It’s been 40 years since there was a vacancy on the Baltimore County Council.
A council member is proposing legislation that the next one be picked by the County Council, not the county executive.
When a council member leaves office, the replacement must be from the same party.
David Marks, a Republican, said currently a handful of party officials pick one nominee who is then “ceremoniously appointed” by the county executive.
Marks said, “It’s a very confusing, very complicated process so we’re trying to make it more simple, and we’re also I think trying to make it more Democratic.”
Marks wants a party’s county central committee to forward at least three names to the County Council, which would then choose the successor.
Marks said that process would mirror how council vacancies are made in Harford County. In November, Harford County Council member Dion Guthrie was removed from office following a felony theft conviction. In January, the council chose Nolanda Robert as his replacement.
Changing how vacant council seats are filled will require amending Baltimore County’s charter. At least five members of the County Council would need to support Marks’ proposal, then it would be on the November 2026 ballot for voters to decide.
The process the County Council recently went through to fill the county executive vacancy, choosing Kathy Klausmeier to finish Johnny Olszewski’s term, got Marks thinking about council vacancies.
“When we were dealing with the vacancy for the county executive, we perused what would be done if there’s a council member and we think it’s an insufficient process.”
Erica Palmisano, Acting Director of Communications for County Executive Klausmeier said in an email, “We are reviewing Councilman Marks’ proposed charter amendment as it continues through the legislative process.”
Meantime, there likely will soon be proposed changes to how a county executive vacancy is filled.
Currently, the council picks the successor.
Council member Izzy Patoka, a Democrat, said he will propose having a special election instead, depending on how much time is left on the unexpired term.
In a text, Patoka said his legislation would likely propose triggering a special election if there is “a year or more left on the term.”
