentsComment on Facebook
My friend, my brother 🙏🏾 I have no words just literal gratitude and appreciation for your support, through all these years🙏🏾 There hasn’t been a time when I’ve called on you for support for our Heartbeats and the answer wasn’t yes🙏🏾 You’ve always been a true champion for Baltimore’s youth, thank you for supporting our humble request and for seeing our work for what it truly is🙏🏾❤️
Joni HeartSmiles Holifield is a staple in our city and she deserves everything
My heart smiles for you Joni HeartSmiles Holifield while deeply feels for you and your current battle. I pray that your "heartbeats"continue to do the work that you have imprinted upon them. Peace, love and blessings to you. 🖤🩵❤️
I Love you Joni😇🥰💪🫂🙏🙏
This breaks me my poor Cousin I love you down beautiful I promise ima make you proud before you leave to go be with God you have pushed me so hard and so far in life I thank you so much
Very much so she is totally awesome 👏
Keep living Joni! 🙏♥️
Such an inspiration
We love you Joni HeartSmiles Holifield ❤️🫶🏽
💙💙🫂
Aisha Snead
I love You Joni HeartSmiles Holifield, 🙏🏽🙏🏽😘
Well put!!
Joni HeartSmiles Holifield ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I love Joni!!
Jesus Jesus
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Councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer Statement on Bill 26-0151: Increasing the Homestead Property Tax Credit Cap
This morning, the Budget Committee held a hearing on a proposal to increase the Homestead Tax Credit cap by 50% from 4% to 6%. This change would result in higher future property tax bills for many Baltimore City homeowners.
Baltimore City already has the highest property tax rate in the region. That reality makes it harder to attract and retain homeowners. I support lowering our property tax rate, but not by shifting more long term tax exposure onto longtime, owner occupied residents.
Increasing the homestead cap would affect many of the 50,000 homeowners who currently rely on this credit for stability. At a time when rising costs are already pushing legacy homeowners out of their homes, this proposal moves us in the wrong direction.
Baltimore County keeps its homestead cap at 4%. Raising ours 50% to 6% makes Baltimore City less competitive and sends the wrong message to those deciding whether to stay or leave.
Baltimore’s growth should not come at the expense of the people who call it home. ... See MoreSee Less
8 CommentsComment on Facebook
Keep them honest Councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer
You are so right. Whats up with our city council. Who is introducing a bill to raise city taxes
Hoping you can get other city council members to join you in the fight against this!
Y'all need to be fighting for Elizabeth Cumberlands to shut down city officials
Here they go again
Ypu would think with all.the taxes we pay, our city services would be absolutely outstanding, when in reality the quality just keeps getting worse. What the heck is the city actually using our money for?
Makes no sense
Another Scam by Mayor Scott. He is lowering tax rates by 2.5% - a one time discount but raising the cap by 2% so the net is more tax after only two years. The lying Mayor call is a tax reduction. Shame on the SEVEN counsel members who are the sponsors, at the request of the Mayor.
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Saw this in yesterday's Banner. Thank you Councilman, as always, for being on top of this and having the courage to push back on behalf of hardworking home owners. High taxes are definitely pushing people out of the City and out of the state and we can't afford to keep losing population.
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Councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer, There is a Lorenz Plow truck sitting at the corner of Western run& strathmore. It has been sitting there with its flashers on, for 20 mins or so. Just wanted you to be advised.
Councilman, I’m in your district and haven’t yet had a single plow or salt truck come down our block. All other surrounding street have been plowed but not ours. I can’t access my house by car, can’t get trash picked up, and can’t get mail. I’ve seen dozens of Lorenz trucks going up and down the cross street next to us over and over every day for a week now, passing by our street. Haven’t seen a single one actually plowing, they’re just dropping salt over and over on the same already plowed main roads. 311 tickets are of no use as every single one is being closed with zero action. How might I get my block plowed?
MARYLAND POOLS & Plows is the best!
I see they used a picture of him doing his job in the headline 🤦🏻♂️ 😂
As of yesterday, there were parts of Reisterstown Road that were only one lane.
Yes I feel your frustration the private contractor Lorenz does my neighborhood, and I have had the privilege of stopping 1 of their drivers and talking with them, so in details they said some streets are just to small even for their pick up plows that makes them liable for any auto damage cause some PEOPLE that can't park is way away from the curb not in their defense but I see it every day in my neighborhood where people are almost foot and a half from the curb when it ain't even snowing no its not our job to clear the street of snow but you see the city don't eben clear the main streets Rogers Avenue, Lewiston ave, Wabash ave heck the city department heads can't think like DPW why didn't they run a large plowing truck Through the Alleys if they were so concern for their workers and I advise people that do open parking space if they have dogs not to shovel the salt snow in their yard as dogs do eat snow put talk to your neighborhoods and insist they flood 311 with the request for a plowing & removal one request won't get it done if people don't act together then our demands are not heard in my block the women are out more than the men I have to go clear over east cause my grand is only 7 but what is the city doing with the money they pay MONSE to give young's to shovel elderly residents this is the worst administration in 20 years for servings the people / citizens.
I hope the city is holding their payments
My car was dug out and thank to the city it is blocked in by ice. I have missed infusions all week as well as other urgent medical appointments. You need to do better. It doesn't help to keep salting streets if you are not removing snow and ice!
It's a competitive world out there. If this contractor can't handle the contract, then dump them and replace with another. The city can probably contract companies from out of state that would do better. Shop around. This Lorenz outfit ought to be permanently put on the "Do Not Use" list, for the future. They can't handle the job. It's that simple.
I spent all day (I’m no spring chicken) clearing my driveway and the walkway around my house (I live on a corner and it’s a lot). The walkway is also highly traveled and it looked pretty good if I do say so myself. I woke the next morning to find the walkway entirely buried with snow “boulders.” I’ve no time or energy to move them!
Bitcoin fixes this youtu.be/JUA9D06kAGY?si=uxfOB4LiiS3lWSXu
My street finally saw a plow yesterday afternoon. I have been emailing the city since Monday afternoon. This was the worst response to have received. With the amount of tax dollars we pay, we deserve better. 2700 Silver Hill Ave.
You’re disgusting. They’re an amazing hardworking company. YOU/CITY/COUNTY HAD NO SALT FOR TRUCKS. YOU WERE NOT PREPARED. Why would you target a business and drag their name through the mud when every single contractor out there has been doing their best with what they’ve got? Does that make you feel like a big man? Again, this contractors ALL work way harder than you ever have. You wouldn’t last one single shift doing what they do. Grow. Up. Why don’t you get out there and help?
Take this fine Baltimore city citizen who if they didn’t come across a decent Lorenz driver they prolly still be stuck there smh I’ve explain this to you man!
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