Council Passes City Administrator Charter Amendment

Council Passes City Administrator Charter Amendment

Council President Scott’s Bill Heads to Mayor for Approval

BALTIMORE, MD (Monday, July 20, 2020) — This evening, the Baltimore City Council passed Bill 19-0382: Charter Amendment - City Administrator with a 9-5 vote with 1 abstention. The bill was sponsored in 2019 by Baltimore City Council President Brandon M. Scott. 

The charter amendment changes the Baltimore City Charter by establishing a Chief Administrative Officer position in city government. The Chief Administrative Officer must be a Baltimore City resident and have at least 5 years of public administration experience, as well as thorough knowledge of accounting and budgeting.

“I am excited about this momentous move toward professionalizing our city government,” said Council President Scott. “As always, transparency and accountability are my focus as a civil servant. I believe that the passage of this amendment will be an effective tool in the governance of our city.”

This charter amendment would bring Baltimore City in line with the majority of Maryland counties and Washington, DC. All but four Maryland counties have an administrator role in their local government structure.

Currently, Baltimore City, Wicomico County, Dorchester County, and Frederick County are the only jurisdictions in Maryland without a Chief Administrative Officer.

The Chief Administrative Officer would be appointed and supervised by the Mayor, and focused on improving performance in City agencies, ensuring accurate information about City services is publicly available, and increasing government responsiveness to resident’s needs.

“The Chief Administrative Officer established by this charter amendment should not be confused with a city manager form of government,” continued President Scott. 

If approved by the Mayor by the August deadline, the charter amendment will appear on the November 2020 ballot for final approval by voters. 

Members of the public can see progress on this bill and other initiatives outlined in Council President Scott’s Legislative and Policy Agenda released one year ago by using this tracker.