The following article was submitted by 5th District Councilman David Marks on the next steps on selecting a new Baltimore County Executive
With the election of County Executive John Olszewski, Jr., to Congress, the County Council will need to select a replacement to complete the remaining two years of this term.
It is the second time in six years the Council has picked an interim County Executive—we did so in 2018 after the death of Kevin Kamenetz.
I will be looking for a County Executive who is fair and bipartisan, prioritizes public safety, and who will partner with the County Council to advance important projects that have stalled in the bureaucracy, such as the Mohrs Lane Bridge, the Honeygo Boulevard traffic circle, and the new park at Gerst Road.
The new County Executive should be prepared to take office as soon as there is an opening.
There is another issue that merits discussion—whether the county charter needs to be reformed to better address vacancies.
It is appropriate for the County Council to pick an interim County Executive over a one or two-year period, but what if there is a vacancy early in a term? Should an unelected County Executive be in office for three or four years?
The Council should consider legislation would still give the legislature the power to appoint an interim County Executive if there is a vacancy, but if it occurs before the midterm Presidential election, would stipulate a special election if the vacancy occurs within 30 days of the primary election filing deadline.
This would give the public the opportunity to vote on a new County Executive at no additional taxpayer expense.
There are rarely vacancies on the County Council, but the process for that is even less democratic.
The County Council is forced to seat whoever a party central committee nominates, and there is no language if a non-affiliated Councilmember should happen to leave the Council. We should also consider reforming this process.
I look forward to engaging the public as we move forward with the selection of a new County Executive and a dialogue on these issues.
