Mayor, Executives Herald Lawmakers' Regional Commitment
BALTIMORE (April 1, 2003) –The executives of Baltimore City and the five Baltimore-area counties will pay tribute to metropolitan cooperation at a special reception in Annapolis tomorrow.
The elected leaders – Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens, Baltimore Mayor Martin J. O’Malley, Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith, Jr., Carroll County Commissioner Julia W. Gouge, Harford County Executive James M. Harkins, and Howard County Executive James N. Robey – have scheduled a first-ever reception to honor the members of the Maryland General Assembly who serve the region for their commitment to the Baltimore metropolitan area.
The reception will be held at Harry Browne’s Restaurant on State Circle from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
"The executives of the six Baltimore metropolitan jurisdictions work together on many issues and problems," said Owens. "We couldn’t succeed without the support of our 93 senators and delegates in Annapolis, and we want to thank them for working with us for the good of the Baltimore region."
"Our constituents all want the same things, no matter where they live," O’Malley said. "Everyone wants to live in a safe community with good schools, jobs that will support a family, a transportation system that connects homes with jobs and services, and a clean environment."
The regional delegation in Annapolis includes a number of members who hold key leadership positions:
- Del. Michael Busch, Anne Arundel County, Speaker of the House of Delegates
- Del. Adrienne Jones, Baltimore County, House Speaker Pro Tem
- Del. Al Redmer, Baltimore County, House Minority Leader
- Sen. Norman Stone, Baltimore County, Senate President Pro Tem Emeritus
- Sen. Nathaniel McFadden, Baltimore City, Senate Majority Leader
- Sen. Paula Hollinger, Baltimore County, Chair, Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee
- Del. Maggie McIntosh, Baltimore City, Chair, House Environmental Affairs Committee
- Del. Howard (Pete) Rawlings, Baltimore City, Chair, House Appropriations Committee
"We all benefit from having these key state leaders in our joint delegation," Smith said. "Of course everyone has parochial issues. But our Baltimore-area senators and delegates have shown that they don’t merely care about their own districts. They care about the metropolitan area."
Gouge noted that "each of our jurisdictions is an integral part of the Baltimore metropolitan region. Many of our residents commute to jobs in neighboring counties. Our local economies are bound up with the region’s economy."
"In the last 20 years, we’ve seen more and more people move to the outer counties and beyond, while continuing to commute to jobs in Baltimore City and Baltimore County," Harkins said. "We have to work together, across county and district lines, to make business expansion possible and to create attractive opportunities for new business."
Robey added, "What the members of the delegation do and how they do it matters to the executives and our citizens. The six of us are finding more and more ways to work together, to pool our resources and coordinate the efforts of our local agencies. We want to work with the members of our delegation in Annapolis to improve our regional economy and the quality of life for the people who live in our region."
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 17 December 2008 09:57