Politics

City Administrator Faith Leach touted Baltimore’s squeegee collaborative program at an international gathering of mayors, policymakers and consultants Thursday, positing it as one of Mayor Brandon Scott’s top achievements. The collaborative, borne from months of discussions with squeegee workers, business leaders, social workers and city officials, has resulted in an 83% decline in squeegee-related calls for service, Leach said at the Bloomberg CityLab 2023 conference in Washington, D.C.

A legislative work group established to assess data collection and policies of Maryland state’s attorney’s offices met for the first time Wednesday, but will have two months to provide recommendations on what information prosecutors should make public. The group co-chaired by Sen. Charles Sydnor (D-Baltimore County) and Del. David Moon (D-Montgomery) was created in 2022 by Senate Bill 763, which was part of a criminal justice reform package passed after the killing of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

Maryland state Del. Joe Vogel still has raised the most out of the Democratic congressional candidates for District 6, while former U.S. Navy officer Tom Royals now leads the Republican field in campaign contributions, according to October reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. As of Sept. 30, Vogel had raised $252,813 and spent $93,374 in connection with his campaign — more than any other candidate running for the U.S. House of Representatives seat currently held by David Trone, who is now running for U.S. Senate.

Montgomery County officials are working to learn from their mistakes after a June report from the Office of Inspector General revealed the county lost up to a potential of $8.2 million from not properly enforcing its plastic carryout bag tax that was passed in 2012. Part of the issue? The county doesn’t have a complete list of which businesses aren’t collecting the tax.

The Camden Yards applause reached a crescendo when the scoreboard screen showed Gov. Wes Moore pumping his fist and Orioles Chairman and CEO John Angelos clapping to celebrate a stadium deal described as keeping the Orioles in Baltimore “for at least the next 30 years!!” There hasn’t been so much as a chirp since from leading state Democrats, particularly those who may have to grapple in the next General Assembly session with a proposal to make additional funds available to the team.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said municipal leaders know their constituents best because they work closely with them when it comes to public safety, trash collection and other local services. To ensure his administration partners in those efforts, the governor plans to hold quarterly meetings, starting next year, with mayors throughout the state in Annapolis at Government House, home to the state’s chief executive.

Everett Browning will serve as the acting chair of the Maryland Democratic Party until a permanent replacement is chosen to fill the vacancy left by former party Chair Yvette Lewis. A U.S. Navy and Gulf War veteran, Browning is taking the reins following the resignation of Lewis, who left her post effective Oct. 6. His first official event as acting chair is a reception on Oct. 28 in Potomac.

Maryland House Delegate Sandy Rosenberg on Wednesday announced his endorsement of Sheila Dixon for Baltimore mayor. Rosenberg criticized Mayor Brandon Scott for “no sense of urgency” to address citizen needs. “This city needs a mayor who knows that community problems need to be addressed right away,” Rosenberg said.

The Montgomery County Council is likely to approve the purchase of two police department drones after the Public Safety and Government Operations committees voted unanimously to greenlight a new program after a work session Wednesday. Drones will be deployed after a 911 call if the dispatcher and drone pilot believe there is a use for the drone to respond.