Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski won’t say who he wants to replace him when he leaves to take a seat in Congress on January 3.
But Olszewski is signaling who he does not want to be the next county executive.
Olszewski said he does not want his successor to be someone who is proposing deep budget cuts.
“Slashing programs, slashing services, but who are actually believers in sustaining the work,” Olszewski said.
That appears aimed at former State Sen. Jim Brochin, one of the five finalists for county executive. At a recent County Council hearing with the finalists, only Brochin talked about deep cuts, saying that he would ask department heads to make recommendations on how to reduce their budgets by 10-20 percent.
“It is well known that with COVID money having been depleted and the state running a deficit, that Baltimore County revenues will not be able to keep up with its expenditures,” Brochin said.
He also promised no tax increases and that he would make no cuts to public safety or code enforcement.
Brochin was unavailable for comment on Olszewski’s remarks.
The two have a history.
Olszewski defeated Brochin by 17 votes in the 2018 Democratic primary for County Executive.
Olszewski has repeatedly warned that county leaders will soon have to make tough choices regarding the budget: either cut back on spending or find additional resources, which often means raising taxes.
There is another reason that Olszewski’s preference is not Brochin.
Olszewski wants the County Council to consider choosing a female or Black contender.
“They have an opportunity to select the first African American or woman county executive in our history, and there are qualified candidates,” Olszewski said.
There are two women running, State Sen. Kathy Klausmeier and education and community activist Yara Cheikh. Another candidate, former county recreation and parks director Barry Williams, is African American.
The fifth candidate vying for county executive is George Perdikakis Senior, an engineer who has held multiple government jobs.
Olszewski said as County Council members consider his successor, they should pick someone who will not veer off the course he has set.
“I hope they recognize that we were elected then overwhelmingly reelected based on the work that we’ve done,” Olszewski said.
Olszewski was elected to Congress in November and will take his seat in Washington on January 3. There are two years remaining on his second four year term.
The county charter leaves it up to the seven members of the County Council to pick Olszewski’s successor. The charter also requires that since Olszewski is a Democrat, his replacement must be one also.
Council Chair Izzy Patoka said they will make their choice on January 6.
