# Subtitle 7 – City Officers and Employees

Current through 2026-07-17. Source: City of Balt., Md., Ord. 26-129. Published by the Baltimore City Department of Legislative Reference.

## § 7-1 Extra compensation; in-term raises.

Balt., Md., Code art. 1, § 7-1 (2026)

(a)

  (1) No extra compensation shall be granted or allowed by the Mayor and City Council to any officer, agent, or servant of the corporation, or of any other corporation the expenses of which are borne in whole or in part by the City, after the services have been rendered.

  (2) Nor shall the salary or compensation of any of said officers, agents, or servants be increased or diminished during the term for which they may be or may have been elected, appointed, or employed.

(b) Provided, that should an increase of duties be required by any subsequent ordinance or resolution of the Mayor and City Council, an extra compensation in proportion for the increase of labor, to the original compensation, may be allowed, in the discretion of the said Mayor and City Council.

*History: Ord. 1863-058*

## § 7-2 Registration with Selective Service System.

Balt., Md., Code art. 1, § 7-2 (2026)

(a) If an applicant for employment with the City is also required by federal law to register with the Federal Selective Service, the applicant must submit, before appointment, evidence of registration or of prior or current service in the Armed Forces of the United States.

(b) A male born after December 31, 1959, may not be employed by the City until any documentation required by subsection (a) of this section has been submitted.

*History: Ord. 98-328*

## § 7-3 Militia service.

Balt., Md., Code art. 1, § 7-3 (2026)

All employees of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore who shall be members of the organized militia of the State of Maryland created by the Constitution or laws of this State shall be entitled to leave of absence from their respective duties, without loss or deduction from pay, regular vacation, time, or efficiency rating for all days during which they shall attend field or coast defense training camps as required by law or military regulation passed pursuant to law; and whenever any such employees shall be engaged in active military duty within the State of Maryland they shall likewise be entitled to the privileges herein conferred.

*History: Ord. 27-956*

## § 7-4 Office hours.

Balt., Md., Code art. 1, § 7-4 (2026)

(a) All municipal offices shall remain open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays for the entire year, with a 40-minutes luncheon period.

(b) Provided, however, that any department head may, with the approval of the Mayor, establish hours other than those above specified for such employees as may be needed to meet emergencies or to promote the public service, and the Board of Estimates shall have the power, in its discretion, to modify or change the hours during which municipal offices shall be open whenever such change or changes shall seem desirable.

*History: Ord. 46-543*

## § 7-5 Uniform allowance.

Balt., Md., Code art. 1, § 7-5 (2026)

Every employee of the Police Department, including crossing guards, every employee of the Fire Department, and every public health nurse of the City of Baltimore whose duties require him or her to have and use, at any time, a uniform or other distinctive garb, shall either be provided with that uniform or other distinctive garb, free of cost, or shall be provided with an annual allowance in lieu thereof.

*History: Ord. 55-1416*

*History: Ord. 99-526*

## § 7-6 Presentation of City Flag.

Balt., Md., Code art. 1, § 7-6 (2026)

(a) The Mayor and City Council of Baltimore shall present a Baltimore municipal flag to the family of any City employee killed in the line of duty.

(b) The flag may be presented to the family of the deceased by the Councilmembers of the Councilmanic district in which the deceased resided.

*History: Ord. 82-635*

## § 7-7 Residence address.

Balt., Md., Code art. 1, § 7-7 (2026)

(a) On appointment, each officer or employee of the City  must submit to the Department of Finance, Payroll Division, the full street address of his or her legal residence.

(b) Within 10 days after an officer or employee of the City changes her or his legal residence, the officer or employee must submit to the Department of Finance, Payroll Division, the full street address of the new residence.

(c) Subject to Title 4 {“Administrative Procedure Act – Regulations”} of the <cite data-path="|general">City General Provisions Article</cite>, the Director of Finance must adopt rules and regulations to carry out this section.

*History: Ord. 01-244*

*History: Text Conformed 02/09/21*

## § 7-8 Hiring preference for persons with disabilities.

Balt., Md., Code art. 1, § 7-8 (2026)

(a)

  (1) Persons with disabilities are a largely untapped resource for outstanding candidates for City employment.

  (2) Persons with disabilities suffer from a high unemployment and underemployment rate in the City due in part to unfounded myths, fears, and stereotypes that are associated with many disabilities.

  (3) A hiring preference for persons with disabilities is necessary to remedy past discrimination resulting from these unfounded myths, fears, and stereotypes.

(b) In this section, “disability” has the meaning stated in the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 USCS  § 12101 et seq.

(c) The Civil Service Commission must adopt regulations that set standards for establishing and maintaining a preference for the initial appointment of qualified persons with a disability into civil service positions.

(d) The standards adopted under this section:

  (1) must define a person with a disability eligible for the preference as:

    (i) a person with medical proof of a developmental disability, a severe physical disability, or a psychiatric disability; or

    (ii) a veteran rated by the Department of Veterans Affairs with a compensable service-connected disability;

  (2) must require medical certification of a qualifying disability; and

  (3) must establish the following order of preference:

    (i) a veteran with a disability; and

    (ii) an equal preference for a veteran without a disability and a non- veteran with a disability.

(e) The standards adopted under this section may apply the preference to an applicant only after the applicant has been ranked among the highest in merit-based examinations.

*History: Ord. 11-424*

## § 7-9

Balt., Md., Code art. 1, § 7-9 (2026)

Reserved

## § 7-10 Residency requirements – City officials generally.

Balt., Md., Code art. 1, § 7-10 (2026)

(a)

  (1) In this section, the following terms have the meanings indicated.

  (2) “Agency” means any department, any bureau or division within a department, and any board, commission, authority, council, committee, office, or other unit of City government.

  (3) “Official” means:

    (i) the head of an agency who reports directly to the Mayor; and

    (ii) any at-will supervisory employee who reports directly to the Mayor or to the head of an agency.

(b) Every official:

  (1) must be a resident and registered voter of Baltimore City at the time of his or her appointment, except only as otherwise authorized by subsection (c) of this section; and

  (2) must remain a resident and registered voter of Baltimore City throughout his or her entire term of office.

(c)

  (1) Subsection (b)(1) of this section does not apply to an official who, before her or his appointment, signs a declaration of intent to become a City resident and registered voter within 6 months of the effective date of her or his appointment.

  (2) If the official fails to abide by this declaration of intent within the 6-month period, the official’s appointment is automatically terminated at the end of that period.

*History: Ord. 18-111*

*History: Ord. 20-415*

## § 7-11 Residency requirements – Police Department command staff.

Balt., Md., Code art. 1, § 7-11 (2026)

(a)

  (1) In this section, the following terms have the meanings indicated.

  (2) “Command staff member” means:

    (i) a member of the Baltimore Police Department with the rank of colonel; or

    (ii) a member of the Baltimore Police Department with the rank of deputy commissioner.

(b)

  (1) Nothing in this section applies to a command staff member who:

    (i) on January 1, 2022, held the rank of colonel; and

    (ii) was subsequently promoted to the rank of deputy commissioner.

  (2) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, each command staff member must:

    (i) be a resident and registered voter of Baltimore City at the time of the command staff member’s appointment; and

    (ii) remain a resident and registered voter of Baltimore City throughout the command staff member’s entire term of office.

  (3) An individual has 120 days after the date of hire for or promotion to a command staff member position to begin to reside in Baltimore City.

(c) If a command staff member is married to an individual who is employed by a governmental entity that has similar residency requirements as those in subsection (b) of this section, the Police Commissioner or the Police Commissioner’s designee may grant that command staff member a waiver from the requirements in subsection (b) of this section.

(d) If a command staff member fails to comply with this section the command staff member is automatically terminated.

(e) No later than June 30 of each year, the Police Commissioner or the Police Commissioner’s designee shall submit a report to the Mayor and City Council detailing the residency and voter registration status of all command staff members.

*History: Ord. 20-415*