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.
The least equitable agency in Baltimore City may be Baltimore Recnparks.
I grew up in the 5th District, a block off Park Heights. Our “recreation” was playing ball in alleys. We didn’t grow up with access to rec centers or city pools. We didn’t even know what we were missing.
Then I got on the City Council and learned Baltimore has 45 recreation centers, an average of roughly 3 per Council district.
The 5th District has ZERO.
Not one.
I raised this issue with Director Moore from day one. And yet, year after year, Rec and Parks continues to disinvest in the children of the 5th District disproportionately.
At some point, we have to ask the obvious question: What is it about the 5th District that makes this agency think our kids deserve less?
And now comes the real slap in the face.
Service 644: Rec and Parks Administration is increasing by $1 million this year.
Why is the leadership team getting bigger while an entire district’s children are being ignored?
If Rec and Parks cannot serve all 14 districts equitably, then its administration budget should not be increased; it should be cut by 1/14th.
And why is it acceptable to take $422,000 away from park maintenance so the agency can add 3 new administrative positions?
Our kids don’t need more bureaucracy.
They need rec centers, safe parks, and equal investment. ... See MoreSee Less
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Cross country, fall staff, MT. Washington I’m not sure about a recreation center but I know Know people who lived in those areas went to cc Jackson,
Ask, Schaefer and those before him. These Rec. Centers are not new and most of them did not serve the people who are living in these communities today when they were built.
You make very good points until you imply why…..it is that way. It is likely because that is probably most affluent neighborhood in the city. No one was complaining that those children had nothing to do thinking their parent were capable of covering that. That said, there should be a community gathering place funded by the city. Just don’t make it more than what it is. The bias is based on income and social status……from my point of view. Common sense tells me that community has too much power and influence to be taken advantage of. I see neglect not discrimination. You have raised a good point and it should be addressed 💯 They are doing a great job with the inner city and your tax dollars deserve the same. Just don’t give people a reason to resist.
But people are so backwards In the 5th they have the JCC I went to school in the 5th
CC Jackson, Towanda, and Callowhill
Where can I apply for these administrative positions?
We all know why.
What's the plan to build one? Is there a location in mind? What programs will it offer? Will it be welcoming to everyone?
What about the reds that are being renovated?Is there a location in the fifth district where a rec can be placed?
Thank you for posting this. I will look into this issue.
District 5 callowhill was the pool to go to in the 80’s then it closed and opened a indoor pool. There were Rec centers pimlico, Edgecomb circle and a few outdoor camps in district 5 in the 70’s and80’s also the 90’s Councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer
Can you both share why?
All I want to say is you have some great points but the least equitable office I ever saw is the Baltimore City Office of Equity and Civil Rights. Maybe it has changed. However if the equity law is supposed to work it needs to make sense. I hope you will allow the IG to investigate other areas of improvement by putting records access on the ballot. I lived in the 5th district and never even noticed what we never had. Now that you said it, it is only about who you know and who do you side with to get equitable resources for constituents.
Isn't there a rec center being built on Park Heights by laundromat?
Natalia Vieyra
Spot on sir!!! Our district has been ignored for too long, in so many ways!
So can't you sponsor a bill to do just that? "Equity Recreation for District 5"
Can someone explain to me how you grow up a block off Park Heights and didn't go to CC Jackson?
It's Bal'mer, hon. You expect anything less in that pitiful shithole run by incompetent crooks and thieves?
Where is it that you propose the city build this Rec? Living in the 21209 area code for the last eight months I rarely see any kids outside. CC Jackson is technically the Rec Center for the Parkheights community
Well the 11th district needs a nice rec center and a 20th century school
Let's get that electrical box in Cloverdale rec fix, it won't break the bank.it shouldn't take months to help out the community.
I completely agree. We keep adding administrative members and cannot see any positive impact. What are they doing?
good shit councilman yep the westside Councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer
Typical Baltimore City. Part of the reason that the city budget is $4.7 billion and Anne Arundel County, which has more Population , is $2.6 billion. Wake up people.
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Always proud to support our veterans! Great work being done by JWV Post 167, if you’re a veteran and not a member yet, you should be. ... See MoreSee Less
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“The Lazarus Rite, Inc., a Baltimore-area nonprofit no longer operational, was awarded a $1.6 million Clean Corps contract when Mayor Brandon Scott first launched the pilot program designed to boost neighborhood cleanups. The funding came from the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, and the organization was given more than $414,000 as an advance.
The Baltimore City Office of Inspector General report originated from an employee or subcontractor of the nonprofit reporting they had not been paid for their services. The City of Baltimore, Department of Planning found the organization used ARPA funds to pay for salaries related to other business expenses. The city terminated the contract with Lazarus Rite.” ... See MoreSee Less
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Previous reporting: investigate Clean Corp nonprofit accused of misusing taxpayer dollars foxbaltimore.com/news/local/fox45-continues-to-investigate-clean-corp-nonprofit-accused-of-misusi...
👀🤔
Lemme get this straight. There are City contractors who have to wait 18 months to get paid for their work. But somehow this company got an advance?!? We can't afford to keep giving the Mayor the benefit of a doubt and assuming that these repeated fiscal gaffes are merely due to garden variety incompetence. When the Mayor continues to divert public funds to his friends and donors for "no show" jobs and refuses to claw back public money even in the face of fraud, waste, and abuse, it is literally a crime. And, at some point, the City Council members who are ignoring the Mayor's malfeasance are complicit.
Wow!! Yitz its time!!!
If you only read one of my posts about this year’s budget, make it this one.
The most troubling piece of this budget is Service 922: Clean Corps, $3 million.
We were told this would be a temporary, two-year program funded with COVID relief dollars. The plan was to use it as a bridge program, then bring those workers into full time roles at DPW. Instead, we’re seeing 144 positions cut from the Baltimore City Department of Public Works, while this failed, wasteful program continues to be now funded with our general tax dollars.
Let’s be clear: this work should be done in house. Period. Not outsourced to outside groups siphoning off taxpayer money that should be going directly to our solid waste division.
This program was a red flag from day one. Why was a trash collection initiative placed under the City of Baltimore, Department of Planning instead of DPW? That alone should have raised alarms. Since then, it’s been widely reported that funds went missing, and yet the Baltimore Civic Fund, through which the money was routed, has refused even to attempt to recover those taxpayer dollars.
If we have $3 million to spend cleaning our neighborhoods, it should go to the hardworking men and women of DPW who do this work every single day, NOT to politically connected groups with little oversight.
For those unfamiliar, Clean Corps started as a $15 million “pilot” program. The administration selected outside organizations to receive funding, routing the funds through a third-party entity to avoid standard accountability measures, such as Board of Estimates approval. It began in 33 communities, expanded, shifted, and now limps along as a scaled-down version still benefiting a select few.
This isn’t innovation, it’s mismanagement and negligence. And taxpayers are footing the bill. ... See MoreSee Less
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investigate Clean Corp nonprofit accused of misusing taxpayer dollars foxbaltimore.com/news/local/fox45-continues-to-investigate-clean-corp-nonprofit-accused-of-misusi...
Despite misuse, most funds not recovered from nonprofit tasked with operating Clean Corps foxbaltimore.com/news/local/clean-corps-taxpayer-money-lazarus-rite-baltimore-city-misuse
We are on our hands and knees begging for money to keep our park clean and citizens are having to donate and volunteer their time to do it themselves.
We truly do appreciate Clean Corps in my community. The organization is truly making a huge impact. I am happy my tax money is going toward Clean Corps.
So do something about it. You’re the elected official. All I can do is smfh
While it is admirable that you are now disclosing this information for what ever reason; this type of transparency should be the standard. Every tax payer of Baltimore city should receive this type of information on the regular along with a liaison to ensure comprehension.
Thank you for calling attention to this. Clean Corps is doing valuable work that compliments vs. supplants DPW's work. It is first and foremost a workforce development program, with the added benefit of cleaning up neighborhoods. But the program is indeed misplaced within the Planning Department and should be transferred to MOED as this work and model is much more aligned with MOED's mission, and MOED's fiscal oversight has long been much better. Regarding funneling this money through Baltimore Civic Fund - there should be concerns about this as it's less transparent, but it's complicated. The City has not developed appropriate processes and policies to pay grantee organizations efficiently and many cannot foot the bill to pay their hires while they wait to be paid. BCF has been able to do this much more efficiently. Should this be looked at closer? Absolutely. But in the meantime, BCF is a way to make this kind of work and partnership possible despite the trade-off. DPW is a huge agency and has historically been a toxic place to work for many people, and sanitation work has long been a constantly revolving door to fill vacancies - the work is hard, low paid, and many who might choose to do the job can't pass a background check and/or drug test. Clean Corps is a much smaller, more supportive model. There's no reason a Clean Corps worker can't apply for open DPW sanitation positions or attend a DPW job fair if they wish to. In truth, DPW is all too often the last choice for those that can't find work elsewhere. The elimination of DPW permanent positions is to fund equivalent contractual/temp positions to do the same work as a workaround to not being able to retain enough permanent hires - not reduce the workforce. There are potential fixes for this - for example negotiating with the union for 2-man vs. 3-man crews to be able to increase pay, but to date, there's been zero willingness to bring this to the table. Another advantage of transferring this program to MOED is that YouthWorks could potentially expand Clean Corps' reach each summer in more neighborhoods and get a lot of litter off the streets. Every summer, there's leftover YouthWorks funding on account of some youth never reporting to their assignments. Meanwhile, many hopeful YouthWorks applicants are denied a placement every summer. This year, MOED did this notification earlier - just this past week in fact. Given this improved notification timing, and new funds allocated from the Youth Fund towards YouthWorks this summer, it's the perfect opportunity to transfer Clean Corps to MOED, and integrate YouthWorks placements into the program in more neighborhoods for 4-6 weeks each summer. The program could start in June vs. the traditional July/August program when school lets out, providing more flexibility for youth seeking placements, and critically, to be able to spend down previous summer unspent funds in June before the fiscal year ends.
Councilman Schleifer, what 33 communities are on this list involved in Clean Corps ?
That money might help fix the problems at the water treatment plant in Dundalk.
Litter is a HUGE issue in Baltimore this is a incredibly out of touch thing to post as a "Democrat" Thinking DPW currently has the existing capacity and funding to deal with the huge amount of litter in our neighborhoods makes me question if you actually live in Baltimore. I live on a very busy intersection and I appreciate seeing my tax dollars paying young people to clean up our neighborhood! There is a noticeable difference when Clean Corps are in the area cleaning the medians in front of my house!!!
I’m not even sure why this still has to be said come on Baltimore, haven’t we been through and seen enough? Accountability and transparency should never be optional, especially when it comes to taxpayer dollars. We all want cleaner neighborhoods, but it has to be done in a way that is fair, effective, and fully accountable to the people. That means investing in the workers who do this work every day and ensuring every dollar is tracked and properly managed. This isn’t about politics, it’s about trust. Baltimore deserves results and transparency no exceptions.!!!!!! We have to start demanding transparency here!!!!
This program is misplaced and should not be in the Planning Department.
144 positions cut from DPW (when they could be reassigned to other positions in DPW other than waste water management because none of those folks want to lose their jobs )… and the City is rife with litter and trash, graffiti, and potholes everywhere ? Yet the Mayor wants to balloon his staff of “paper pushers” and fund a 3rd party vendor like Clean Corps … give me a break. 😒 Councilman like most of his initiatives as well as over site of all most $700 million in COVID Funds it seems Mayor Scott wants little oversight or to be told what to do. What a joke.
It’s the city, what did you expect?
This is horrible news. I don’t think the rest of the council understands math and logistics.
FYI Lauren Averella
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"Ironically enough there has been an increase in income tax and an increase in property taxes and there's a surplus on both. And all of that money is being spent in this budget as opposed to putting some away into the rainy day fund or really giving it back to the taxpayers. I mean, here's a unique opportunity we actually have for the first time since I've been on the council to really lower taxes without reducing any services," Baltimore City Councilman Isaac "Yitzy" Schleifer said. ... See MoreSee Less
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