December 22, 2025 • 55 mins
In this episode, the Hot Topix Podcast Team speaks with Baltimore County Executive candidate Nick Stewart for a wide-ranging, no-nonsense conversation about the issues shaping the county’s future. Stewart breaks down his vision for housing affordability, tackling rising rents, homeownership access, and smart growth without displacing long-time residents. We also dig into environmental protection, climate resilience, and how county policy can balance development with sustainability.The discussion doesn’t stop there — Stewart addresses infrastructure challenges, from aging roads and public transit to schools and essential services, explaining how strategic investment can strengthen communities and fuel economic opportunity. Candid, policy-focused, and timely, this episode gives voters a clear look at where Nick Stewart stands and what he believes Baltimore County needs next. Whether you’re a policy junkie or just want to understand what’s at stake in the upcoming election, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
You're listening to the Hot Topics podcast, which cycle forty
eighty one, the Lovely Lady Lamb Chop and the Fabulous
Felonious Feather.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Let's get into it.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Welcome everyone to another episode of the Hot Topics podcast.
I'm here cycle forty eight one and I'm with.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Lady Lamb Chop. Actually I'm just Lamb.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Chacka the Lovely Lady Lamb Chop Triple LS. So today
we have our special guests, mister Nick Stewart, and we're
gonna obviously know from the past podcast we've been inviting
county council candidates to come in. Now we have someone
(00:50):
here who's going to be who is a candidate for
Baltimore County Executive nice. So we're gonna listen, ask some
good questions, I hope, and then you know, see how
this works out, and hopefully you guys will share and
get a good understanding of what this candidate is about.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Thank you for coming.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to
have a conversation.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Okay, so the first time we want to ask because
everybody wants to know, you know, for people who don't
know you, can you tell us a little bit about
your background and what specifically prepared you to run for
Baltimore County.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
Yeah, I'm happy to And first and foremost, I'll just
share that I am a husband and a father of
four kids. We are nine, eight, six, and four and
the younger three are all boys. And so it is
mania in my house on anyone day. It's never clean,
(01:50):
but it's all right. You know, it's a blessing and
it is wonderful. And so I grew up in the
Timonium area of the county, and my wife and I
when we chose to build our family, we bought a
home in Cantansville, which is a historically black area in
the Arbutus kind of southwest area of Baltimore County, and
(02:14):
we got we just ran a room.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
We had too many kids.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
We found a home in Cadence where we've been here
now for seven years and this is kind of the
forever home. And we've loved raising our kids here and
having small town America in the southwest part of our county.
And you know, over time and over that period of
time before kids, during kids, I served as vice chair
(02:39):
of the Baltimore County school Board, so schools are near
and dear to my heart, you know, seventy four percent
of our kids in Baltimore County public schools live in poverty,
which hopefully we can get into. I've did eight years
on the Workforce Development Board for Baltimore County, so connecting
that pipeline of.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Education to opportunity it was huge for me too.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
I've been on the board of the Southwest Divisions Foundation
for five years. That's our community development organization that really
speaks to how to revitalize some of the underserved areas
in our county over here. And then, you know, four
years ago I started an advocacy group around housing and
revitalization in the county. We saw this housing crisis coming,
(03:22):
make no mistake, so we tried to get the county out.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Front and hopefully we can talk about it.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
But unfortunately, you know, the county went the wrong direction
in these last couple of years.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Okay, so, oh, no problem. So what made you decide
to run the county executive Yeah, you know, for.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Me, it was kind of a put up or shut
up moment.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
I have been working and spent my life working on
the very issues that have formed a basis of a crisis,
and to be clear. It is an affordability crisis that
we have in Baltimore County.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
It's hard to live here.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
And we are losing population for the first time in
one hundred years. More people are choosing to leave than
to come. And that's real, and that says something about
what's happening in our county and the way people feel.
And so, you know, I realize that we need somebody
with a plan who can turn a moment of crisis that.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
We are in into a movement for change.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
This is when change is possible, is in moments of
real crisis and someone who can move with urgency, who
believes in radical transparency. And you know, I'm very proud
that we are the only campaign with a comprehensive plan
full stop right there. This isn't about what I've done,
you know, for the last ten or fifteen years of
my life.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
This is about what we are going to do together
in Baltimore County.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
That's great. So what do you think is broken about
how Baltimore County functions right now? My gosh, was that
a little bit question?
Speaker 1 (04:53):
We live.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
You know, there's a lot, there's a lot.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Look, I mean, at the end of the day, the
thing I hear the very most as I travel around
the county and talk.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
With moms and dads, elected leaders, community leaders.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
You know, it's a sense that we can't change it
because this is the way we've always done it. And
you know, the truth of the matter is that has
led us right into.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
The teeth of an affordability crisis at this moment.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
You know, look, seventy four percent of the kids in
our schools live in poverty. It's never been harder to
buy a home based on income. Incomes have fallen for
seven years in a row. In Baltimore County. You know,
two thirds of our people are choosing between groceries and
other essentials right this minute. I mean trying to shake
people awake and say, hey, look, it is hard for you,
(05:45):
we know that, but it's hard for your neighbors too.
And enough of this is happening that we are finally
paying the price for it, and people are leaving and
trying to find opportunity elsewhere. So as a county, what
does that mean for us? It means we've got to
make it more affordable. It means we've got to make
it more inclusive. We lead the state of Maryland in
racial profiling, and that is not the right place to be.
(06:10):
We talk about, you know, issues on immigration and New Americans,
and we just entered into this MLU with ice. You know,
we talk about how the federal government's trying to wipe
away the existence of LGBTQ people.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
That's wrong too, you know.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
So inclusivity is a big part of this and making
it more more modern. Look, we operate like we are
a sleepy country town and it's about who you know
in this county more than it is about the value
what you're talking about.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
We got to change that too, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Well, you open my eyes for some things. I didn't
know about the percentage of kids in poverty. Yeah, I
didn't know the racial profile. And it's coming from a
retired police officer there you go, yeah, okay in.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
A Bottomore County resident.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
You know, yes, yeah, wow, yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
You know, Like just on police, you know, there are
plenty of there's tension there and we've got to we
have to have police trusted by the community because that
is the way that the public safety program actually works.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Public safety is one of the number one.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
Issues for people in our county, and yet we are
down three hundred police officers from where we should be.
We only have nineteen hundred spots and we are missing
three hundred. We will be missing almost another three hundred
in eighteen months due to retirement.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
So that's a third of our police force gone.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
You know, we have got to turn the ship around,
start doing the little things right to make big things possible.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
That's what we're not doing at this minute.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
So I'm gonna get into the police thing in public
safety a little bit.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Yeah, So I want to know what are you going
to prioritize in your first hundred days elected.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
So there are a couple of things right off the bat,
and first and foremost, we are talking about getting rid
of something called council mannic courtesy. Now, I know it
sounds like we're in the weeds here, but it's this
idea that the law allows each of our council people
throughout this county to control everything that happens in their
(08:22):
part of the county like they're a fiefdom, king or queen,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
So Warden of the North.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
So we got a problem with that, and I think
it's unconstitutional, and I think there's a legal basis for it.
I'm an attorney. That is what I do, you know,
my day job. Actually I work with startups, I work
with venture capital. I work with those who are trying
to create new ideas and new jobs, you know. But
part of that is being able to read the law
and knowing that is backwards and we've got to get
(08:54):
ourselves out from underneath it and so radical change when
it comes to the way in which we do our
decision making for land use, development, zoning, planning, all of that.
And that's the other part of that equation too, is
first one hundred days, we are going to have to
overhaul the entire way that we do land use.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Reform and permitting in Baltimore County.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
And to say that we are going to finally start
getting our departments to work with one another and in fact
overhauling the.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Structure of the departments will be huge.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
We passed a housing ban in twenty twenty four because
we were so scared that black and brown kids would
start going to schools where affluent white kids go that
we decided we're going to pass a housing ban. I'm
going to overturn that, and I'm going to work really
hard with our council to make sense of our past
and to say things like this can't be who we
(09:47):
are as a people anymore because it will chip away
at our character and people feel unsee that as a county.
So that's very important to me as well. And then
starting and really trying to push hard or universal.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Pre k and is huge for me. So those are
just I mean, that's just a little bit of it.
If I'm being honest with you.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
We talk about jobs and creating a new jobs department.
We do jobs like nobody else in Central Maryland. Everybody
else has a department that is dedicated just to jobs.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
We don't.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
We add it with workforce training, we add it with tourism,
we add it with arts and culture. And it doesn't work.
It should work. We got to make it work. That's
up to us. I want to start building two hundred
thousand dollars. Start at homes in the inner Beltway communities.
You know, you think about Baltimore Highlands, you think about
Middle River landsdown we have opportunity to build pre fabricated
(10:46):
homes that are pre approved using redevelopment authorities in Baltimore County.
There's so much work, guys, There's so much we can do.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
So I had a question. You said you mentioned the
housing Bank labor for sure.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
So what it's referred to as the APFO law, which
is stands for Adequate Public Facilities of Ordinance. And the
idea is that instead of this being a planning tool
that helps us understand what kind of investments we need
to make in schools and roads, so that if we
do grow or add new housing, it doesn't overwhelm us.
It's a good idea on the surface, but guess what,
(11:24):
It's used as a tool of discrimination. And the Urban
Institute put out a report made it very clear that
there's nothing more important to a child who is struggling
than having access to good performing schools. And that's how
you keep those achievement gaps from opening up or you.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Help close them.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
And we have weaponized this tool to prevent growth, to
prevent new housing in those areas of the county that
are more affluent and have better performing schools. And so
this is something guys that Gogomery County, it was about
two years ago, overturned unanimously. They said they had it
(12:07):
on the books for years. Instead, it doesn't work. It's
not only inequitable and unjust, but it also kills investment
in our county.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
No one wants to do business here because they.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
Can't, right, and so they over Montgomery doesn't do anything
unanimously on their county council. But they understood that this
had to go. And yet we pick up that ball.
We say, you know what, it's great, We're gonna do
it here. We have got to move forward.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
We've got to turn a page on thinking that we
can't afford anymore.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
So you were saying that, you know, Montgomery County doesn't
do anything unanimously. How are you going to work with
people who kind of disagree with your plans or your
thoughts and ideas. How will you move forward or work
together with them to get things done.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Yeah, you know, that's a great question.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
There's a lot to unpack there, because, first and foremost,
we're going to have a nine person council. We're gonna
have a lot of younger people, We're gonna have a
lot more diversity on that council. I mean, this is
our opportunity to make the most of change in Baltimore County.
And I think the people who are going to be
filling those positions are a whole lot less scared of
(13:16):
the others. You know, there's a real otherism in our
society today. I think one of the reasons Trump was
so successful is he blamed you know, the working class
issues we're facing on immigrants or people who don't look
like you know, white working class folks, and we've got
to get beyond that. And so I think there's an
opportunity to do that with the new people coming in
(13:38):
and then to get focused on the things that affect
people the most.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
What is the biggest driver of cost of living? What
makes it feel so hard?
Speaker 4 (13:48):
What has caused property taxes to increase twenty five percent
for the assessments year every year in Baltimore County.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
It's housing.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
And so trying to come together over basic issues that
will make people's lives better will, I think, start to
really get outside of the political back and forth and
the hyperpartisanship, to get focused on those things that matter
most for people, including those people who might not believe it,
you know, right away, but realize, you know, change might
(14:20):
be okay, it might be a good thing.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
And I know people are afraid to change.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
I do, but there's a fear of change that I
think is giving way to a fear of doing nothing.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Okay, And that comes with the new people coming in
that who were in younger, right, people coming in who
are not scared to change.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
I think that's right.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
But I also think it comes to a place where, look,
I've said it before, I want to say here, I'm
willing to bet my whole administration on being able to
bring a town center and revitalization to Liberty Road.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
And it's not just because it's overdue. It is.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
It's been forty five years since the first revitalization we
put into effect, and we've had three subsequent plans after
that and almost nothing has happened underneath them. But it's
to show the rest of the county that in a
place that wants that kind of change, and it does,
it's ready for it. It's a lot less scary than
(15:16):
we think it is. This isn't about you know, investment
or growth for the sake of growth, or new construction
for the sake of new construction. It is about bringing
out the best of us. You know, no more sort
of long term storage, fast food, you know, gas stations,
all this low common denominator type of development.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
We can do more, we can do better.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
We've got to show people what we mean when we
talk about revitalization. It's not about destroying their community. It's
not about destroying green space. It's about bringing back the
very thing that made us so special and have so
much heart in the first place.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
And it's funny you mentioned the long term storage that
that was one of the complaints I've heard when I
was speaking to community groups, and just so happens, I
had to use one recently and I realized I went
to four different ones because I had the wrong one,
(16:16):
but they were.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
All lined out next to each other right.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Next week, three of them right next to each other,
and one was like maybe a quarter mile away from it,
all on livery route. I was like, I've just passed
six just from me getting from pointing to point B.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
That's insane.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
Yeah, and we wonder, you know, guys, why people feel
left out or overlooked and why we you know, I
talked to lots of folks in Maydols Town, were knocking
lots of doors in Rayndlstown, and there is a sense
that where the money has gone to Towson or Owens Mills,
it hasn't been possible to do it there. And I
think if that's not a reflection of institutional racism. I
(16:52):
really don't know what is number one, but number two, like, hey,
you know, this isn't mysticism. There's reasons why we don't
have a high quality grocery store, and it's because they
don't want to be the only one. They don't want
to be on an island by themselves. And the way
you get around that is you show them a plan
and you say, hey, look, we have a town center
(17:14):
plan that we are going to hold ourselves accountable to.
But we need a few anchors. We need groups like
yours to come in to invest. This is the timeline
for it. This is who we're talking to. And by
the way, we're going to make it legally binding that
we have to make decisions that are consistent with this plan.
We don't do that in this county, to be very clear,
(17:35):
We willy really make decisions that basically favor the interests
of those who have the ear of the councilmen.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
That is not okay at all.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
That was another complaint I've heard before as well.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Right right, this isn't anything new. Yeah, yeah, you're definitely
not saying anything that both of us haven't heard before. Yeah,
which is kind of said.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Well, look, this is it.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
You know, as much as it's said, I am incredibly hopeful.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
You know, I'm talking to people at their door.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
I talked to an older gentleman who, you know, his
wife recently was diagnosed cancer and all he wants to
do is be able to bring her to a jazz
club once again on Liberty Road. You know, it closed
several years ago, the one that was there that they
were going to. And they's just want basic amenities and
equality of life, right, And we're not asking the world,
(18:29):
We're really not. And so I'm hopeful because I think
little things make big things possible.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Number one.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Number two, in times of crisis, when it's gotten bad enough,
this is when we step up and say, we don't
have to do this anymore. We are letting this happen
to ourselves. We can make a change, we have to
choose it, or we can make a change.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
But I like jazz clubs, and I had actually at
one point I actually thought about putting one in Rangelstown.
Oh yeah, but I had had this little small minor detail.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Money.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Money, they're not cheap. It was great, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
I look, you know, it's Funny you say that, because
when we talk about development too, people wonderable it doesn't
just mean national chains. And the fact of the matter
is it can't. This can't be what that's about. And
so I think, you know, people want experience, and that
typically comes with stuff that's authentic and that's local. That
(19:40):
tends to be what does better now in these types
of town centers. But also, you know, you have some
state programs that I think the county should match, which
they're providing matching financing for small businesses to come and
occupy these spaces and to be the you know, the
beating heart of these communities. There's a real focus now
(20:02):
once again on local and authentic. I think we should
be supporting that.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Now, you mentioned about the people were concerned about the crime,
and I think that's I think that's pretty much everywhere perception.
But in regards to public safety and policing, do you
believe that Baltimore County policing is effective right now?
Speaker 2 (20:32):
No? I don't think the police themselves would say that.
That's not a dig on them.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
I think they don't have the tools they need to
do their job full stop. And I think we all
look let me take you through a couple of items here.
But you know, we talked about how how far down
we are on the numbers, but morale.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Is in the basement with our police officers. You know,
they don't like they have what they need to do
the job.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
And what I mean by that is, for example, other
jurisdictions have to take home car program. You know, we
had one for a blink of an eye and then
we closed it. No one else can get new cars.
It's really expensive to live here, and so most of
our officers don't live in the county because our public
servants can't afford on their salaries to live in the
(21:22):
places they serve.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
That's no good.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
You know, Anarundo county they issue five duty uniforms and
two training uniforms to their officers. We issue two duty uniforms,
meaning they don't have a full week's worth of gear
and no training uniforms.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
They have to buy their own. So what happens is
they end up spending one thousand to fifteen.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
Hundred dollars per officer equipping themselves and they don't get
the same coloreds blues.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
It doesn't look right. They don't feel like a team.
Speaker 4 (21:51):
You know, their overtime is ridiculous, but maybe that's in
part because they're not allowed to take their laptops out
of their cars so they can finish their paperwork for
their shift in the hospital, whethery're waiting for you know,
a suspect to have treatment or in central booking. You know,
it's they don't have the rifle rated plates that they
were promised. They have their issuing gear that was best
of as of the nineteen seventies for you know, the
(22:14):
working belts. I mean guys like on and on. They
don't even have enough licenses for the technology, you know,
the gun crime intelligence technology that they have, so they
ask each other for the passwords, like hey, can I
log onto your account? I mean, what are we doing?
This is a professional force. It used to be among
the best in the country in the nineteen nineties. We
(22:37):
have got to empower them to do their jobs once again.
It will build trust, It will build confidence on both
sides of that equation, and we'll have a real opportunity
to rebuild trust too.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
Okay, so in regards to what we know, the police
are down, we've said.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Three hundred that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Like two hundred something when I was leaving, Wow, how
would you address the rising crime without over policing certain communities?
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Sure?
Speaker 4 (23:14):
So I think we you know, we talked about hiring
enough police officers, and as Democrats, we oftentimes overcomplicate this issue.
And I think good public safety starts with having good
police officers and enough of them, and so providing enough
of them with modern equipment. This is uniforms, this is
cars and car radios. This is having them do real
(23:37):
policing while also increasing the civilianization of other positions. So
police are just doing what police should do, reimagining what
our sheriffs should do. So our police are taking on
responsibilities that sheriffs and other jurisdictions are doing. We can
balance out that work. We can add in and provide
enough of the anti crime technology. So think about like
(23:59):
shot Spotter, which we're getting rid of in Baltimore County.
My goodness, we're going backwards. Think about Nighthawk, which is
a technology that works with cell phones and other tracking
so it can quickly identify violent crime and offenders and
target them. You know, think about working with our state
(24:19):
and ATF with respect to gun crime intelligence. I mean,
we don't have this these protocols in place, and at
the same time, you know, the way in which we
need to approach policing is with our state's Attorney's office
to target repeat offenders and to do it collaboratively. You know,
it is typically a small number of people in any
(24:41):
one precinct that are committing an outsized portion of the crime.
And so, like you talk to a police captain and
they'll tell you the dozen to two dozen people who
are who are causing most of the crime, but they
kind of have that list, and so working with them
to get those people off the streets, to get them
prosecut in a way that provides permanence's solution is important.
(25:04):
But also like not criminalizing children, I do think that
we have an opportunity, if the record is the right one,
to intervene and to say we're going to provide Rocca Inc.
Is doing this in Baltimore City. The Choice program that
NBC is another great alternative here. We're not going to
provide the same basic level of intervention to every kid.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
For those who.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
Need more, we're going to provide more, and we're going
to be able to see them as individuals and try
to share those wrap around services and almost bear hug
these kids to try to give them the best chance
they have for an off ramp of the choices that
they have been making. And look, there's more to this conversation,
but part of this, guys, is about revamping something we.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Started under Johnny Olshewsky.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
It was called bc STAT and it was this idea
that we should measure and understand they not only the
amount of crime that we have and the trends, but
also what tactics were deploying, what resources are we using,
and to try to pull more people and force collaboration
around that table, both across jurisdiction. So this is city
(26:11):
and county at at different levels, this is state and federal.
That program needs rejuvenation and needs help. We can bring
that to the equation to make this all work together.
Speaker 3 (26:22):
That sounds really good, inexpensive and expensive, but it can
be done. I feel like if you have money for
some things, you have money for other things. You know,
because there are some things that we're spending money on
that we could not. And I'm gonna leave it right there.
I'm gonna switch gears just a little bit. Speaking of money,
I live in a community where, at least in the
(26:44):
last five years. I want to say, families have left
because taxes are just too high, and most of them.
Two of the families were retire retirees and the other
two families was, like you said, for a better education
for their children. But primarily, you know, they were just
like Maryland, Texas are too hot. And is it anything
(27:08):
that you can do under your administration to help relieve
some of that.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
Yeah, so some of this is at the state level,
no doubt about it, right, But we do have to
admit that we need to be a county that's more affordable.
And obviously you've heard me say that word quite a bit,
but that includes taxes too. I mean, look, one of
the biggest drivers on affordability, as we know is housing.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
But the reason for that for those who have.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
Houses is because their property tax assessments are going up
every freak single time. And last year we saw a
twenty five percent increase in property tax assessments. You know
that is that is punishing ultimately for people, especially those
on fixed.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
Incomes, right right, So we're going to be.
Speaker 4 (27:53):
Nudging them out of the county. Those are our seniors
at the same time that we're preventing younger working families
from coming here and afford the cost of the home
in the first place, which is in effect kind of
attacks on them. And so look, we've got to come
to grips with that issue in particular because I think
it will drive a change in the conversation and a
(28:14):
change in the way people feel about their pocketbooks. But yeah,
as the third largest jurisdiction in the state of Maryland,
we're going to have to advocate very strongly in order
to try to push back against those things that make
us feel like the pocketbook is really really tight, and
working with our state partners to convey that to them
(28:36):
will be really critical in all of this. And you know,
I don't want to lose a point, but the fact
of the matter is we have an opportunity as a
county to show people what it looks like to have
enough to go around. And so you know, if you
have a great paying job and not just a decent
job or security in your job, you know, it feels different,
(28:57):
it feels better.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
I mean, right now, we were losing jobs, losing people.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
We're growing at less than a percent from GDP, less
than a percent, right if you have if you compare
us to other jurisdictions. We should be growing at closer
to like five or six percent per year. We're not,
all right, So we do those things. We focus on
giving people more money. I think it's going to feel
a lot different to live here.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
O great and giving people more money in what way
is making it them keep it more in their pocket
or giving it to businesses?
Speaker 3 (29:34):
To incentives sensives?
Speaker 4 (29:36):
I think, well, look, incentives do play a role in
all of this. I mean that's where as a campaign
we've come out in favor of public safety in particular
credits related to housing, so we get more of our
public safety professionals living in the communities that they serve.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
So yes to that. But if you think about the.
Speaker 4 (29:56):
Conversation around economic development, people don't just I mean they
need jobs, but they what we need to provide are
good paying jobs, and so you know, having low expectations
and you know low denominator type of jobs isn't going
to be sufficient. We need to use the economic assets
that we have and there are many we can talk
about it to be able to attract and better compete
(30:20):
across the state and across the region for employers who
should be coming here intros and who are not at
this moment.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
Why do you think that is?
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Is it the the cost?
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 4 (30:37):
A big part of this, and this is the Controllers report.
But you know, the really prized employers, the ones you
really want to come and anchor and build onto the
clusters of growth that you have. They look at where
their workforce is or their potential workforces. And if they
(30:57):
see that people are being priced out of homes, or
they see that people are spending way too much time
in their commutes or that they can't get to the workplace,
those are the two biggest drivers. It's the reason why
when the rest of the country in the last eight
years was growing at like something like thirteen point nine percent,
(31:18):
Maryland was growing at one point six percent. We attribute
that largely to housing and to transportation. But to be
very clear, the biggest part, the biggest thing we need
to do in Baltimore County.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
Is actually have a plan for economic development. We don't.
And if you look at the ten year plan we.
Speaker 4 (31:38):
Just completed two years ago, you know it's a plan
that's meant to have a vision for the next ten
years in Baltimore County. Under economic development, it says we
Baltimore county lack a comprehensive vision for economic growth. We
should have one. I can't agree more. And that's rare
to see in a bureaucratic document. That's how desperate we are, right,
(32:00):
That's how it calls it out. And so you talk
to potential employers and that's what they say they want
to see. They don't want to be by themselves either.
You know, we can use trade Point Atlantic to have
advanced manufacturing, to have data science and data analytics all
together with a global logistics hub. We can use Kaiser,
Preminente and MedStar on the southwest side of our county,
(32:23):
you know, together with Saint Agnes to build a cluster
of healthcare and healthcare research and innovation. You know, we
can use the center part of our county where there's
advanced manufacturing and gaming and technology in order to build
a cluster near Tause University, using all those resources to
build a pipeline into tech, which is really exciting. You know,
(32:43):
we have the West side with it and financial services. Guys,
we have everything we need.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Some years ago.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
India, were they were just pumping out engineers, free Free
College University would have pumping up, pumping out engineers, and
what they did was a lot of other big corporations
relocate into India because they had a vast supply of engineers.
Speaker 3 (33:11):
And they need to have people to fill those positions.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Bing go. Yeah, so I know that that strategy does work.
It doesn't you know?
Speaker 4 (33:19):
On that point, we have in the state of Maryland,
we have twenty five thousand open cyber jobs.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
We literally don't have the skills to fill them.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
And so you look at like BW Tech, which has
a cyber incubator. It incubates other types of companies too,
but really getting serious about building the right partnerships to
create a pipeline and produce many more properly trained people.
I mean, come on, that is a huge opportunity for
us that we can take advantage of. We just we
(33:47):
have to think strategically and intentionally around the types of
investments and the types of competitive outreach we are using.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Education.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
Education, So is that what'll be coming up on next? Education? Okay,
what role should the Baltimore County Executive play in fixing
Bonnimore County public schools? What are the challenges?
Speaker 4 (34:17):
A real one To answer your question, I think if
you ask the other candidates in this race, what the
proper role is, they'd say, there is very little of one,
because what the county Council and the County Executive do
is they pass a budget and then they just shift
that budget off to the school board in order for
(34:37):
them to be the ones to dole it out and
implement it. And that's it, right, and you kind of
have this hands off approach, and that is I think
that has led us to a kind of a parade
of horribles in a situation where people don't know who's
responsible for what right and then you know in a
sense that you know, we can't get ourselves out of
(34:58):
the mess, but we can. And so to be very clear,
as County executive and as someone who was vice chair
of the school Board, who led the Buildings and Contracts Committee,
and who understands where the money goes, we have got
to get serious about making the right investments and facilitating
those right investments.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
So, you know, stay with me here.
Speaker 4 (35:19):
But as County Executive, the first and the first thing
to talk about, as we did, was universal pre K
because by the way, that's not even necessarily within the
purview of the school system, and it's in isolation or
just just in their discretion. We have an opportunity to
talk about what how do we prepare kids who have
(35:40):
yet to come to school to be ready to learn,
and to make sure that gaps don't open up, to
make sure that working families who are making really hard
decisions about whether even to have one of the spouses
go to work because maybe it's just more cost effective
for them to stay at home. You know, how do
we make sure they have an opportunity to have career two?
(36:01):
And that's by providing true universal pre K in Baltimore County.
And then we continue right and we think about trying
to work and create community schools throughout our county. They're
on the chopping block, they're expensive. We just started to
roll them out in Baltimore County and in the state
of Maryland, and we have to do that in a
(36:24):
really thoughtful way. I fought very hard for them when
I was on the school board. And these are schools
that provide wrap around services to families and they provide
incredible opportunity for stabilization of communities, which leads to more
investment in those communities too. To be very clear, we
can also create what I'm referring to and it's using
(36:46):
the bc STAT platform, but create a school stat. Have
information shared with our teachers, who can then help make
decisions around the table.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
In order to.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
Have our teachers be policy makers, not just people who
have to hear what's what and implement, they have an
opportunity to lend their expertise into the decision making process.
And why does this matter? It matters because look at
what happened with their contract this last year. You know,
they had a three year contract and a year two
(37:20):
the system comes back and says, we're cutting.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
It, we can't afford it. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
One of the things the teacher said is, Okay, we
understand budgets are tight.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Let us help you figure out where to find the savings.
Let us tell you what things the system can afford
to lose, but still keep you know, high quality educational
instruction top of mind. And we didn't do it.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
We held onto that information, we didn't share it as
broadly as we need to.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
I mean, this is a problem. So unless we do that,
we're going to We still have a situation in Baltimore
County where they pulled the teachers.
Speaker 4 (37:58):
They said, hey, who's thinking about even the system because
it's hard to be here in the next three years.
Seventy percent of teachers pulled raised their hands and said
I'm thinking about leaving.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Seventy percent yes, yes, geez wow. So we're in trouble. Yeah,
they don't feel seen either.
Speaker 4 (38:17):
This is Look, as much as I can try to
boil town what we're trying to do here, but modernizing
government means seeing people and allowing them to be decision makers,
taking power, if you will, out of Towson and trying
to share it more broadly, put it into communities. So
you have neighbors who are developers, you know, you have
teachers who are policymakers. You know, this is the way
(38:41):
it should be. Of small business who can be the
anchors of future developments. This is what we should have.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
I didn't know that.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
Yeah, teachers, Oh, that's very scary.
Speaker 1 (38:52):
And they have very difficult I actually wanted to be
a teacher at one.
Speaker 3 (38:56):
Point, and never remember as a.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
Police officer, I was in the scripters too, and I
was like, you know, my job is so much easier.
I don't want to do this. They really hit so
what they said, you know, being that it is a
difficult job to have and they're cutting it in. It
was always a money thing. How are you going to
support the teachers and still hold.
Speaker 3 (39:23):
The budget, hold the school accountant?
Speaker 1 (39:27):
That seems like a big mountain to climb.
Speaker 3 (39:30):
It seems like a typrope.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
Yeah, yeah, let's talk about a few things there.
Speaker 4 (39:34):
Because Number one, if we do grow at closer to
five or six percent, it's hundreds of millions of dollars
in revenue increase that we're talking about. As far as
how to actually invest in the things that matter in
Baltimore County, we got to grow. We have to economically grow,
to be very clear, and our tax base needs to
become larger, not smaller. It's becoming smaller right now, so
(39:56):
that's a problem. Number Two, school SAT will be the
accountability tool. It will throw open the doors and say hey, look,
everyone gets to share the information and we're going to
be able to interpret it much more quickly. We don't
need to be afraid of bringing people into the information
to see where the savings are, but also see are
(40:17):
these dollars effective.
Speaker 2 (40:19):
But the final thing is I want.
Speaker 4 (40:21):
To well two boy things. One, I want to invest
in those things that matter and that pay a return
on the investment. Not every government dollar that we spend
is a dollar that is an investment, but some are
You know, each dollar that's spent on early childhood education
returns four to seven dollars. Each dollar that is spent
(40:43):
on a community school returns nine to fifteen dollars in
economic activity. Okay, these are investments in our county that
we need to prioritize and find a way to make.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
And then finally, I.
Speaker 4 (40:56):
Mean, I personally am going to be spending one week
each year as a substitute teacher, you know, in schools
across our system, and I would be requiring my senior
staff to do the same.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
We are going we are going to be in these schools.
Speaker 4 (41:10):
We're gonna understand these issues in a way perhaps we
haven't in the past, and we're going to force it
and through that, and there's going to become a grace
and understanding with our decision making that will much better
reflect the fact that we're all in this together.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
Wait did you say substitute teacher?
Speaker 3 (41:29):
That's what I said. Okay, Okay, the brave so well
he's got he's got four kids, might be able.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
To I'm used to the noise. I'll tell you how
much I was able to UH.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
When I worked in the school, I was still officer,
but while I was there, the administration let me substitute
classes I knew I like and it was very rewarding.
It was very rewarding. That was the part that said
I can do this. But then you know, like there's
been those days. It's all going to be those you
guys don't get paid enough.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
But you got to see it first. Ind like you
deal with it.
Speaker 4 (42:06):
And I mean that service goes a long way. And
the one thing we're going to be asking people. I'll
be starting something that we're calling the one hour Initiative.
And the truth is we're gonna be asking every single
BCPs parent to volunteer at least one hour per month
in their child's school. And that's that's gonna be the
big push. Now, some parents are spending hours and hours
in schools.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
I get it.
Speaker 4 (42:27):
But the point of this is when you have a
certain critical number enough people who care about their local school,
it changes everything for that school. Everybody has better grades,
everybody has better mental health, and they're you know, all
the boats rise all at once.
Speaker 2 (42:48):
We can do this. We have to just ask people
and set a clear target and.
Speaker 3 (42:52):
Goal sounds like a plant like that, I'm going to
take a different turn. And that was a pun intend it.
What's your plans for our roads, water and infrastructure.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
Because you know we're bringing it more people in. Ye,
bring more people in for that and just listen.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
I came down Liberty Road to get to you today.
I need Liberty Broad with everything that I am. And
partly because the traffic is so horrendous.
Speaker 2 (43:24):
Yep, yep, I mean traffic is awful. We got speeding.
I mean, it's one of the unifying things in Baltimore County.
Speaker 4 (43:32):
You go over to Dundalk and you want to talk
about like, hey, there's a way to revitalize Dundalk and
to bring real vibrancy to the east Side, and the
first thing they kind of come back with is.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Fix our roads. Yeah, it's like tell us you care
about us, you know, show it. And I think that's real.
Speaker 4 (43:50):
And look, we are going to be fighting for a
change in the the road money formulation which changed it's
called the Lots of Funding formula, and we're going to
have to work with our state legislators to do that.
To be very clear, and so there is a big
fight to be had at the state level. But there
are things we're doing in Baltimore County, like we could,
(44:12):
for example, have many more circulators than we do right now.
But in order to unlock that money, we need to
pay for it for three years and then at that
point the Feds take over and they start paying for
your circulator system.
Speaker 2 (44:24):
It's what the City of Baltimore does. We can do it,
we just don't have to so money on the table
right right there.
Speaker 4 (44:32):
But then what I want to do is I want
to make greater use of you know, our bus system
and our light rail and expand light rail where it
is possible to do so, you know, because the reality
is you have something like Lukevo Station, which it's a
proposed development, which is on a light rail stop, and
(44:54):
nothing has happened for six or seven years because the
community has been so up in arms and there's been
fear bringing you know, the city to the county all that,
and we it just can't. We have to get past that,
and I will fight like hell to make sure that
we do, because then we can show people what it
means to have a connected transit system that young people
actually want to use.
Speaker 2 (45:13):
By the way, this is what young people typically want
to do.
Speaker 4 (45:17):
And so you know, making the right strategic investments there,
having a bus rapid transit which is US that has
dedicated lanes, which are newer buses you can pay on
your phone.
Speaker 2 (45:28):
It feels far more, you know, like a train. That's important.
Is what Pittsburgh has.
Speaker 4 (45:33):
Done, It's what Denver has done. And then you know, finally,
well a couple of things. One we've got to finally
get off the dime on having a regional water and
sewer agency. We've studied this to death. You know, Baltimore
City in Baltimore County should be collaborating. They should be
leveraging money. They should be leveraging that capital to make investments.
(45:55):
We're not doing it. We ought to be doing it,
and so I think that is ripe for the take.
And then finally, using real technology like other jurisdictions are
doing to optimize traffic flow in real time. I mean
they are using quantum computing, They're using the best of
the best in their infrastructure.
Speaker 2 (46:16):
And have you know a center where all.
Speaker 4 (46:20):
This information is being pumped into decisions are are being
made instantaneously on the fly in order to improve in
real time the traffic flow that exists. We can do
it too, We ought to be doing it. This gets
better for people. We can modernize.
Speaker 1 (46:36):
Okay, so with the influx of new people and we
talk about the roads, I for one, really care about
the environment and the you know, climate change and stuff
like that. Yeah, so how it's county executive. How would
(46:57):
you prepare the county for those type of climate impacts
like the flooding.
Speaker 3 (47:02):
And the extreme weather events?
Speaker 4 (47:05):
Right, yes, so so much to say.
Speaker 2 (47:11):
I know I talk a lot, so I'm sorry about that.
We have a lot to say, you know, And the
truth of the.
Speaker 4 (47:17):
Matter is that this is this is one of those
issues that defines what kind of place we're going to
hand off to our kids.
Speaker 2 (47:23):
You know.
Speaker 4 (47:23):
We we love this county and it's really special.
Speaker 2 (47:27):
I mean, two thirds of our county.
Speaker 4 (47:30):
Is somewhat preserved from development because it's you know, it
doesn't have access to water and sewer from the city.
Speaker 2 (47:37):
And that means that, you know.
Speaker 4 (47:38):
We we've done the right steps early on to try
to make growth be smart.
Speaker 2 (47:45):
But and this is a good time to mention it.
You know.
Speaker 4 (47:48):
On my website, Nick for Baltimore County dot com, we
have plans for everything. We've talked about, but especially and
including creating a cleaner and greener Baltimore County really and
what it starts with is using data.
Speaker 2 (48:03):
We're going to launch something called climate stat.
Speaker 4 (48:05):
It will track things like watershed health, the infrastructure upgrades we're.
Speaker 2 (48:10):
Making, the environmental justice issues.
Speaker 4 (48:14):
You know, look at Turner Station and how the flooding
has just rigked havoc there.
Speaker 2 (48:19):
We're going to.
Speaker 4 (48:20):
Track our clean energy installations and how well we're doing
against our goals there. And I think that's very very
important for us to be able to track this. But
we have an opportunity to do the basics well too,
Like we don't have a green infrastructure network in Baltimore County.
You know, sixty five percent of people inside the earthle
(48:41):
so where most people live in Baltimore County, sixty five
percent of them don't have access walking, access to open space.
They can't be outside in green space. You know Howard
County has something called a green infrastructure network. It means
they connected their parks, their trails, they're seeing ways, and
(49:01):
they made it so that people have much more access
to experience the outdoors, which also improves mental health.
Speaker 2 (49:08):
By the way, And so we all to to that's
low hanging fruit.
Speaker 3 (49:13):
We should be updating.
Speaker 2 (49:15):
Oh yeah, there you go, loved intended. There, you know
we should. We should be updating.
Speaker 4 (49:21):
Our water management practices once every four years. You know,
we're not doing that. We ought to focus on resiliency
in the way that we're not right now, but we
could be if we really got into the weeks of this.
And keep in mind to you guys that development like
we're talking about actually in most instances makes sustainability more possible,
(49:42):
not less.
Speaker 2 (49:43):
So.
Speaker 4 (49:44):
In Montgomery County, they had like a forty acre parcel
of just concrete, straight concrete because it was a dead mall,
and they turned it into a mixed use space, you
know what I mean, like live, work, play, learn, education,
all of it in one place. And they were doing
just run off by eighty percent. By doing that, Okay,
(50:05):
they created something beautiful and yet at the same time
they made their environment better. That's pretty amazing. And you know,
in Baltimore County, for energy specifically, we have an opportunity
to do an audit of all the rooftop that exists,
particularly government buildings and school buildings, but also commercial and say, hey, look,
(50:25):
can we get serious about deploying a solar energy grid
that will help us really provide cheaper and better energy
for our environment, at least in Baltimore County.
Speaker 2 (50:39):
We can we should like that.
Speaker 4 (50:41):
Yeah, And I think what that takes is creating a
new position which other counties, like I said, have done,
and that is a renewable energy ZAR. So it's having
a person dedicated to delivering these projects across the board
in Baltimore County. So there's I mean, look a lot
to be said. I've only covered a part of it.
(51:01):
But the whole thing is is opportunity. It's green shoots,
it's blue ocean, It's all in front of us. We
have every chance to make the most of this if
we square our shoulders to it.
Speaker 1 (51:15):
It's a good.
Speaker 3 (51:16):
Info, very good info, and unfortunately we can't ask all
the questions that we want, which means we probably would
have to have you back. But let's get up the
last few in and we're going to wrap up. So
for me, I heard a lot of good things, But
why should our voters trust you over your opponents?
Speaker 4 (51:40):
Yeah, So what it comes down to is if you
believe the county's head in the right direction, and you
think you know more of the same is going to
be good enough.
Speaker 2 (51:50):
Then you're not going to choose me. You're not. You know,
you have three people.
Speaker 4 (51:54):
Who are running on the county Council who have been
in elected office for on average ten years each full time.
And that's okay. But what we're promising is something different.
We're going to move with mission and with urgency. You know,
We're going to move with radical transparency, and we are
going to remain laser focus on affordability and inclusion and
(52:16):
making this county more modern.
Speaker 2 (52:18):
And why why us, why this.
Speaker 4 (52:21):
Movement that we're building. It's because we are the only
ones with a plan and that matters. It matters more
than it ever has. Maybe, you know, a popularity contest
in years past has been good enough.
Speaker 2 (52:32):
It's not now. So we can do this. We just
have to choose it. Okay.
Speaker 1 (52:38):
So where you mentioned you had some of the information.
Where can voters learn more about your platform and how
it can get involved?
Speaker 2 (52:50):
So thank you for asking.
Speaker 4 (52:52):
It is Nick for Baltimore County dot com for the
website where on all the social media platforms you can
sign up, or our emails and kind of stay in
the loop. We are growing every day We're getting more
and more volunteers every single day. We'd love to have
more people join us.
Speaker 2 (53:10):
We need it. I mean, this doesn't happen by itself.
Speaker 4 (53:12):
Johnny O'showsky our last elected county executive.
Speaker 2 (53:16):
He won by seventeen votes. Guys, remember that seventeen votes.
So your vote matters, and who you talk to matters.
Each person in this county matters. We're going to be
talking about those issues that I don't think it talked
about enough. As a team, we can do it. Now,
this is our moment. Okay, great Nick for Baltimore. I
(53:42):
got you.
Speaker 1 (53:42):
Now we're going to get to a word of the day.
So every month we've been kind of slackened for this,
but every month we have a prize for our subscribers
and we're going to use the word of the day
is going to be Nick.
Speaker 3 (53:58):
Nick.
Speaker 1 (54:00):
Every day is going to be nixt so that at
the end of the month, the first personal emails is
at hot Topics. It's t O P I X podcast
at gmail dot com with the words of the day
for the month of December, they'll actually win a surprise
surprise prize.
Speaker 2 (54:21):
All right, all right, thank you.
Speaker 3 (54:24):
So much for joining us. You had.
Speaker 2 (54:28):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (54:29):
I appreciate you guys carrying this much and loving this county,
so thank you for all you do.
Speaker 1 (54:36):
Thank you and for taking out. I know your your
schedule is really really busy now and it's going to
ramp up for more soon. We'll have to get you back.
Maybe we get everybody back. We'll not back the four
candidates to you know, to start trouble.
Speaker 3 (54:51):
Yeah, that's I wasn't going to say. You sounded like
you're starting trouble. Letting it go. Wishing you a want
of holiday season and thanks again.
Speaker 2 (55:03):
Thank you and you as well.
Speaker 3 (55:07):
Thank you family for listening to the latest episode of
Hot Topics. As usual, listen, like, Share, subscribe time
You're listening to the Hot Topics podcast, which cycle forty
eighty one, the Lovely Lady Lamb Chop and the Fabulous
Felonious Feather.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Let's get into it.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Welcome everyone to another episode of the Hot Topics podcast.
I'm here cycle forty eight one and I'm with.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Lady Lamb Chop. Actually I'm just Lamb.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Chacka the Lovely Lady Lamb Chop Triple LS. So today
we have our special guests, mister Nick Stewart, and we're
gonna obviously know from the past podcast we've been inviting
county council candidates to come in. Now we have someone
(00:50):
here who's going to be who is a candidate for
Baltimore County Executive nice. So we're gonna listen, ask some
good questions, I hope, and then you know, see how
this works out, and hopefully you guys will share and
get a good understanding of what this candidate is about.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Thank you for coming.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to
have a conversation.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Okay, so the first time we want to ask because
everybody wants to know, you know, for people who don't
know you, can you tell us a little bit about
your background and what specifically prepared you to run for
Baltimore County.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
Yeah, I'm happy to And first and foremost, I'll just
share that I am a husband and a father of
four kids. We are nine, eight, six, and four and
the younger three are all boys. And so it is
mania in my house on anyone day. It's never clean,
(01:50):
but it's all right. You know, it's a blessing and
it is wonderful. And so I grew up in the
Timonium area of the county, and my wife and I
when we chose to build our family, we bought a
home in Cantansville, which is a historically black area in
the Arbutus kind of southwest area of Baltimore County, and
(02:14):
we got we just ran a room.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
We had too many kids.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
We found a home in Cadence where we've been here
now for seven years and this is kind of the
forever home. And we've loved raising our kids here and
having small town America in the southwest part of our county.
And you know, over time and over that period of
time before kids, during kids, I served as vice chair
(02:39):
of the Baltimore County school Board, so schools are near
and dear to my heart, you know, seventy four percent
of our kids in Baltimore County public schools live in poverty,
which hopefully we can get into. I've did eight years
on the Workforce Development Board for Baltimore County, so connecting
that pipeline of.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Education to opportunity it was huge for me too.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
I've been on the board of the Southwest Divisions Foundation
for five years. That's our community development organization that really
speaks to how to revitalize some of the underserved areas
in our county over here. And then, you know, four
years ago I started an advocacy group around housing and
revitalization in the county. We saw this housing crisis coming,
(03:22):
make no mistake, so we tried to get the county out.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Front and hopefully we can talk about it.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
But unfortunately, you know, the county went the wrong direction
in these last couple of years.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Okay, so, oh, no problem. So what made you decide
to run the county executive Yeah, you know, for.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Me, it was kind of a put up or shut
up moment.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
I have been working and spent my life working on
the very issues that have formed a basis of a crisis,
and to be clear. It is an affordability crisis that
we have in Baltimore County.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
It's hard to live here.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
And we are losing population for the first time in
one hundred years. More people are choosing to leave than
to come. And that's real, and that says something about
what's happening in our county and the way people feel.
And so, you know, I realize that we need somebody
with a plan who can turn a moment of crisis that.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
We are in into a movement for change.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
This is when change is possible, is in moments of
real crisis and someone who can move with urgency, who
believes in radical transparency. And you know, I'm very proud
that we are the only campaign with a comprehensive plan
full stop right there. This isn't about what I've done,
you know, for the last ten or fifteen years of
my life.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
This is about what we are going to do together
in Baltimore County.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
That's great. So what do you think is broken about
how Baltimore County functions right now? My gosh, was that
a little bit question?
Speaker 1 (04:53):
We live.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
You know, there's a lot, there's a lot.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Look, I mean, at the end of the day, the
thing I hear the very most as I travel around
the county and talk.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
With moms and dads, elected leaders, community leaders.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
You know, it's a sense that we can't change it
because this is the way we've always done it. And
you know, the truth of the matter is that has
led us right into.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
The teeth of an affordability crisis at this moment.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
You know, look, seventy four percent of the kids in
our schools live in poverty. It's never been harder to
buy a home based on income. Incomes have fallen for
seven years in a row. In Baltimore County. You know,
two thirds of our people are choosing between groceries and
other essentials right this minute. I mean trying to shake
people awake and say, hey, look, it is hard for you,
(05:45):
we know that, but it's hard for your neighbors too.
And enough of this is happening that we are finally
paying the price for it, and people are leaving and
trying to find opportunity elsewhere. So as a county, what
does that mean for us? It means we've got to
make it more affordable. It means we've got to make
it more inclusive. We lead the state of Maryland in
racial profiling, and that is not the right place to be.
(06:10):
We talk about, you know, issues on immigration and New Americans,
and we just entered into this MLU with ice. You know,
we talk about how the federal government's trying to wipe
away the existence of LGBTQ people.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
That's wrong too, you know.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
So inclusivity is a big part of this and making
it more more modern. Look, we operate like we are
a sleepy country town and it's about who you know
in this county more than it is about the value
what you're talking about.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
We got to change that too, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Well, you open my eyes for some things. I didn't
know about the percentage of kids in poverty. Yeah, I
didn't know the racial profile. And it's coming from a
retired police officer there you go, yeah, okay in.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
A Bottomore County resident.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
You know, yes, yeah, wow, yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
You know, Like just on police, you know, there are
plenty of there's tension there and we've got to we
have to have police trusted by the community because that
is the way that the public safety program actually works.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Public safety is one of the number one.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
Issues for people in our county, and yet we are
down three hundred police officers from where we should be.
We only have nineteen hundred spots and we are missing
three hundred. We will be missing almost another three hundred
in eighteen months due to retirement.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
So that's a third of our police force gone.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
You know, we have got to turn the ship around,
start doing the little things right to make big things possible.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
That's what we're not doing at this minute.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
So I'm gonna get into the police thing in public
safety a little bit.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Yeah, So I want to know what are you going
to prioritize in your first hundred days elected.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
So there are a couple of things right off the bat,
and first and foremost, we are talking about getting rid
of something called council mannic courtesy. Now, I know it
sounds like we're in the weeds here, but it's this
idea that the law allows each of our council people
throughout this county to control everything that happens in their
(08:22):
part of the county like they're a fiefdom, king or queen,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
So Warden of the North.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
So we got a problem with that, and I think
it's unconstitutional, and I think there's a legal basis for it.
I'm an attorney. That is what I do, you know,
my day job. Actually I work with startups, I work
with venture capital. I work with those who are trying
to create new ideas and new jobs, you know. But
part of that is being able to read the law
and knowing that is backwards and we've got to get
(08:54):
ourselves out from underneath it and so radical change when
it comes to the way in which we do our
decision making for land use, development, zoning, planning, all of that.
And that's the other part of that equation too, is
first one hundred days, we are going to have to
overhaul the entire way that we do land use.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Reform and permitting in Baltimore County.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
And to say that we are going to finally start
getting our departments to work with one another and in fact
overhauling the.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Structure of the departments will be huge.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
We passed a housing ban in twenty twenty four because
we were so scared that black and brown kids would
start going to schools where affluent white kids go that
we decided we're going to pass a housing ban. I'm
going to overturn that, and I'm going to work really
hard with our council to make sense of our past
and to say things like this can't be who we
(09:47):
are as a people anymore because it will chip away
at our character and people feel unsee that as a county.
So that's very important to me as well. And then
starting and really trying to push hard or universal.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Pre k and is huge for me. So those are
just I mean, that's just a little bit of it.
If I'm being honest with you.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
We talk about jobs and creating a new jobs department.
We do jobs like nobody else in Central Maryland. Everybody
else has a department that is dedicated just to jobs.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
We don't.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
We add it with workforce training, we add it with tourism,
we add it with arts and culture. And it doesn't work.
It should work. We got to make it work. That's
up to us. I want to start building two hundred
thousand dollars. Start at homes in the inner Beltway communities.
You know, you think about Baltimore Highlands, you think about
Middle River landsdown we have opportunity to build pre fabricated
(10:46):
homes that are pre approved using redevelopment authorities in Baltimore County.
There's so much work, guys, There's so much we can do.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
So I had a question. You said you mentioned the
housing Bank labor for sure.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
So what it's referred to as the APFO law, which
is stands for Adequate Public Facilities of Ordinance. And the
idea is that instead of this being a planning tool
that helps us understand what kind of investments we need
to make in schools and roads, so that if we
do grow or add new housing, it doesn't overwhelm us.
It's a good idea on the surface, but guess what,
(11:24):
It's used as a tool of discrimination. And the Urban
Institute put out a report made it very clear that
there's nothing more important to a child who is struggling
than having access to good performing schools. And that's how
you keep those achievement gaps from opening up or you.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Help close them.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
And we have weaponized this tool to prevent growth, to
prevent new housing in those areas of the county that
are more affluent and have better performing schools. And so
this is something guys that Gogomery County, it was about
two years ago, overturned unanimously. They said they had it
(12:07):
on the books for years. Instead, it doesn't work. It's
not only inequitable and unjust, but it also kills investment
in our county.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
No one wants to do business here because they.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
Can't, right, and so they over Montgomery doesn't do anything
unanimously on their county council. But they understood that this
had to go. And yet we pick up that ball.
We say, you know what, it's great, We're gonna do
it here. We have got to move forward.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
We've got to turn a page on thinking that we
can't afford anymore.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
So you were saying that, you know, Montgomery County doesn't
do anything unanimously. How are you going to work with
people who kind of disagree with your plans or your
thoughts and ideas. How will you move forward or work
together with them to get things done.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Yeah, you know, that's a great question.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
There's a lot to unpack there, because, first and foremost,
we're going to have a nine person council. We're gonna
have a lot of younger people, We're gonna have a
lot more diversity on that council. I mean, this is
our opportunity to make the most of change in Baltimore County.
And I think the people who are going to be
filling those positions are a whole lot less scared of
(13:16):
the others. You know, there's a real otherism in our
society today. I think one of the reasons Trump was
so successful is he blamed you know, the working class
issues we're facing on immigrants or people who don't look
like you know, white working class folks, and we've got
to get beyond that. And so I think there's an
opportunity to do that with the new people coming in
(13:38):
and then to get focused on the things that affect
people the most.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
What is the biggest driver of cost of living? What
makes it feel so hard?
Speaker 4 (13:48):
What has caused property taxes to increase twenty five percent
for the assessments year every year in Baltimore County.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
It's housing.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
And so trying to come together over basic issues that
will make people's lives better will, I think, start to
really get outside of the political back and forth and
the hyperpartisanship, to get focused on those things that matter
most for people, including those people who might not believe it,
you know, right away, but realize, you know, change might
(14:20):
be okay, it might be a good thing.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
And I know people are afraid to change.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
I do, but there's a fear of change that I
think is giving way to a fear of doing nothing.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Okay, And that comes with the new people coming in
that who were in younger, right, people coming in who
are not scared to change.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
I think that's right.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
But I also think it comes to a place where, look,
I've said it before, I want to say here, I'm
willing to bet my whole administration on being able to
bring a town center and revitalization to Liberty Road.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
And it's not just because it's overdue. It is.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
It's been forty five years since the first revitalization we
put into effect, and we've had three subsequent plans after
that and almost nothing has happened underneath them. But it's
to show the rest of the county that in a
place that wants that kind of change, and it does,
it's ready for it. It's a lot less scary than
(15:16):
we think it is. This isn't about you know, investment
or growth for the sake of growth, or new construction
for the sake of new construction. It is about bringing
out the best of us. You know, no more sort
of long term storage, fast food, you know, gas stations,
all this low common denominator type of development.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
We can do more, we can do better.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
We've got to show people what we mean when we
talk about revitalization. It's not about destroying their community. It's
not about destroying green space. It's about bringing back the
very thing that made us so special and have so
much heart in the first place.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
And it's funny you mentioned the long term storage that
that was one of the complaints I've heard when I
was speaking to community groups, and just so happens, I
had to use one recently and I realized I went
to four different ones because I had the wrong one,
(16:16):
but they were.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
All lined out next to each other right.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Next week, three of them right next to each other,
and one was like maybe a quarter mile away from it,
all on livery route. I was like, I've just passed
six just from me getting from pointing to point B.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
That's insane.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
Yeah, and we wonder, you know, guys, why people feel
left out or overlooked and why we you know, I
talked to lots of folks in Maydols Town, were knocking
lots of doors in Rayndlstown, and there is a sense
that where the money has gone to Towson or Owens Mills,
it hasn't been possible to do it there. And I
think if that's not a reflection of institutional racism. I
(16:52):
really don't know what is number one, but number two, like, hey,
you know, this isn't mysticism. There's reasons why we don't
have a high quality grocery store, and it's because they
don't want to be the only one. They don't want
to be on an island by themselves. And the way
you get around that is you show them a plan
and you say, hey, look, we have a town center
(17:14):
plan that we are going to hold ourselves accountable to.
But we need a few anchors. We need groups like
yours to come in to invest. This is the timeline
for it. This is who we're talking to. And by
the way, we're going to make it legally binding that
we have to make decisions that are consistent with this plan.
We don't do that in this county, to be very clear,
(17:35):
We willy really make decisions that basically favor the interests
of those who have the ear of the councilmen.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
That is not okay at all.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
That was another complaint I've heard before as well.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Right right, this isn't anything new. Yeah, yeah, you're definitely
not saying anything that both of us haven't heard before. Yeah,
which is kind of said.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Well, look, this is it.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
You know, as much as it's said, I am incredibly hopeful.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
You know, I'm talking to people at their door.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
I talked to an older gentleman who, you know, his
wife recently was diagnosed cancer and all he wants to
do is be able to bring her to a jazz
club once again on Liberty Road. You know, it closed
several years ago, the one that was there that they
were going to. And they's just want basic amenities and
equality of life, right, And we're not asking the world,
(18:29):
We're really not. And so I'm hopeful because I think
little things make big things possible.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Number one.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Number two, in times of crisis, when it's gotten bad enough,
this is when we step up and say, we don't
have to do this anymore. We are letting this happen
to ourselves. We can make a change, we have to
choose it, or we can make a change.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
But I like jazz clubs, and I had actually at
one point I actually thought about putting one in Rangelstown.
Oh yeah, but I had had this little small minor detail.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Money.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Money, they're not cheap. It was great, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
I look, you know, it's Funny you say that, because
when we talk about development too, people wonderable it doesn't
just mean national chains. And the fact of the matter
is it can't. This can't be what that's about. And
so I think, you know, people want experience, and that
typically comes with stuff that's authentic and that's local. That
(19:40):
tends to be what does better now in these types
of town centers. But also, you know, you have some
state programs that I think the county should match, which
they're providing matching financing for small businesses to come and
occupy these spaces and to be the you know, the
beating heart of these communities. There's a real focus now
(20:02):
once again on local and authentic. I think we should
be supporting that.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Now, you mentioned about the people were concerned about the crime,
and I think that's I think that's pretty much everywhere perception.
But in regards to public safety and policing, do you
believe that Baltimore County policing is effective right now?
Speaker 2 (20:32):
No? I don't think the police themselves would say that.
That's not a dig on them.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
I think they don't have the tools they need to
do their job full stop. And I think we all
look let me take you through a couple of items here.
But you know, we talked about how how far down
we are on the numbers, but morale.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Is in the basement with our police officers. You know,
they don't like they have what they need to do
the job.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
And what I mean by that is, for example, other
jurisdictions have to take home car program. You know, we
had one for a blink of an eye and then
we closed it. No one else can get new cars.
It's really expensive to live here, and so most of
our officers don't live in the county because our public
servants can't afford on their salaries to live in the
(21:22):
places they serve.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
That's no good.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
You know, Anarundo county they issue five duty uniforms and
two training uniforms to their officers. We issue two duty uniforms,
meaning they don't have a full week's worth of gear
and no training uniforms.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
They have to buy their own. So what happens is
they end up spending one thousand to fifteen.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
Hundred dollars per officer equipping themselves and they don't get
the same coloreds blues.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
It doesn't look right. They don't feel like a team.
Speaker 4 (21:51):
You know, their overtime is ridiculous, but maybe that's in
part because they're not allowed to take their laptops out
of their cars so they can finish their paperwork for
their shift in the hospital, whethery're waiting for you know,
a suspect to have treatment or in central booking. You know,
it's they don't have the rifle rated plates that they
were promised. They have their issuing gear that was best
of as of the nineteen seventies for you know, the
(22:14):
working belts. I mean guys like on and on. They
don't even have enough licenses for the technology, you know,
the gun crime intelligence technology that they have, so they
ask each other for the passwords, like hey, can I
log onto your account? I mean, what are we doing?
This is a professional force. It used to be among
the best in the country in the nineteen nineties. We
(22:37):
have got to empower them to do their jobs once again.
It will build trust, It will build confidence on both
sides of that equation, and we'll have a real opportunity
to rebuild trust too.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
Okay, so in regards to what we know, the police
are down, we've said.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Three hundred that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Like two hundred something when I was leaving, Wow, how
would you address the rising crime without over policing certain communities?
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Sure?
Speaker 4 (23:14):
So I think we you know, we talked about hiring
enough police officers, and as Democrats, we oftentimes overcomplicate this issue.
And I think good public safety starts with having good
police officers and enough of them, and so providing enough
of them with modern equipment. This is uniforms, this is
cars and car radios. This is having them do real
(23:37):
policing while also increasing the civilianization of other positions. So
police are just doing what police should do, reimagining what
our sheriffs should do. So our police are taking on
responsibilities that sheriffs and other jurisdictions are doing. We can
balance out that work. We can add in and provide
enough of the anti crime technology. So think about like
(23:59):
shot Spotter, which we're getting rid of in Baltimore County.
My goodness, we're going backwards. Think about Nighthawk, which is
a technology that works with cell phones and other tracking
so it can quickly identify violent crime and offenders and
target them. You know, think about working with our state
(24:19):
and ATF with respect to gun crime intelligence. I mean,
we don't have this these protocols in place, and at
the same time, you know, the way in which we
need to approach policing is with our state's Attorney's office
to target repeat offenders and to do it collaboratively. You know,
it is typically a small number of people in any
(24:41):
one precinct that are committing an outsized portion of the crime.
And so, like you talk to a police captain and
they'll tell you the dozen to two dozen people who
are who are causing most of the crime, but they
kind of have that list, and so working with them
to get those people off the streets, to get them
prosecut in a way that provides permanence's solution is important.
(25:04):
But also like not criminalizing children, I do think that
we have an opportunity, if the record is the right one,
to intervene and to say we're going to provide Rocca Inc.
Is doing this in Baltimore City. The Choice program that
NBC is another great alternative here. We're not going to
provide the same basic level of intervention to every kid.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
For those who.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
Need more, we're going to provide more, and we're going
to be able to see them as individuals and try
to share those wrap around services and almost bear hug
these kids to try to give them the best chance
they have for an off ramp of the choices that
they have been making. And look, there's more to this conversation,
but part of this, guys, is about revamping something we.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Started under Johnny Olshewsky.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
It was called bc STAT and it was this idea
that we should measure and understand they not only the
amount of crime that we have and the trends, but
also what tactics were deploying, what resources are we using,
and to try to pull more people and force collaboration
around that table, both across jurisdiction. So this is city
(26:11):
and county at at different levels, this is state and federal.
That program needs rejuvenation and needs help. We can bring
that to the equation to make this all work together.
Speaker 3 (26:22):
That sounds really good, inexpensive and expensive, but it can
be done. I feel like if you have money for
some things, you have money for other things. You know,
because there are some things that we're spending money on
that we could not. And I'm gonna leave it right there.
I'm gonna switch gears just a little bit. Speaking of money,
I live in a community where, at least in the
(26:44):
last five years. I want to say, families have left
because taxes are just too high, and most of them.
Two of the families were retire retirees and the other
two families was, like you said, for a better education
for their children. But primarily, you know, they were just
like Maryland, Texas are too hot. And is it anything
(27:08):
that you can do under your administration to help relieve
some of that.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
Yeah, so some of this is at the state level,
no doubt about it, right, But we do have to
admit that we need to be a county that's more affordable.
And obviously you've heard me say that word quite a bit,
but that includes taxes too. I mean, look, one of
the biggest drivers on affordability, as we know is housing.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
But the reason for that for those who have.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
Houses is because their property tax assessments are going up
every freak single time. And last year we saw a
twenty five percent increase in property tax assessments. You know
that is that is punishing ultimately for people, especially those
on fixed.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
Incomes, right right, So we're going to be.
Speaker 4 (27:53):
Nudging them out of the county. Those are our seniors
at the same time that we're preventing younger working families
from coming here and afford the cost of the home
in the first place, which is in effect kind of
attacks on them. And so look, we've got to come
to grips with that issue in particular because I think
it will drive a change in the conversation and a
(28:14):
change in the way people feel about their pocketbooks. But yeah,
as the third largest jurisdiction in the state of Maryland,
we're going to have to advocate very strongly in order
to try to push back against those things that make
us feel like the pocketbook is really really tight, and
working with our state partners to convey that to them
(28:36):
will be really critical in all of this. And you know,
I don't want to lose a point, but the fact
of the matter is we have an opportunity as a
county to show people what it looks like to have
enough to go around. And so you know, if you
have a great paying job and not just a decent
job or security in your job, you know, it feels different,
(28:57):
it feels better.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
I mean, right now, we were losing jobs, losing people.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
We're growing at less than a percent from GDP, less
than a percent, right if you have if you compare
us to other jurisdictions. We should be growing at closer
to like five or six percent per year. We're not,
all right, So we do those things. We focus on
giving people more money. I think it's going to feel
a lot different to live here.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
O great and giving people more money in what way
is making it them keep it more in their pocket
or giving it to businesses?
Speaker 3 (29:34):
To incentives sensives?
Speaker 4 (29:36):
I think, well, look, incentives do play a role in
all of this. I mean that's where as a campaign
we've come out in favor of public safety in particular
credits related to housing, so we get more of our
public safety professionals living in the communities that they serve.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
So yes to that. But if you think about the.
Speaker 4 (29:56):
Conversation around economic development, people don't just I mean they
need jobs, but they what we need to provide are
good paying jobs, and so you know, having low expectations
and you know low denominator type of jobs isn't going
to be sufficient. We need to use the economic assets
that we have and there are many we can talk
about it to be able to attract and better compete
(30:20):
across the state and across the region for employers who
should be coming here intros and who are not at
this moment.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
Why do you think that is?
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Is it the the cost?
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 4 (30:37):
A big part of this, and this is the Controllers report.
But you know, the really prized employers, the ones you
really want to come and anchor and build onto the
clusters of growth that you have. They look at where
their workforce is or their potential workforces. And if they
(30:57):
see that people are being priced out of homes, or
they see that people are spending way too much time
in their commutes or that they can't get to the workplace,
those are the two biggest drivers. It's the reason why
when the rest of the country in the last eight
years was growing at like something like thirteen point nine percent,
(31:18):
Maryland was growing at one point six percent. We attribute
that largely to housing and to transportation. But to be
very clear, the biggest part, the biggest thing we need
to do in Baltimore County.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
Is actually have a plan for economic development. We don't.
And if you look at the ten year plan we.
Speaker 4 (31:38):
Just completed two years ago, you know it's a plan
that's meant to have a vision for the next ten
years in Baltimore County. Under economic development, it says we
Baltimore county lack a comprehensive vision for economic growth. We
should have one. I can't agree more. And that's rare
to see in a bureaucratic document. That's how desperate we are, right,
(32:00):
That's how it calls it out. And so you talk
to potential employers and that's what they say they want
to see. They don't want to be by themselves either.
You know, we can use trade Point Atlantic to have
advanced manufacturing, to have data science and data analytics all
together with a global logistics hub. We can use Kaiser,
Preminente and MedStar on the southwest side of our county,
(32:23):
you know, together with Saint Agnes to build a cluster
of healthcare and healthcare research and innovation. You know, we
can use the center part of our county where there's
advanced manufacturing and gaming and technology in order to build
a cluster near Tause University, using all those resources to
build a pipeline into tech, which is really exciting. You know,
(32:43):
we have the West side with it and financial services. Guys,
we have everything we need.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Some years ago.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
India, were they were just pumping out engineers, free Free
College University would have pumping up, pumping out engineers, and
what they did was a lot of other big corporations
relocate into India because they had a vast supply of engineers.
Speaker 3 (33:11):
And they need to have people to fill those positions.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Bing go. Yeah, so I know that that strategy does work.
It doesn't you know?
Speaker 4 (33:19):
On that point, we have in the state of Maryland,
we have twenty five thousand open cyber jobs.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
We literally don't have the skills to fill them.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
And so you look at like BW Tech, which has
a cyber incubator. It incubates other types of companies too,
but really getting serious about building the right partnerships to
create a pipeline and produce many more properly trained people.
I mean, come on, that is a huge opportunity for
us that we can take advantage of. We just we
(33:47):
have to think strategically and intentionally around the types of
investments and the types of competitive outreach we are using.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Education.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
Education, So is that what'll be coming up on next? Education? Okay,
what role should the Baltimore County Executive play in fixing
Bonnimore County public schools? What are the challenges?
Speaker 4 (34:17):
A real one To answer your question, I think if
you ask the other candidates in this race, what the
proper role is, they'd say, there is very little of one,
because what the county Council and the County Executive do
is they pass a budget and then they just shift
that budget off to the school board in order for
(34:37):
them to be the ones to dole it out and
implement it. And that's it, right, and you kind of
have this hands off approach, and that is I think
that has led us to a kind of a parade
of horribles in a situation where people don't know who's
responsible for what right and then you know in a
sense that you know, we can't get ourselves out of
(34:58):
the mess, but we can. And so to be very clear,
as County executive and as someone who was vice chair
of the school Board, who led the Buildings and Contracts Committee,
and who understands where the money goes, we have got
to get serious about making the right investments and facilitating
those right investments.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
So, you know, stay with me here.
Speaker 4 (35:19):
But as County Executive, the first and the first thing
to talk about, as we did, was universal pre K
because by the way, that's not even necessarily within the
purview of the school system, and it's in isolation or
just just in their discretion. We have an opportunity to
talk about what how do we prepare kids who have
(35:40):
yet to come to school to be ready to learn,
and to make sure that gaps don't open up, to
make sure that working families who are making really hard
decisions about whether even to have one of the spouses
go to work because maybe it's just more cost effective
for them to stay at home. You know, how do
we make sure they have an opportunity to have career two?
(36:01):
And that's by providing true universal pre K in Baltimore County.
And then we continue right and we think about trying
to work and create community schools throughout our county. They're
on the chopping block, they're expensive. We just started to
roll them out in Baltimore County and in the state
of Maryland, and we have to do that in a
(36:24):
really thoughtful way. I fought very hard for them when
I was on the school board. And these are schools
that provide wrap around services to families and they provide
incredible opportunity for stabilization of communities, which leads to more
investment in those communities too. To be very clear, we
can also create what I'm referring to and it's using
(36:46):
the bc STAT platform, but create a school stat. Have
information shared with our teachers, who can then help make
decisions around the table.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
In order to.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
Have our teachers be policy makers, not just people who
have to hear what's what and implement, they have an
opportunity to lend their expertise into the decision making process.
And why does this matter? It matters because look at
what happened with their contract this last year. You know,
they had a three year contract and a year two
(37:20):
the system comes back and says, we're cutting.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
It, we can't afford it. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
One of the things the teacher said is, Okay, we
understand budgets are tight.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Let us help you figure out where to find the savings.
Let us tell you what things the system can afford
to lose, but still keep you know, high quality educational
instruction top of mind. And we didn't do it.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
We held onto that information, we didn't share it as
broadly as we need to.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
I mean, this is a problem. So unless we do that,
we're going to We still have a situation in Baltimore
County where they pulled the teachers.
Speaker 4 (37:58):
They said, hey, who's thinking about even the system because
it's hard to be here in the next three years.
Seventy percent of teachers pulled raised their hands and said
I'm thinking about leaving.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Seventy percent yes, yes, geez wow. So we're in trouble. Yeah,
they don't feel seen either.
Speaker 4 (38:17):
This is Look, as much as I can try to
boil town what we're trying to do here, but modernizing
government means seeing people and allowing them to be decision makers,
taking power, if you will, out of Towson and trying
to share it more broadly, put it into communities. So
you have neighbors who are developers, you know, you have
teachers who are policymakers. You know, this is the way
(38:41):
it should be. Of small business who can be the
anchors of future developments. This is what we should have.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
I didn't know that.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
Yeah, teachers, Oh, that's very scary.
Speaker 1 (38:52):
And they have very difficult I actually wanted to be
a teacher at one.
Speaker 3 (38:56):
Point, and never remember as a.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
Police officer, I was in the scripters too, and I
was like, you know, my job is so much easier.
I don't want to do this. They really hit so
what they said, you know, being that it is a
difficult job to have and they're cutting it in. It
was always a money thing. How are you going to
support the teachers and still hold.
Speaker 3 (39:23):
The budget, hold the school accountant?
Speaker 1 (39:27):
That seems like a big mountain to climb.
Speaker 3 (39:30):
It seems like a typrope.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
Yeah, yeah, let's talk about a few things there.
Speaker 4 (39:34):
Because Number one, if we do grow at closer to
five or six percent, it's hundreds of millions of dollars
in revenue increase that we're talking about. As far as
how to actually invest in the things that matter in
Baltimore County, we got to grow. We have to economically grow,
to be very clear, and our tax base needs to
become larger, not smaller. It's becoming smaller right now, so
(39:56):
that's a problem. Number Two, school SAT will be the
accountability tool. It will throw open the doors and say hey, look,
everyone gets to share the information and we're going to
be able to interpret it much more quickly. We don't
need to be afraid of bringing people into the information
to see where the savings are, but also see are
(40:17):
these dollars effective.
Speaker 2 (40:19):
But the final thing is I want.
Speaker 4 (40:21):
To well two boy things. One, I want to invest
in those things that matter and that pay a return
on the investment. Not every government dollar that we spend
is a dollar that is an investment, but some are
You know, each dollar that's spent on early childhood education
returns four to seven dollars. Each dollar that is spent
(40:43):
on a community school returns nine to fifteen dollars in
economic activity. Okay, these are investments in our county that
we need to prioritize and find a way to make.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
And then finally, I.
Speaker 4 (40:56):
Mean, I personally am going to be spending one week
each year as a substitute teacher, you know, in schools
across our system, and I would be requiring my senior
staff to do the same.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
We are going we are going to be in these schools.
Speaker 4 (41:10):
We're gonna understand these issues in a way perhaps we
haven't in the past, and we're going to force it
and through that, and there's going to become a grace
and understanding with our decision making that will much better
reflect the fact that we're all in this together.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
Wait did you say substitute teacher?
Speaker 3 (41:29):
That's what I said. Okay, Okay, the brave so well
he's got he's got four kids, might be able.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
To I'm used to the noise. I'll tell you how
much I was able to UH.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
When I worked in the school, I was still officer,
but while I was there, the administration let me substitute
classes I knew I like and it was very rewarding.
It was very rewarding. That was the part that said
I can do this. But then you know, like there's
been those days. It's all going to be those you
guys don't get paid enough.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
But you got to see it first. Ind like you
deal with it.
Speaker 4 (42:06):
And I mean that service goes a long way. And
the one thing we're going to be asking people. I'll
be starting something that we're calling the one hour Initiative.
And the truth is we're gonna be asking every single
BCPs parent to volunteer at least one hour per month
in their child's school. And that's that's gonna be the
big push. Now, some parents are spending hours and hours
in schools.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
I get it.
Speaker 4 (42:27):
But the point of this is when you have a
certain critical number enough people who care about their local school,
it changes everything for that school. Everybody has better grades,
everybody has better mental health, and they're you know, all
the boats rise all at once.
Speaker 2 (42:48):
We can do this. We have to just ask people
and set a clear target and.
Speaker 3 (42:52):
Goal sounds like a plant like that, I'm going to
take a different turn. And that was a pun intend it.
What's your plans for our roads, water and infrastructure.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
Because you know we're bringing it more people in. Ye,
bring more people in for that and just listen.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
I came down Liberty Road to get to you today.
I need Liberty Broad with everything that I am. And
partly because the traffic is so horrendous.
Speaker 2 (43:24):
Yep, yep, I mean traffic is awful. We got speeding.
I mean, it's one of the unifying things in Baltimore County.
Speaker 4 (43:32):
You go over to Dundalk and you want to talk
about like, hey, there's a way to revitalize Dundalk and
to bring real vibrancy to the east Side, and the
first thing they kind of come back with is.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Fix our roads. Yeah, it's like tell us you care
about us, you know, show it. And I think that's real.
Speaker 4 (43:50):
And look, we are going to be fighting for a
change in the the road money formulation which changed it's
called the Lots of Funding formula, and we're going to
have to work with our state legislators to do that.
To be very clear, and so there is a big
fight to be had at the state level. But there
are things we're doing in Baltimore County, like we could,
(44:12):
for example, have many more circulators than we do right now.
But in order to unlock that money, we need to
pay for it for three years and then at that
point the Feds take over and they start paying for
your circulator system.
Speaker 2 (44:24):
It's what the City of Baltimore does. We can do it,
we just don't have to so money on the table
right right there.
Speaker 4 (44:32):
But then what I want to do is I want
to make greater use of you know, our bus system
and our light rail and expand light rail where it
is possible to do so, you know, because the reality
is you have something like Lukevo Station, which it's a
proposed development, which is on a light rail stop, and
(44:54):
nothing has happened for six or seven years because the
community has been so up in arms and there's been
fear bringing you know, the city to the county all that,
and we it just can't. We have to get past that,
and I will fight like hell to make sure that
we do, because then we can show people what it
means to have a connected transit system that young people
actually want to use.
Speaker 2 (45:13):
By the way, this is what young people typically want
to do.
Speaker 4 (45:17):
And so you know, making the right strategic investments there,
having a bus rapid transit which is US that has
dedicated lanes, which are newer buses you can pay on
your phone.
Speaker 2 (45:28):
It feels far more, you know, like a train. That's important.
Is what Pittsburgh has.
Speaker 4 (45:33):
Done, It's what Denver has done. And then you know, finally,
well a couple of things. One we've got to finally
get off the dime on having a regional water and
sewer agency. We've studied this to death. You know, Baltimore
City in Baltimore County should be collaborating. They should be
leveraging money. They should be leveraging that capital to make investments.
(45:55):
We're not doing it. We ought to be doing it,
and so I think that is ripe for the take.
And then finally, using real technology like other jurisdictions are
doing to optimize traffic flow in real time. I mean
they are using quantum computing, They're using the best of
the best in their infrastructure.
Speaker 2 (46:16):
And have you know a center where all.
Speaker 4 (46:20):
This information is being pumped into decisions are are being
made instantaneously on the fly in order to improve in
real time the traffic flow that exists. We can do
it too, We ought to be doing it. This gets
better for people. We can modernize.
Speaker 1 (46:36):
Okay, so with the influx of new people and we
talk about the roads, I for one, really care about
the environment and the you know, climate change and stuff
like that. Yeah, so how it's county executive. How would
(46:57):
you prepare the county for those type of climate impacts
like the flooding.
Speaker 3 (47:02):
And the extreme weather events?
Speaker 4 (47:05):
Right, yes, so so much to say.
Speaker 2 (47:11):
I know I talk a lot, so I'm sorry about that.
We have a lot to say, you know, And the
truth of the.
Speaker 4 (47:17):
Matter is that this is this is one of those
issues that defines what kind of place we're going to
hand off to our kids.
Speaker 2 (47:23):
You know.
Speaker 4 (47:23):
We we love this county and it's really special.
Speaker 2 (47:27):
I mean, two thirds of our county.
Speaker 4 (47:30):
Is somewhat preserved from development because it's you know, it
doesn't have access to water and sewer from the city.
Speaker 2 (47:37):
And that means that, you know.
Speaker 4 (47:38):
We we've done the right steps early on to try
to make growth be smart.
Speaker 2 (47:45):
But and this is a good time to mention it.
You know.
Speaker 4 (47:48):
On my website, Nick for Baltimore County dot com, we
have plans for everything. We've talked about, but especially and
including creating a cleaner and greener Baltimore County really and
what it starts with is using data.
Speaker 2 (48:03):
We're going to launch something called climate stat.
Speaker 4 (48:05):
It will track things like watershed health, the infrastructure upgrades we're.
Speaker 2 (48:10):
Making, the environmental justice issues.
Speaker 4 (48:14):
You know, look at Turner Station and how the flooding
has just rigked havoc there.
Speaker 2 (48:19):
We're going to.
Speaker 4 (48:20):
Track our clean energy installations and how well we're doing
against our goals there. And I think that's very very
important for us to be able to track this. But
we have an opportunity to do the basics well too,
Like we don't have a green infrastructure network in Baltimore County.
You know, sixty five percent of people inside the earthle
(48:41):
so where most people live in Baltimore County, sixty five
percent of them don't have access walking, access to open space.
They can't be outside in green space. You know Howard
County has something called a green infrastructure network. It means
they connected their parks, their trails, they're seeing ways, and
(49:01):
they made it so that people have much more access
to experience the outdoors, which also improves mental health.
Speaker 2 (49:08):
By the way, And so we all to to that's
low hanging fruit.
Speaker 3 (49:13):
We should be updating.
Speaker 2 (49:15):
Oh yeah, there you go, loved intended. There, you know
we should. We should be updating.
Speaker 4 (49:21):
Our water management practices once every four years. You know,
we're not doing that. We ought to focus on resiliency
in the way that we're not right now, but we
could be if we really got into the weeks of this.
And keep in mind to you guys that development like
we're talking about actually in most instances makes sustainability more possible,
(49:42):
not less.
Speaker 2 (49:43):
So.
Speaker 4 (49:44):
In Montgomery County, they had like a forty acre parcel
of just concrete, straight concrete because it was a dead mall,
and they turned it into a mixed use space, you
know what I mean, like live, work, play, learn, education,
all of it in one place. And they were doing
just run off by eighty percent. By doing that, Okay,
(50:05):
they created something beautiful and yet at the same time
they made their environment better. That's pretty amazing. And you know,
in Baltimore County, for energy specifically, we have an opportunity
to do an audit of all the rooftop that exists,
particularly government buildings and school buildings, but also commercial and say, hey, look,
(50:25):
can we get serious about deploying a solar energy grid
that will help us really provide cheaper and better energy
for our environment, at least in Baltimore County.
Speaker 2 (50:39):
We can we should like that.
Speaker 4 (50:41):
Yeah, And I think what that takes is creating a
new position which other counties, like I said, have done,
and that is a renewable energy ZAR. So it's having
a person dedicated to delivering these projects across the board
in Baltimore County. So there's I mean, look a lot
to be said. I've only covered a part of it.
(51:01):
But the whole thing is is opportunity. It's green shoots,
it's blue ocean, It's all in front of us. We
have every chance to make the most of this if
we square our shoulders to it.
Speaker 1 (51:15):
It's a good.
Speaker 3 (51:16):
Info, very good info, and unfortunately we can't ask all
the questions that we want, which means we probably would
have to have you back. But let's get up the
last few in and we're going to wrap up. So
for me, I heard a lot of good things, But
why should our voters trust you over your opponents?
Speaker 4 (51:40):
Yeah, So what it comes down to is if you
believe the county's head in the right direction, and you
think you know more of the same is going to
be good enough.
Speaker 2 (51:50):
Then you're not going to choose me. You're not. You know,
you have three people.
Speaker 4 (51:54):
Who are running on the county Council who have been
in elected office for on average ten years each full time.
And that's okay. But what we're promising is something different.
We're going to move with mission and with urgency. You know,
We're going to move with radical transparency, and we are
going to remain laser focus on affordability and inclusion and
(52:16):
making this county more modern.
Speaker 2 (52:18):
And why why us, why this.
Speaker 4 (52:21):
Movement that we're building. It's because we are the only
ones with a plan and that matters. It matters more
than it ever has. Maybe, you know, a popularity contest
in years past has been good enough.
Speaker 2 (52:32):
It's not now. So we can do this. We just
have to choose it. Okay.
Speaker 1 (52:38):
So where you mentioned you had some of the information.
Where can voters learn more about your platform and how
it can get involved?
Speaker 2 (52:50):
So thank you for asking.
Speaker 4 (52:52):
It is Nick for Baltimore County dot com for the
website where on all the social media platforms you can
sign up, or our emails and kind of stay in
the loop. We are growing every day We're getting more
and more volunteers every single day. We'd love to have
more people join us.
Speaker 2 (53:10):
We need it. I mean, this doesn't happen by itself.
Speaker 4 (53:12):
Johnny O'showsky our last elected county executive.
Speaker 2 (53:16):
He won by seventeen votes. Guys, remember that seventeen votes.
So your vote matters, and who you talk to matters.
Each person in this county matters. We're going to be
talking about those issues that I don't think it talked
about enough. As a team, we can do it. Now,
this is our moment. Okay, great Nick for Baltimore. I
(53:42):
got you.
Speaker 1 (53:42):
Now we're going to get to a word of the day.
So every month we've been kind of slackened for this,
but every month we have a prize for our subscribers
and we're going to use the word of the day
is going to be Nick.
Speaker 3 (53:58):
Nick.
Speaker 1 (54:00):
Every day is going to be nixt so that at
the end of the month, the first personal emails is
at hot Topics. It's t O P I X podcast
at gmail dot com with the words of the day
for the month of December, they'll actually win a surprise
surprise prize.
Speaker 2 (54:21):
All right, all right, thank you.
Speaker 3 (54:24):
So much for joining us. You had.
Speaker 2 (54:28):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (54:29):
I appreciate you guys carrying this much and loving this county,
so thank you for all you do.
Speaker 1 (54:36):
Thank you and for taking out. I know your your
schedule is really really busy now and it's going to
ramp up for more soon. We'll have to get you back.
Maybe we get everybody back. We'll not back the four
candidates to you know, to start trouble.
Speaker 3 (54:51):
Yeah, that's I wasn't going to say. You sounded like
you're starting trouble. Letting it go. Wishing you a want
of holiday season and thanks again.
Speaker 2 (55:03):
Thank you and you as well.
Speaker 3 (55:07):
Thank you family for listening to the latest episode of
Hot Topics. As usual, listen, like, Share, subscribe time
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