Posted on 03/13/23
| News Source: WBAL
The Baltimore City Council will hold its regular meeting on Monday and a city councilman will introduce legislation to change the Board of Estimates.
Councilman Zeke Cohen's bill would create recommendations for a charter amendment to either eliminate or change the board. Any recommendations would go to voters for approval next year.
Cohen spoke with WBAL's T.J. Smith on Monday. When asked about why he would propose the bill, Cohen said it's because too much power is in the hands of one person, the mayor of Baltimore.
"The mayor controls three of the five votes on the Board of Estimates," Cohen said. "So ultimately, whatever the mayor wants to happen is what happens. What I'm arguing tonight, and what many others, including our current mayor, have argued in the past, is that is simply too much power concentrated in the hands of one individual."
The Board of Estimates was in the spotlight after last month's approval of a multi-million dollar BGE contract to control the city's underground conduit. City Council President Nick Mosby and Comptroller Bill Henry skipped the meeting because they objected to the deal.
“This is not about who sits in the Mayor’s office. It is about structural change, and an acknowledgement that Baltimore deserves the best system of governance possible.” Cohen said in a news release.
Cohen has also scheduled an event Sunday to announce his political future.