Today at 5PM “The Vacancy Nominating Committee for the Baltimore City Council” will hold a public hearing at City Hall in the Du Burns Council Chamber. This “public interview” is required by law and it will help determine who the council will select to fill the empty 12th district seat that Council President Jack Young formerly occupied. More information about this hearing can be found on the front page of the Baltimore City Council site. I checked the site early last week and saw no mention of this hearing, but when I checked this weekend it was up. I was caught a little off guard (I thought I would have more time to prepare) and I probably will only be able to attend part of the hearing because of a previous commitment. All eyewitness accounts of the event are welcome. Email them here.
The City Paper gives a good rundown of who is interested in the seat. It would be nice if the city posted applicants’ names online as they receive their applications. I have heard the following people have interest: Carl Stokes, Aaron Keith Wilkes, Ertha Harris, Frank Richardson, Robert Stokes, and Pam Carter.
I sent out the following email to all of the above names except Robert Stokes and Pam Carter (I do not have their email addresses, please spread the word to them if you know them):
“I want to give every one of you the opportunity to write about why you think you should represent the 12th district. It can be as long as you want. I will dedicate a post to every one of you who wants to participate. I am trying to post them before the hearing on Tuesday at 5PM. The sooner you send them to me, the sooner they will be posted.”
I have yet to receive a reply.
Carl Stokes is the “favorite” because he has served on city council in the past and he ran for mayor in 1999. He is definitely part of the political machine and the council loves to stick with known commodities and the status quo. There are members of the current council who are friends with him. They are all about selecting one of their own over a fresh outsider. If one member of the City Council stands up and votes for an outsider then it will be newsworthy. These things are usually very predictable.
Adam is the most recognizable face of the recent resurgence in Reservoir Hill. He has appeared on many national and local radio shows, in several news publications, and at numerous events discussing his innovative urban redevelopment ideas and his unique lifestyle. Adam is a successful entrepreneur, community activist, and a local political guru who ran for city council in 2007. He is the founder and director of the TechBalt.com Buy a Block Project and BaltimoreHourly.com. His fearless local political commentary has rocked the local blog scene for most of this decade and he plans to take it to the next level in the next decade here on Charm City Current.