6-27-12: Examining Baltimore's "Strong Mayor" System

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StrongMayor-0627.mp3

On Monday, the Baltimore City Council gave final approval on of 9 to 6 vote, to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s $2.3 billion dollar budget.  That’s not uncommon—generally, the city council approves the budget.  But this year, the mayor was challenged by City Council President Jack Young.  He wanted to make $6 million dollars in cuts in an effort to redirect funds to halt the closure of fire companies and rec centers. 

However, the Council President couldn’t reapportion the funds himself—only the mayor can do that.  That’s because Baltimore is organized with what’s called a "strong-mayor" form of government, in which the powers of the mayor far outweigh the powers of the City Council.

Sheilah talks about this form of government and how it compares to other systems with Eric Zeemering, Assistant Professor of Public Policy at UMBC. She also talks with Julie Scharper, who reports on City Hall for the Baltimore Sun, about the current power tussle that's taking place.