These 5 people reached last round of interviews for Baltimore County’s top job

Danny Nyugen

The Baltimore Banner

December 17, 2024

Five candidates reached the last round of the job interview for Baltimore County executive Monday evening. They steeled themselves in a back room before approaching their interviewers: the County Council. This was their last chance to prove to the public and the council they’re the best person for the job.

They each had just 15 minutes to answer questions posed by the council beforehand. The council intends to make its decision by Jan. 6.

About 100 people listened to the interviews from the pews in the county government building. Some wore “Yara Cheikh for County Executive” stickers to support the local education advocate. Others wore stickers that read, “We support Kathy Klausmeier,” a state senator who represents parts of Baltimore County.

None wore stickers for the other candidates — former state Sen. Jim Brochin, former county parks director Barry F. Williams or former county environmental protection head George G. Perdikakis Sr.

The interview night was part of a string of County Council meetings to fill the job after current executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Olszewski departs the local office on Jan. 3., and the council aims to fill the position during a Jan. 6 legislative session. If the council does not fill his seat by then, County Administrative Officer D’Andrea Walker will become acting county executive until the council selects a replacement.

The candidate who edges the other four out will complete Olszewski’s term. Candidates for the job had to agree to abstain from the 2026 race for a four-year term.

Would they impress the council?

The five candidates largely aligned on key issues, including the county’s need for more affordable housing and jobs.

Klausmeier noted that Maryland and Baltimore County have poured funds into redeveloping the region’s west side, but said these projects had to be energized.

Cheikh, who has a real estate business, said she wanted to revitalize the county’s neighborhoods through affordable housing development.

Williams flexed his budget knowledge and said he would concentrate on drawing more jobs to Tradepoint Atlantic and bolster affordable housing development, though he didn’t lay out a concrete plan.

Brochin offered what he believed was a more efficient approach to local government. As the county executive, he would slash the budgets of most local agencies by 10%-20% while maintaining core services, he said. He would also outsource administrative duties such as police paperwork to get police on the street and bolster public safety, he continued.

Perdikakis vowed to meet with the police chief and education department to address public safety issues, though he didn’t elaborate on the issues.

“I might not be your selected member,” Perdikakis told the council. “But guess what? I have your phone numbers.”

He would alert them about community issues regardless, he promised.