Greetings!
 
The Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC) is pleased to provide Baltimore City residents and members of the business community with resources to inform participation in the upcoming Baltimore City elections as part of our election education program.
 
T he campaign highlights responses of leading candidates in the races for Mayor and City Council President to the  policy priorities  that we believe will help advance the City at a challenging time in its history.
 
This week's edition of  In Their Words  highlights the policy priority of using leadership to create a culture of integrity, transparency, and efficiency in City government and specifically asks the candidates to outline three actions that they would take to improve transparency and efficiency in Baltimore City government.
 
The GBC does not endorse candidates. However, we are committed to informing Baltimore City residents about the upcoming election and we encourage all city voters to vote in the June 2 election. 

As another part of our election education program, the GBC has announced a virtual Baltimore City Council President Debate hosted by The Greater Baltimore Committee and WBAL NewsRadio 1090 AM/101.5 FM on Thursday, May 14. Register to join us for the debate here .
 
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at  donaldf@gbc.org .
 
Be safe, stay healthy and remain positive.
 
Sincerely,
Donald C. Fry
Donald C. Fry
President & CEO
Policy Priority

Exert solid, steady leadership to stabilize Baltimore City government and create a culture of integrity, transparency and efficiency.

Question

What are three actions that you would take to improve transparency and efficiency in City government?

*Some of the following responses have been excerpted due to length. Please visit the  candidate questionnaires  at GBC.org to see full responses.


"Regular audits for city agencies are a great first step in identifying and rectifying inefficiencies. These audits will be used to first assess the functions of the agencies and get a good sense of what isn’t working as well as those parts that are effective. I also would like feedback from the city employees who do the work every day to get first-hand knowledge of how these agencies function and what resources we could employ to make them better.
 
I will also lean into legislation that mandates and expands transparency in city government. I would also explore ways to increase transparency by assessing and increasing the information that we put on our online portals and the items that we open up for public comment. It is important that the citizens hold us accountable for the ways in which tax money is managed and distributed throughout the city. I also support using tools such as the Inspector General to investigate any evidence of misappropriation or abuse of any city-government related entity.
 
A culture of customer service must be a core part of City business operations and driven from the top down. There is no reason we should expect or accept anything less from city government. Baltimore City government is a service delivery business competing for residents and employers. Providing outstanding customer service along with increased transparency is as important as paving roads and picking up the trash." 

"I would advocate for more financial disclosure from elected officials and stronger ethics rules to protect against corruption in public office. We can’t afford another scandal in Baltimore City government. I would restructure the Mayor’s office for more authority and accountability for delivery of city services to improve efficiency. I would build a more robust risk management function in city government to be more prepared for disruptive events like cyber-attacks and Harbor Place receivership that can take the city off course."

"1. To make our public safety strategy effective, it is critical that we track where, when, and how crime occurs, while also analyzing that data to identify trends and better allocate resources. Baltimore was once a leader in using data in city governance. While the City and BPD continue to track data, we have moved away from using it as an accountability measure. As Mayor, I will refocus our efforts to use data to inform decisions and to hold agency heads accountable for their performance. I will also expand the way we use data so that city services work better for our neighborhoods most affected by gun violence and disinvestment.
 
As Mayor, I will rebuild BPD's program that tracks crime data and use that information to inform deployment, action, and resources. Multiple shootings on the same block in the same month should trigger not only a shift in BPD patrol strategy, but also the deployment of city services and resources with a sense of urgency.
 
To bring all the data we track into alignment, I will revamp the parallel, city government program that tracks performance data in all agencies. This should be used to hold department and agency leadership accountable to that performance. But also, this data can and should inform our efforts to reduce violent crime, too. To provide the most impacted neighborhoods with the resources they need, we must ensure our agencies fulfill their core functions equitably. This goes for filling potholes, cleaning up trash, and clearing alleys. Together, tracking data intentionally and using it to proactively prioritize service response can help reduce crime and make our communities feel more valued."
 
Read full response here .

"The Smith Administration will hold itself accountable by launching a public commitment tracker for the residents to see the progress we are making based on the promises made during the campaign.
 
I will contract an independent firm to complete a full forensic audit of government funds and its agencies.
 
I will then implement zero-based budgeting. 
 
We will utilize Citistat in an effective way to focus on accountability and outcomes."

"I have pledged that, as Mayor, I will make three firm commitments to ensure ongoing transparency and efficiency:
(1) I will launch a citywide forensic audit to be shared with the public within 100 days of taking office, so that the public knows what I know;
(2) I will host a monthly public CitiStat open to the press, with three citywide town halls and nine town halls in each police district; and
(3) I will have a weekly press conference on the state of crime in Baltimore."

" I am dedicated to increasing transparency in government, which is a value that I have championed his entire career.
 
I was ahead of my time in my call for body cameras for our police department, and passed laws to make key city hearings televised— making our government more transparent so that people can see the officials making the decisions and hold them accountable.
 
As Mayor, I've ordered audits to our city agencies and the Children and Youth Fund, and signed legislation for new and tighter ethics rules."
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