All Articles Tagged "rushern baker"
Pr. George’s Bolstering Leadership
(Washington Post) — Eight months after former Prince George’s county executive Jack B. Johnson was arrested in a bribery scandal that rocked the development community, County Executive Rushern L. Baker III has asked the council to consider three key appointments that he hopes will help burnish the county’s tarnished reputation. Baker said the nominations of the chairman of the Planning Board, the director of Housing and Community Development and the director of Environmental Resources are some of the most critical appointments he will make because of the crucial role each plays in development projects. The County Council is scheduled to hold public hearings Tuesday on the three posts.
Baker Presents State of Economy Address
(Washington Informer) — Despite the massive corruption scandal that has enveloped Prince George’s County, Rushern Baker made assurances in his first State of the Economy address that he will pull no stops moving the county forward. In fact, the county executive said things look good for one of the nation’s most affluent majority black communities, adding however, that there’s room to move them to a level of greatness. “This is a difficult time in our nation’s economy. But ladies and gentlemen, I’m here to tell you that in Prince George’s County, the state of the economy is good!” an upbeat Baker, 51, said. “I want to move beyond talking about the county’s potential because the time for us to fulfill that potential is now,” he said, alluding to a later comment that “the county is poised to become a major engine for economic growth in this region.”
Baker Focuses on Economic Development
(Washington Informer) — The county executive of Prince George’s County has made developing the jurisdiction’s economy a priority by establishing an investment fund for individuals who are interested in starting a business or expanding their business in the county. He plans to deliver his speech on economic development at one of the county’s landmarks. Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III has created a $50 million economic development pool — the Economic Development Incentive Fund (EDI) — with the assistance of his transition team’s economic development group who will assist individuals who want to set up in Prince George’s County and those who are already operating there. Baker, 52, will discuss his economic strategy at a State of the Economy address that is scheduled to take place on Tue., March 29 at the University of Maryland’s Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center in College Park, Md. “It is imperative for the future growth of Prince George’s County that we expand our economy and our commercial tax base,” Baker said.
Maryland’s Suburbs Turn to Urban Building around Metro Stops
(Washington Examiner) — Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker is standing at the Branch Avenue Metro station on a cold, windy morning, surveying the sea of concrete surrounding the suburban station. It’s mostly parking lots and green space, but Baker sees something else. In the distance, two tightly built residential communities give a hint of his vision. “Everybody’s focusing back on the Washington region and here we are, Prince George’s County, as the only underdeveloped and undeveloped Metro sites,” he said. In Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, planners are trying to overhaul their outdated suburban Metro stations to accommodate the demand for easy transit access and walkable communities from their growing populations.
Baker Makes More Changes
(Afro) — New Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker continued his overhaul of the Prince George’s County government as he announced new changes at the top of several county departments. Baker named Douglas A. Brown to the deputy chief administrative officer position, Glenda R. Wilson as senior advisor to the county executive, Lisa Jackson as director of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Brian R. Moe was appointed acting director of Homeland Security. Brown has over 15 years of experience working with the Prince George’s County government as a former budget director, deputy budget director, and Management Analysis Division chief. This will be his second stint as deputy chief administrative officer.
What can County Executive Rushern L. Baker III and others do about corruption?
(Washington Post) — Anyone who does business in the metropolitan area can identify difficult aspects of the governing culture that are unique to Prince George’s County. These can and must be fixed. Here are 10 ways how: End the pervasive involvement of elected officials in land use, which has dominated county politics. Follow the example of most major jurisdictions, in which these decisions are made by professional planners and independent planning boards, reserving only master plans and significant land-use issues to elected officials.
Why Prince George’s Struggles with Corruption
(Greater Greater Washington) — Dear Mr. Baker, Congratulations on your recent election as County Executive. Having worked in the Prince George’s County government for some years, we are very heartened by your win, along with that of several promising new members of the County Council who have expressed their intention to advance a Smart Growth agenda. But at the same time we’re disheartened by the recent criminal charges against Jack Johnson and others, which highlight again an even more entrenched “pay-to-play,” corrupt political system than some of us were aware of. In short, it looks like perhaps you’ve inherited a much bigger mess than many realized, in addition to a budget gap of at least $50 million.
Baker Seeks to Strengthen Ties with the District
(Washington Informer) — The incoming county executive of Prince George’s County wants to build a stronger partnership with the District of Columbia and improve the economic viability of his jurisdiction. Prince George’s County Executive-Elect Rushern Baker, in an interview with the editorial staff of the Washington Informer Newspaper on Thu., Nov. 18 at his law office in Greenbelt, said that the District and Prince George’s County have not worked together. ”We in Prince George’s County and in the District treat our border like it is the Berlin Wall,” Baker, 52, said.
