Heads may be rolling at City Hall as Mayor Sheila Dixon prepares for her first four-year term in Baltimore?s top job after Tuesday?s primary victory.
“Everyone will have to interview for their job and tell me why they should stay,” the mayor said. “I?ve made that clear before, that I was going to do that.”
Fresh off a landslide win in which Dixon beat her nearest opponent, City Councilman Keiffer Mitchell Jr., by more than a 2-to-1 vote ratio, the mayor said she is now ready to get down to business.
“I?m want to go full-force changing city agencies,” she told The Examiner.
Still committed to cleaning Baltimore?s trash-filled alleys as part of her “cleaner and greener” philosophy, Dixon said the key to success will be changing the bureaucratic mind set at City Hall.
“We need to be both more effective and efficient with all the things we do,” she said.
As for tackling the city?s rising homicide rate, Dixon said the results of the election indicate that Baltimore residents trust her to fix the problem.
“I think people are seeing slow but sure progress is being made on crime,” she said. “Of course, there is more work that needs to be done.” She cited progress made on her crime plan to target the city?s most violent criminals and foster better relations with the community and the police.
But, Dixon said, no decision has yet been made on if, and when, changes would be made at the top of the police department.
“I?m going to be making an announcement on that decision when I?m ready,” she said.
Still, the 20-year veteran of city politics about to embark on her first full term as Baltimore?s first female mayor said her electoral victory meant she would be spending more ? not less ? time talking directly to the people.
“I?m going to continue to reach out to as many people as I can,” she said. “I love being out in the community.”
THE TALLY
Unofficial results for the mayoral candidates in Baltimore?s primary election.
» Phillip A. Brown Jr. (D): 252
» Andrey Bundley (D): 6,163
» Jill Carter (D): 2,222
» Frank M. Conaway Sr. (D): 484 *
» Sheila Dixon (D): 50,639
» Robert Kaufman (D): 822
» Keiffer Mitchell Jr. (D): 18,965
» Mike Schaefer (D): 695
» Elbert Henderson (R): 1,554
Total Votes: 81,796
* Conaway dropped out of the race Aug. 27 but his name still appeared on the ballot.
Source: Baltimore City Board of Elections
