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.
Agency budget hearings begin in two weeks, and now is the time to start digging into the details.
The full agency budget books can be viewed at the links below. I encourage everyone to take a look through them. If you come across spending that raises questions, programs you think deserve more scrutiny, or areas you believe need more investment, post them here.
No question is too small. These hearings are one of the few chances we have to publicly question agencies about how your tax dollars are being spent, and community input helps shape those conversations.
Drop your questions, concerns, or observations in the comments and I’ll do my best to bring them up during the hearings.
Councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer don't let the mayor take the independence away from the oig with his latest proposal!https://www.baltimorebrew.com/2026/05/13/mayor-scott-previews-legislation-that-cripples-the-independence-of-baltimores-inspector-general/?fbclid=IwdGRjcARzV89jbGNrBHNXgGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHjd_oJILJ0FVlvEmqZBSpsZ0uWoMrRSJDs9PpNwn7I82oDPxTbZP6z0RSQa0_aem_tO5PLW6U4jrebD2FV1_FmA
It’s hard to keep up with all the problems in City Hall. It would be helpful if we had a fully functioning OIG.
$2 million dollars in COVID relief funds was funneled through the Baltimore Civic Fund for Artscape performers.
Do the City Council and the taxpayers not deserve to know exactly how much each performer was paid?
Transparency shouldn’t be optional when public money is involved especially federal relief dollars that were supposed to help communities recover.
Baltimore residents are struggling to keep up with rising utility bills, groceries, and property taxes. So it’s more than fair to ask: Did one performer walk away with a half million dollar paycheck while families here were deciding between keeping the lights on or putting food on the table? ... See MoreSee Less
If I was this woman's boss, ( which I believe she reports directly to the mayor,) i would have a serious talk with her about how she addressed these questions. Clearly, if she is a dedicated public servant, she would promise to send this info within 24 to 48 hours of these questions. OK, sure, maybe he lost the information. Not a big deal. If this is not the case, then she is trying to hide some controversial information.
Soooo they gonna play the " word chess games"! Those that hide nothing....have nothing to hide!! Let that sink in.
Why did this go to artscape instead of to hungry children, seniors who can’t pay their heating bills, etc?
This is exactly why independent oversight, audits, and transparency matter in government.
When taxpayer dollars and federal relief funds are involved, the public deserves clear processes, documentation, accountability, and independent review not confusion, unanswered questions, or disputes over access to records. Oversight systems are not meant to attack government. They exist to strengthen public trust, reduce opportunities for waste or abuse, and ensure that public money is handled responsibly and transparently.
Stay on their asses Yitzy! We need TRANSPARENCY!
What were Covid relief funds used for Artscape? Was this a legit use of those funds?
This gets more interesting by the week. Just the tip
Of the iceberg
Question -- you invited me to join your page and I have a question. How did you vote in the recent Isabel Cumming matter? Did you vote for or against letting the TAXPAYERS decide the right thing?
All the taxpayers do not know what is she talking about I've never heard about how much these artists are getting paid hard-earned money when you got homeless people on the street and you're worried about listening to some rapper
There should be an itemized list to where every payment went. If not, they’re definitely hiding something and should be audited immediately.
Yitzy only cares about himself if the artscape was in upper park heights above Northern pkwy he wouldn’t care how much money was spent but since it was down in Druid Hill Park now he cares where the money went get out of here Yitzy why we on the subject of transparency let’s talk about transparency ask ur buddy sheriff Sam Cogen why he wasn’t transparency when it came to that 2.4 Million Dollars he took from the BPD budget without permission
Come on you were doing well now you are reaching
Why are commercials running in your page 🧐
First sentence is untrue. 🤦🏾♀️ Please correct
A quick Google search and the OIG report answers most of your question, no?
2025: - $240,500 for Fantasia and $125,000 for Robin Thicke (headliners). Tanner Adell: $30,000. Little Brother: $25,000. Tweet: $15,000. Booking fees: $40,000. 9 other artists: $40,650. Total: $516,150.
Not sure where the $2 million number came from - may have included other artists other than performance artists, other festival costs, the art grants, etc.
Thank you Yitzy for your integrity and your stamina to continue to try to bring accountability to Baltimore City government.
So she clarifies this gentleman calling the performers "artists" and then she starts calling the performers "artists". Why is she so confrontational? Just give the man the breakdown. Crazy work here!😂😂
Since when is a performer not an artist and vice versa.
The real question is is why isn’t she giving you those amounts 🤔
It's reasonable to expect detailed information on how public funds are allocated, especially for COVID relief.
checkbook.ohio.gov
This is what Ohio does for financial transparency. Would be nice to see something like this for Baltimore and Maryland
Any public expenditures should have their details open to the public
The city council should have access to the artists’/performers’ contracts fees included.
Only time you have any contact with the council is at the voting polls. When the majority of people vote it don't matter. These people already have their plan. Voting is not what it use to be in those seats are a bunch of crack pots
Why would they put a notice out the day of that's how they get things passed by cheating cheating cheating
Why bother it's all just a dog and pony show and then they do what they want
Come one, come all, bring your checkbook for all the fees and taxes the Polticians passed upon us.
Notice is too late
Too unsafe. Until the City deals with Bikemore and Dorsey, Black women should watch at home 🇺🇲
DEMAND the council vote AGAINST the mayors proposal and give the OIG the UNREDACTED files!!! Do the right thing!!!
In today’s budget hearing, I asked the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) office a simple question:
Who is ultimately on the hook for the missing Clean Corps money, now that the quasi-city entity Baltimore Civic Fund is refusing to even attempt to recover the taxpayer dollars allegedly misspent by The Lazarus Rite, Inc.?
The administration’s response was clear: ultimately, the taxpayers of Baltimore City will be responsible for paying the federal government back.
Let that sink in.
Tens of Millions of dollars were routed through outside groups with little oversight, money reportedly went missing, and now Baltimore residents may be left holding the bag. ... See MoreSee Less
Thank you again for your diligence, care and concern for the people of Baltimore
LR couldn’t do bookeeping effectively. The partnership thus ended. The org ceased to exist. The amount unreturned was relatively small. Not worth legal action if that legal action would cost more than the value of those funds, and from an org that no longer exists.
The community often asks the City to fund local non-profit orgs vs. large corporations. That’s what was done here. LR didn’t work out but that’s an inherent risk when working with an org like this, and despite their lack of bookkeeping capacity, they did complete valuable work with the funds they got.
It’s more everybody left you hanging leave some of all races hanging I know a few
In today’s budget hearing, I asked the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) office a simple question:
Who is ultimately on the hook for the missing Clean Core money, now that the quasi-city entity Baltimore Civic Fund is refusing to even attempt to recover the taxpayer dollars allegedly misspent by The Lazarus Rite, Inc.?
The administration’s response was clear: ultimately, the taxpayers of Baltimore City will be responsible for paying the federal government back.
Let that sink in.
Tens of Millions of dollars were routed through outside groups with little oversight, money reportedly went missing, and now Baltimore residents may be left holding the bag. ... See MoreSee Less
What Yitzy Schleifer doesn't reveal is that Chris Irvin the director of the Lazarus Rite was a political opponent of his, and this looks like a revenge site
It’s just the tip of the iceberg
YITZY FOR MAYOR
This is so shameful in Baltimore City just an inhumane tragedy
Councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer lets figure out why they keep favoring organizations with big monies but will not help organizations trying to get our homeless off the streets www.helpbaltimoreshomeless.org
This is what causes our city to be destroyed it’s suppose to be community but people stealing not right they should go to jail if it was me I would be sitting in that mother fucker
Agency budget hearings begin in two weeks, and now is the time to start digging into the details.
The full agency budget books can be viewed at the links below. I encourage everyone to take a look through them. If you come across spending that raises questions, programs you think deserve more scrutiny, or areas you believe need more investment, post them here.
No question is too small. These hearings are one of the few chances we have to publicly question agencies about how your tax dollars are being spent, and community input helps shape those conversations.
Drop your questions, concerns, or observations in the comments and I’ll do my best to bring them up during the hearings.
www.baltimorecity.gov/bbmr/budget-publications
s3.amazonaws.com/baltimorecity.gov.if-us-east-1/s3fs-public/2026-05/2026-05-11-FY2027%20Agency%20...
s3.amazonaws.com/baltimorecity.gov.if-us-east-1/s3fs-public/2026-05/2026-05-11-FY2027%20Agency%20... ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
ICYMI: COVID relief funds are still unaccounted for, and the Baltimore Civic Fund wants taxpayers to just move on.
Absolutely not.
Baltimore taxpayers deserve to know: Christopher Ervin where did the money go? ... See MoreSee Less
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.3 CommentsComment on Facebook
What the hell is going on in Baltimore-Trump
Councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer don't let the mayor take the independence away from the oig with his latest proposal!https://www.baltimorebrew.com/2026/05/13/mayor-scott-previews-legislation-that-cripples-the-independence-of-baltimores-inspector-general/?fbclid=IwdGRjcARzV89jbGNrBHNXgGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHjd_oJILJ0FVlvEmqZBSpsZ0uWoMrRSJDs9PpNwn7I82oDPxTbZP6z0RSQa0_aem_tO5PLW6U4jrebD2FV1_FmA
It’s hard to keep up with all the problems in City Hall. It would be helpful if we had a fully functioning OIG.
$2 million dollars in COVID relief funds was funneled through the Baltimore Civic Fund for Artscape performers.
Do the City Council and the taxpayers not deserve to know exactly how much each performer was paid?
Transparency shouldn’t be optional when public money is involved especially federal relief dollars that were supposed to help communities recover.
Baltimore residents are struggling to keep up with rising utility bills, groceries, and property taxes. So it’s more than fair to ask:
Did one performer walk away with a half million dollar paycheck while families here were deciding between keeping the lights on or putting food on the table? ... See MoreSee Less
107 CommentsComment on Facebook
2 million!!!!
If I was this woman's boss, ( which I believe she reports directly to the mayor,) i would have a serious talk with her about how she addressed these questions. Clearly, if she is a dedicated public servant, she would promise to send this info within 24 to 48 hours of these questions. OK, sure, maybe he lost the information. Not a big deal. If this is not the case, then she is trying to hide some controversial information.
Soooo they gonna play the " word chess games"! Those that hide nothing....have nothing to hide!! Let that sink in.
Why did this go to artscape instead of to hungry children, seniors who can’t pay their heating bills, etc?
This is exactly why independent oversight, audits, and transparency matter in government. When taxpayer dollars and federal relief funds are involved, the public deserves clear processes, documentation, accountability, and independent review not confusion, unanswered questions, or disputes over access to records. Oversight systems are not meant to attack government. They exist to strengthen public trust, reduce opportunities for waste or abuse, and ensure that public money is handled responsibly and transparently.
Stay on their asses Yitzy! We need TRANSPARENCY!
What were Covid relief funds used for Artscape? Was this a legit use of those funds?
This gets more interesting by the week. Just the tip Of the iceberg
Question -- you invited me to join your page and I have a question. How did you vote in the recent Isabel Cumming matter? Did you vote for or against letting the TAXPAYERS decide the right thing?
All the taxpayers do not know what is she talking about I've never heard about how much these artists are getting paid hard-earned money when you got homeless people on the street and you're worried about listening to some rapper
There should be an itemized list to where every payment went. If not, they’re definitely hiding something and should be audited immediately.
Yitzy only cares about himself if the artscape was in upper park heights above Northern pkwy he wouldn’t care how much money was spent but since it was down in Druid Hill Park now he cares where the money went get out of here Yitzy why we on the subject of transparency let’s talk about transparency ask ur buddy sheriff Sam Cogen why he wasn’t transparency when it came to that 2.4 Million Dollars he took from the BPD budget without permission
Come on you were doing well now you are reaching
Why are commercials running in your page 🧐
First sentence is untrue. 🤦🏾♀️ Please correct
A quick Google search and the OIG report answers most of your question, no? 2025: - $240,500 for Fantasia and $125,000 for Robin Thicke (headliners). Tanner Adell: $30,000. Little Brother: $25,000. Tweet: $15,000. Booking fees: $40,000. 9 other artists: $40,650. Total: $516,150. Not sure where the $2 million number came from - may have included other artists other than performance artists, other festival costs, the art grants, etc.
Thank you Yitzy for your integrity and your stamina to continue to try to bring accountability to Baltimore City government.
So she clarifies this gentleman calling the performers "artists" and then she starts calling the performers "artists". Why is she so confrontational? Just give the man the breakdown. Crazy work here!😂😂
Since when is a performer not an artist and vice versa.
The real question is is why isn’t she giving you those amounts 🤔
It's reasonable to expect detailed information on how public funds are allocated, especially for COVID relief.
checkbook.ohio.gov This is what Ohio does for financial transparency. Would be nice to see something like this for Baltimore and Maryland
Any public expenditures should have their details open to the public
The city council should have access to the artists’/performers’ contracts fees included.
View more comments
Come one, come all! ... See MoreSee Less
7 CommentsComment on Facebook
Only time you have any contact with the council is at the voting polls. When the majority of people vote it don't matter. These people already have their plan. Voting is not what it use to be in those seats are a bunch of crack pots
Why would they put a notice out the day of that's how they get things passed by cheating cheating cheating
Why bother it's all just a dog and pony show and then they do what they want
Come one, come all, bring your checkbook for all the fees and taxes the Polticians passed upon us.
Notice is too late
Too unsafe. Until the City deals with Bikemore and Dorsey, Black women should watch at home 🇺🇲
DEMAND the council vote AGAINST the mayors proposal and give the OIG the UNREDACTED files!!! Do the right thing!!!
View more comments
In today’s budget hearing, I asked the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) office a simple question:
Who is ultimately on the hook for the missing Clean Corps money, now that the quasi-city entity Baltimore Civic Fund is refusing to even attempt to recover the taxpayer dollars allegedly misspent by The Lazarus Rite, Inc.?
The administration’s response was clear: ultimately, the taxpayers of Baltimore City will be responsible for paying the federal government back.
Let that sink in.
Tens of Millions of dollars were routed through outside groups with little oversight, money reportedly went missing, and now Baltimore residents may be left holding the bag. ... See MoreSee Less
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.3 CommentsComment on Facebook
Thank you again for your diligence, care and concern for the people of Baltimore
LR couldn’t do bookeeping effectively. The partnership thus ended. The org ceased to exist. The amount unreturned was relatively small. Not worth legal action if that legal action would cost more than the value of those funds, and from an org that no longer exists. The community often asks the City to fund local non-profit orgs vs. large corporations. That’s what was done here. LR didn’t work out but that’s an inherent risk when working with an org like this, and despite their lack of bookkeeping capacity, they did complete valuable work with the funds they got.
It’s more everybody left you hanging leave some of all races hanging I know a few
In today’s budget hearing, I asked the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) office a simple question:
Who is ultimately on the hook for the missing Clean Core money, now that the quasi-city entity Baltimore Civic Fund is refusing to even attempt to recover the taxpayer dollars allegedly misspent by The Lazarus Rite, Inc.?
The administration’s response was clear: ultimately, the taxpayers of Baltimore City will be responsible for paying the federal government back.
Let that sink in.
Tens of Millions of dollars were routed through outside groups with little oversight, money reportedly went missing, and now Baltimore residents may be left holding the bag. ... See MoreSee Less
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.6 CommentsComment on Facebook
Christopher Ervin where’s our money?
What Yitzy Schleifer doesn't reveal is that Chris Irvin the director of the Lazarus Rite was a political opponent of his, and this looks like a revenge site
It’s just the tip of the iceberg
YITZY FOR MAYOR
This is so shameful in Baltimore City just an inhumane tragedy Councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer lets figure out why they keep favoring organizations with big monies but will not help organizations trying to get our homeless off the streets www.helpbaltimoreshomeless.org
This is what causes our city to be destroyed it’s suppose to be community but people stealing not right they should go to jail if it was me I would be sitting in that mother fucker
View more comments