The Baltimore County Council plans to name a new county executive on January 6.

“If nothing goes sideways,” said County Council Chairman Izzy Patoka, a Democrat. “Sometimes in government, believe it or not, things can go sideways.”

Patoka shared with WYPR the plan in place for the council to replace Johnny Olszewski, who is stepping down with two years remaining on his term because he was elected to Congress.

The county charter gives the council the job of naming his replacement.

10 people are running.

Patoka said the council will whittle that number down to three or four by December 16, then the council that night will publicly interview each of the candidates in its chambers.

“I think we’re trying to keep this process as open as possible and being respectful of all the candidates,” Patoka said.

The council has been criticized for not allowing members of the public to support a specific candidate at a hearing it’s holding on Tuesday on the vacancy. It only wants to hear what qualifications the next county executive should have.

In response to that, the Democratic clubs of Baltimore County plan to hold a candidates forum at the Owings Mills public library on December 19.

“Despite all efforts at transparency by the council, there was still more politicking that was going on behind closed doors than the public was aware of,” said Jyoti Mohan, who is on Maryland’s Democratic State Central Committee.

Patoka said the decision to restrict public comment on candidates was made to keep the hearing from becoming a “cheerleading event.”

Patoka said the selection of the next county executive should be “issue based and qualification based.”

The candidates for county executive are:

Tara Ebersole

Jim Brochin

Barry Williams

Paul Drutz-Hannahs

State Sen. Kathy Klausmeier

Aris Melissaratos

Yara Cheikh

George Perdikakis, Sr.

William Huhn

Gregory Dennis

Two other candidates, Del. Jon Cardin and former County Councilman Tom Quirk have dropped out.