2016 Primary Election Mayoral Candidates' Responses to Tubman City News Candidates Questionnaire

In Their Own Words …
Primary Election Mayoral Candidates of Baltimore
(The following candidates’ answers are listed in alphabetical order by name of the candidates who responded
via email to the Tubman City News Mayoral Candidates Questionnaire.)
Are you registered to vote? If not, you have until 9 p.m. on April 5, 2016 to register to vote in
Baltimore’s Primary Election scheduled to take place on April 26. As a registered voter, you also
have the privilege of taking advantage of early voting in Baltimore starting April 14 and ending
April 21, 2016.
In preparation for Election Day, it is imperative that you learn as much as you can about each of the
candidates. Make an effort to do what is necessary to determine how qualified each candidate is to
serve your neighborhood; to lead your city; and to resolve the various economic, environmental,
health, and social issues facing Baltimore. This way you can make an informed decision at the polls.
On Election Day, don’t vote your emotions or select a candidate based on what other people tell you
about the candidates. Although most people are well intentioned, many spread rumors instead of
facts. Be sure to do your homework on each of the candidates. Attend candidate forums, read
newspapers, and/or watch the news to learn more about the candidates and their strategy for positive
community change.
In its effort to encourage community dialogue, Tubman City News forwarded a questionnaire via
email to mayoral and city council candidates eligible to participate in the 2016 Baltimore Primary
Election. This article highlights the responses of Primary Election mayoral candidates who
responded to the Tubman City News Primary Election Mayoral Candidates’ Questionnaire.
Although Tubman City News will not endorse any particular political candidate, it is committed to
ensuring that residents in Baltimore have access to information that educates, inspires and empowers
them to make informed choices on Election Day. Responses from 2016 Primary Election mayoral
candidates who submitted a completed questionnaire are listed in the chart below in alphabetical
order.
If a candidate is not listed in the chart below, it is for one of the following reasons: (1) he/she is not a
registered candidate in the 2016 Primary Election; (2) he/she chose not to respond to the Tubman
City News candidates’ questionnaire; (3) he/she failed to file the proper contact information to the
Baltimore City Board of Elections; or (4) he/she did not list an email address in its filing information
to the Baltimore City Board of Elections.
After carefully reading each of the candidates’ responses, be sure to compare and contrast the depth,
focus, and thoroughness of their answers. Ask yourself: Did the candidate provide direct answers to
the questions? Does the candidate offer any supporting evidence or examples to back his/her
claims? These are the sorts of questions you need to ask yourself as you consider who to vote for in
the upcoming Primary Election. Remember, no candidate should have a pass to win any election.
Compel candidates to demonstrate their knowledge, competency, passion, commitment, and
enthusiasm to fulfill the duties of whatever office they are seeking to fill. And be sure to show-up on
Election Day, your vote really does matter!

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www.tubmancitynews.com
YOUR VOICE, YOUR BALTIMORE
Question #1 – Residency Requirement
Do you think a residency requirement for city employees, including Baltimore City Police Officers, to live in
Baltimore City would help ensure a greater level of care and concern for Baltimore neighborhoods by City
employees and their families? Why or Why not?
Mack
Clifton
I also believe that it depends on how that employee was raised as a child and what he or she was taught. We all comes from
different walks of life, and our values and morals differ. I would like to think that for the most part, most people are generally
good. But we do have to take into account that no one is raised or taught the same, in addition to the fact that we may be
presented with the same information but we have our unique perspectives and perceptions, and that has an effect on an
employee’s view of other people that may not align with their own views.”
Gersham Cupid
Sheila Dixon
Patrick
Gutierrez
“I believe it would lead to a greater level of care and concern for Baltimore neighborhoods and I plan to do
everything possible within my authority to increase the number of employees, particularly police officers,
who live in the city.
In my experience, people who have a vested interest in wanting to see a place succeed tend to work harder
to make that happen than those who are simply in it for the paycheck. And the reverse is true as well. We
are seeing the negative results of that now.”
“I believe that if a residency requirement was enforced right now, that it would have its pros and cons. One of
the pros may be that an employee would have not just a greater level of care and concern, but also appreciation
for where they live and the people that live there as well, especially if that employee was born and raised in
Baltimore City. One of the cons for employees that are not originally from Baltimore City (e.g. police officers
that live in neighboring states and commute daily to the city to work) may be largely unfamiliar with the city
and have to become acclimated to it, which may be a learning process for them, and might be frustrating as well
as stressful.
“Article IV, Section 6(L) is currently the provision in the Baltimore City Charter that requires that all heads of
city departments and bureaus, including all presidents/chairmen of city commissions and boards, be city
residents and qualified voters of Baltimore. I absolutely agree with this provision and would favor expanding
that provision to include those who serve as ranking members of our public safety agencies. This would help
build a better relationship between the citizens of this city and the men and women sworn to protect their
interests, not to mention giving officers an added sense of pride of patrolling and protecting their own
neighbohrhoods and communities.”
“It would definitely help because if we care about nothing else going on in the world then we sure do
care about what is going on in ours. I could not tell you what is happening in other counties because I
do not live there and I only there when I need something. I give my time and attention to Baltimore
City not just because I am running to become the next Mayor but also because I live and work here.”

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Nick Mosby
When a majority of officers live outside the City, individual disinvestment can become a cultural divide that shapes the
department. Of course, even in the absence of such a cultural divide, residents are more likely to perceive the officers as set
apart from the community and its needs when they are not part of that community. We must foster a feeling of shared identity
from both parties.
To strengthen the Police Department’s capacity to develop legitimate, sustained relationships with the communities it serves, I
will waive the property tax for officers willing to live in or adjacent to the neighborhoods they serve. The incentive is
particularly meaningful for young officers who are lower on the salary scale, and provides another reason not to leave the city
for a job in a suburban department. Every new officer willing to live in the City because of the tax break represents the City’s
investment in long-term cultural change. The extent of this issue cannot be overstated.
In 2012, just 28% of police lived within the city limits; about 10% of officers actually commute to work from another state.
Disconnect breeds tension, and prolonged tension builds into the tipping points we witnessed this year. These statistics are a
small window into an unrest that was years in the making. City residents are well aware that a majority of officers come into
Baltimore before their shifts start, and leave when the shifts end. Knowing that their officers are full-time Baltimoreans would
go a long way towards returning resident trust to those officers.”
Catherine Pugh
While I would like to see more city employees living in the city, I am not certain a legislated residency requirement is the best
way to do it. There have been many challenges in court to municipality resident requirements for employment and I do not
wish to put Baltimore in a heated legal battle while we have such pressing issues in our communities that require immediate
attention.
I intend to increase employment in the police department and all departments by issuing a mandate to seek city residents for
open positions. City residents may earn priority points when applying for city jobs. I will work to provide incentives to Police
Officers to live in the city, such as take home cars, education scholarships, and reduced rents.”
Cindy Walsh
“Residency requirements are an interesting prospect, but Maryland State Code prohibits them. As explained
by a Maryland Attorney General opinion, Chapter 619 of Maryland’s State Code prohibits municipalities
from requiring their employees to live in the municipality. I agree that Baltimore would be better served if
its police officers lived in the communities they serve. Whenever possible, taxpayer-funded salaries should
support Baltimore’s economy. Beyond financial considerations, a significant number of police living
outside the City pose difficulties in relationship building and perception. When officers live elsewhere,
they are less likely to feel invested in the City at an individual level.
“I feel that all city agencies should first hire from the cities residence especially the police. It is easier to
make the requirements of city residency for these positions and allow for a few exceptions as needed than
to install some sort of ratio/statistical model that only addresses these issues according to district or
community as they are doing now in many ways. My entire platform is doing just that. I am the only
candidate for Mayor calling to rebuild our city agencies out to communities, hiring people from the
communities to these agencies to serve citizens in the community. I intend to reform the criminal justice
and public justice system and that too will see people hired who are citizens of Baltimore. Again, no one
Indeed, hiring Baltimore citizens as city agency employees will create the conditions for care and concern--
“Yes, I absolutely believe a residency requirement for city employees would help ensure a greater level of
care and concern for Baltimore neighborhoods, particularly Baltimore City Police Officers. I think
residents of the City are more likely to understand the needs and concerns of Baltimore residents and
deliver service in a manner in which they would like to be served and will put forth greater effort in
serving the community. Currently, senior level department heads are required to live in the City of
Baltimore. I will explore the possibility of expanding the requirement to other municipal employees.

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create more oversight and accountability in how agencies work----connect citizens and their voices to public policy decisions.
As we work to rebuild ONE BALTIMORE we must recognize the need to address our problems with crime, violence, drug
addiction, mental health as a community public health issue. Poverty and unemployment are better addressed by rebuilding
local community economies first, expanding to broaden those economies citywide. This creates the platform of stability for
the poorest in communities helping to move people from crime and violence into this healthy community economy. None of
this can happen if we are not engaging the citizens in each community to lead, to build, to do outreach, and to follow citizens
from the community facing temporary crises.
If you help rebuild your community; if you are given the opportunity to own a home and have a business in that community,
you will be invested in maintaining its infrastructure and appearance.”
David Warnick
closely resembles the communities it serves, can it truly begin the work of repairing the damaged relations with those
communities.”
Calvin Young, III
improve. But this is only part of the solution. We also need to look at our city’s use-of-force policies, which are too open-
ended and insufficient to bring about changes. Together with local advocacy groups and our police department, we must work
to find common sense direction on how and when to use police force so that our communities feel respected.”
“I do. Fixing the Baltimore City Police Department begins with the difficult work of repairing police-
community relations. To regain the trust of the community, repairing relations means retraining our police
force to get out of their cars, and talk to people. It means hiring more officers who grew up in, and want to
stay, in Baltimore. It means increasing the number of minority officers on our city’s police force. And it
also means incentivizing our police officers to live in the communities they serve.
Only when our police department gains a better understanding of the communities it serves, and more
“The death of Freddie Gray in the spring of 2015 once again highlighted the absence of care and the
continued legacy of police brutality towards residents of Baltimore.
The cast of career politicians are in part to blame for the serious erosion of public trust. As Mayor,
requiring and/or incentivizing Baltimore City police officers to live in Baltimore will be part of my
strategy to ensure a greater level of care and concern for our neighborhoods. Law enforcement must
have a stronger connection to the communities they serve in order for police-community relations to

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Question #2 – Lead Poisoning
Lead poisoning is an environmental health issue that has plagued Baltimore for decades. What will you do, if
elected, to help combat the problem and to help those families and communities who have been impacted the
most?
Mack
Clifton
that has been exposed to lead for them to receive upon reaching their 20th birthday.
The second place I would have tested are the schools. I do not believe that filters would be adequate enough to remove lead
from the drinking water, and boiling the contaminated water only increases its concentration, and that complete remediation
would be necessary in the schools that have supply pipes made out of lead or containing lead solder. Construction of new
schools may be a last resort.
Gersham Cupid
Sheila Dixon
Patrick
Gutierrez
“Considering that many school children may be affected by exposure to lead, and the side effects (up to and
including developmental delay, learning difficulties, irritability, loss of appetite, weight loss, sluggishness and
fatigue, abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, and hearing loss) that our children may be exhibiting in our
schools, I believe that the first places to start with getting rid of the lead problem would be to assess the
children that present with these symptoms, which might also include aggressive behavior, and to test their
homes for lead content. Remediation of any lead found there would be the expense of the property owner,
regardless of whether it is a private citizen or a governmental agency, with a trust fund set up for a child
“I would hold those who are responsible for the safety of environmental health responsible and take the
appropriate actions. We do have laws and policies in place to address these issue today, but there is a slack
of action. As Mayor I would take action to ensure the laws and policies in place is being enforced.”
“The city and state has taken great strides to eradicate lead poisoning in homes and in schools across the city.
My administration made health and well-being a priority, I would continue that pledge as Mayor of Baltimore
once again – ensuring that homes are well inspected and free of lead poisoning as well any asbestos, mold,
and lingering health related issues.”
“I agree they are deplorable, unacceptable, and a major reason why I am running for Mayor. Our children
deserve better. What I would do is form partnerships with private companies, churches and other local non-
profits, and others as part of an overall strategy to combat these problems and then we would go about
tackling them, one school at a time, using local, state and federal dollars. One of the many problems with city
government is that they spread their resources so thin that nothing actually gets permanently fixed. That and
there is no auditing of where our money is being spent. That’s why we continue to have these issues. When
we start managing our resources properly and putting more of them into fixing one problem, then it will cease
to become a problem and start becoming an asset. Eventually, they all will. But we need a mayor who is not
afraid to make those tough decisions and I have a proven track record of being able to do that.”

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Nick Mosby
problems, and learning disabilities.’ Children who experience these harms are more likely to struggle with school, experience
low graduation rates, have run-ins with the criminal justice system, and experience difficulties maintaining long-term
employment. These are terrible quality of life issues to saddle our youngest citizens with, and lead to significant government
costs in the long run. Freddie Gray, for instance, was found to have an excess of lead levels in his system in the early 1990’s,
and experts ‘suggest Gray’s mental impairment by lead poisoning might have played a role in his struggles in school and his
involvement in the drug trade.’
Courts recently awarded California a judgment in excess of $1 billion from two paint providers, as a result of its citizens
experiencing the outcomes outlined above. African-American children are also 1.6 times more likely to suffer from lead
poisoning than white children. In Maryland, nearly 5,000 children have been poisoned by lead paint in the last decade, with
Baltimore being home to more of these children than any other municipality.
The issue for Baltimore, and Maryland as a whole, is not weak lead paint laws. There are clear prohibitions of lead paint in
rental properties, and requirements to treat lead paint in any property where it is found. The failing comes from poor
enforcement of these laws. Maryland rarely checks to see whether rental properties are actually registered with the state and
whether that registration correlates to an up-to-date certification that no lead is on premises. Rental properties are also
generally only checked for lead paint hazards after a child has been poisoned by the lead, addressing the problem far too late,
and even then cases fall through the cracks. Just as troubling, after lead paint is found on a property, treatment of the lead paint
is largely self-enforced. The state does not checkup on these properties after the fact to ensure they have complied with orders
to remediate the lead paint.
Because weak enforcement rather than weak laws is the true problem, I will create a taskforce that scales the enforcement of
the state’s lead paint laws, and allows the City to take responsibility for doing so. The taskforce will:
 Audit all rental properties in Baltimore to ensure they are registered with the State of Maryland.
 Check registered rental properties against Maryland’s (publicly available) list of registered properties and their
(publicly available) compliance for lead paint inspection.
 Follow-up with renters in properties that have been cited for having lead paint on premises to determine whether their
landlords have remediated the lead paint.
 Refer renters in properties that are not registered with the state, that have not had a lead paint inspection, or that have
not complied with lead paint citations to private sector lawyers who specialize in lead paint cases or the City’s law
department, who will provide pro bono services to indigent defendants if a private attorney is not willing to work the
case on a contingency fee.
Maryland has less than a dozen enforcement officers for the entire state, so even a small taskforce can have an outsized effect
if focused solely on Baltimore City. That means a lean, cost effective solution to a tremendous, decades long affliction in
Baltimore.”
Catherine Pugh
“I know lead paint in Baltimore’s homes is a health crisis that exacerbates educational attainment and puts
children on paths to the criminal justice system. I will declare it a public nuisance, and create a taskforce that
checks every property for lead paint, remediates it when found, and registers rental properties with the State.
Lead paint victims will be referred to private sector attorneys.
Childhood exposure to lead paint leads to negative repercussions for our education and public safety systems.
Even low levels of lead exposure for developing minds can result in ‘lower IQ, hyperactivity, behavioral
"Lead poisoning is an environmental health issue that must be ended once and for all in our City. In 2011,
Sen. Catherine Pugh, drafted an amendment to the state’s capital budget which withheld the money for the
city until it laid out a plan to pay $12 million to victims of lead poisoning ensuring the City did the right
thing by our children. More recently, she supported legislation at the state level to expand lead paint testing
in Maryland. As Mayor, I will work to identify funding for testing school age children, enforce the laws on
the books and ensure landlords comply with lead paint testing, reporting, and remediation requirements.”

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Cindy Walsh
houses are saved we will remove all of the concrete infrastructure not needed to open great public green spaces. Remember,
all communities need to be downsized so creating a grand central public green space allows that community to grow and re-
incorporate that real estate. Until then, existing residents will have a beautiful, healthy, central area as the basis for a local
food. It will have a grand public greenhouse for food plants; a big barn for small animal husbandry; recreational spaces with
community center. With that construction economy will come a fresh food economy of small businesses that will plant and
harvest, raise and butcher animals, distribute the food to community fresh food stores, and several fresh food stores all owned
by citizens in each community. My point is this-------most of the houses with lead and asbestos will be the one’s brought
down.
Next, we have enforcement of laws that never happen. Building oversight and accountability means that---we will have real
inspections that will resolve the issues of lead. Sometimes that means pressuring absentee landlords to sell so the city can
correct this, sometimes we have long-term city landlords that would like to comply but cannot afford----if they are good
community citizens we would want to subsidize their ability to meet lead codes. The key is building that oversight and
accountability and solutions with ‘teeth’. The city has always had the revenue to fix the public school water pipes tainted with
lead and I will do that immediately. The city will embark on a complete city water and sewage pipeline upgrade and as mayor
I will see that the funds be there to extend this upgrade to homeowners’ water lines.
Finally, Baltimore City dismantled all of its public health community agencies decades ago. I will be rebuilding this agency as
with all agencies out to communities where public health clinics will be central in oversight and accountability of all
community public health programs including the lead paint/ pipes and people affected by lead. Early diagnosis is critical; real
tracking of individuals affected is a must; and I will be rebuilding public schools in all communities that will have staff on site
to work with special needs, learning skills development that citizen victims of lead exposure need.”
David Warnick
a lead-free home. In fact, the laws exist on the books to allow the City to monitor rental properties, and while many violators
are found and prosecuted, there just aren’t enough resources to do more. We must not count pennies when it means relegating
a child to a lifetime of challenges, which cost our city enormously in terms of lost productivity and wages, not to mention
direct service costs. We must invest in eliminating the scourge of lead paint, permanently.”
Calvin Young, III
“My development plan starts with the position that all communities surrounding city center will begin
development even as we continue to strengthen those communities underway. Know what? Just building
oversight and accountability in all Baltimore City agencies, in all revenue coming in and going out, will
find enough of the city’s funding that is lost, misappropriated, or wasted that we could double our city
budget and that found revenue would allow for this city-wide community development. We do not need
to target only selected communities one at a time. I want to build a construction economy centered on
demolition of houses deemed unsafe or unsalvageable, recycling debris to rehab houses, bring Federal and
city revenue aimed at low-income housing in to supplement this rehabbing, and as we determine which
houses are saved we will remove all of the concrete infrastructure not needed to open great public
green spaces.
“Lead paint poisoning wreaks havoc on our communities. Baltimore has three times the national rate of
lead poisoning, which is a sad fact considering that Baltimore was at the forefront of eliminating lead from
paint, dating as far back as the 1940s. Since 1993, 65,000 people have been poisoned by lead paint in
Baltimore – something we saw highlighted in the aftermath of the death of Freddie Gray. Young men and
women just like Freddie Gray can’t keep waiting for us to solve this problem.
I believe Baltimore City has the tools it needs in order to make sure every child grows up in a lead-
“We must eliminate lead poisoning in our city, period. If elected, I will work with the Baltimore City
Delegation to advocate for the passage of more robust enforcement and remediation of lead-based
paint by the Maryland Department of Environment. Additionally, we as a city must aggressively
pursue funds, either through litigation or other means, to assist those who suffer from the long-term
health effects of exposure to lead.”

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Question #3 – The Condition of Baltimore City Public Schools
Many of the buildings and learning spaces provided by the Baltimore City Public School System for use by
children and school staff in Baltimore are deplorable. Most of the water (i.e. fountains, bathroom sinks,
toilets, showers, cafeteria/kitchen) is lead poisoned because of lead-based pipes. Additionally, many of the
buildings lack adequate heating and cooling systems. Many more have other environmental health problems
like asbestos and mold. Furthermore, a majority of the school buildings in Baltimore City are dark, dreary,
and poorly lit; they resemble miniature jails. If you are elected, what steps will you take to improve the safety
and aesthetics of Baltimore City Public School buildings? How will you remedy the lead, asbestos, and mold
issues in Baltimore City Public Schools?
Mack
Clifton
Here is what I would do…
I feel that all of the schoolchildren in the schools that have these serious problems could be homeschooled by the parents that
are willing to do the teaching, or by educators that can be brought in from an outside source, or even telecommunication is
possible, at least until the problems have been abated. But before any determination about abatement can be made, the schools
would have to be properly assessed by inspection teams. I would propose a team comprised of members from HUD, the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, and an independent contractor that specializes in removal of hazardous substances
from buildings that has an excellent track record for doing so. I would also use these same teams for lead abatement in vacant
houses before rehabilitation or demolition.
If after inspection of the buildings, that it is determined that abatement would be the equivalent of totaling a vehicle after an
accident, then other measures can be taken.”
Gersham Cupid
Sheila Dixon
“The conditions described in the question remind me of the schools I attended in my hometown of Newark, NJ.
If it was a problem for me, I believe that it is definitely a problem for Baltimore City schoolchildren. Funding
could be reallocated for renovations, or new schools can be built. But truth be told, attempting to remedy the
lead, asbestos, and mold issues in the current schools is essentially putting a Band-Aid on the problem.
Sometimes the best thing to do is to have a clean slate to work from and start from scratch. If there are truly
effective ways to get rid of the lead, asbestos, and mold that can be implemented without putting other people in
danger, then I will wholeheartedly support those methods. If it will put at least one person in harm’s way, I will
not go along with it.
Here is what I would do…
I feel that all of the schoolchildren in the schools that have these serious problems could be homeschooled by the
parents that are willing to do the teaching, or by educators that can be brought in from an outside source, or even
telecommunication is possible, at least until the problems have been abated. But before any determination about
abatement can be made, the schools would have to be properly assessed by inspection teams. I would propose a
team comprised of members from HUD, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and an
independent contractor that specializes in removal of hazardous substances from buildings that has an excellent
track record for doing so. I would also use these same teams for lead abatement in vacant houses before
rehabilitation or demolition.
If after inspection of the buildings, that it is determined that abatement would be the equivalent of totaling a
vehicle after an accident, then other measures can be taken.
“Again, the city and state have aggressively addressed preventing issues of lead in the water and the pipes
from being consumed by city school children, many schools having water coolers provided for students and
staff to drink from instead of the lead-filled fountains that once served as the mechanism for the
consumption of water. Baltimore city legislators successfully pushed for and were approved for a $1 billion
restoration plan to build new schools and revitalize others, which I will closely monitor as Baltimore’s next
mayor, ensuring that every possible provision is made to ensure that each and every learning facility in
Baltimore is free of lead, mold and asbestos.”
“We need to completely renovate our schools or if it is more financial feasible to tear it down and rebuild it.
It is ridiculous that some school do not have good drinking water, heat and air conditioning in it. This is the
United States of America and we need to be the standard of the world. In order to that Public safety and good
schools will be my main priorities to move this city forward.”

9
Patrick
Gutierrez
Nick Mosby
Schools need to be thought of as safe spaces for our children, BY our children. They must see our learning centers as a refuge
not just during the school day, but also once it is over. Keeping schools open later in the day and allowing them to function as
recreation centers in their own right is an important part of changing their role in the communities they serve and in the minds
of the children who rely on them. The more students enjoy and rely upon schools as a safe haven, the more they will treat them
as such, creating a beneficial cycle throughout our neighborhoods.
It is also important that we utilize professions like school police and mental healthcare workers to help cultivate an
environment of acceptance and support that allows students to grow, while working through the trauma that many experience
at home. The presence of school police can reinforce that no violence will be tolerated, but just as importantly, the police must
be managed in such a way that their jobs focus just as much on building meaningful relationships with students so that they are
seen as protectors rather than enforcers, with their zone of influence extending to focus on creating a safe environment around
the school building, not just in its halls. Likewise, mental healthcare providers must be deployed not as a stigmatized resource
that is only provided in instances of misbehavior, but as a more normal part of the scholastic experience that helps all students
become more thoughtful, fully developed learners.
Of course, a safe school environment means safety for school employees, not just students. Sufficiently resourced schools-
which come as a result of a needed increase in school funding- are an important part of the equation here. If teachers constantly
feel shorthanded and overwhelmed by circumstance, then they are being placed in an unhealthy and unfair space. Beyond
increased funding, the community school model can be a fantastic way to build a volunteer base and partner with local
organizations to help a school expand the amount of ‘staff’ they have maintaining classroom environments and managing after
school activities. An increased presence of adults working on behalf of the students means a safer, more fruitful environment
that allows teachers to focus on their primary role: in-class instruction.
I will also expand the Community School Strategy in Baltimore, and as Mayor, will work to make more Baltimore City public
schools community schools. Community schools are a fantastic way to ensure that each dollar spent in a community connects
to the school as the community's anchor, and that each dollar spent on schools (particularly through the 21st Century
construction funds) connects back to the community. We have to see the health of one as being intimately connected to the
other, and act on that vision by connecting the funding streams and the resources pools that each offers.
Beyond helping to share funding streams on mutually beneficial goals, community schools are a tremendous strategy because
they help engage parents as volunteers, engage community groups in initiatives like after school programming and tutoring,
and allow community school coordinators to support teachers and administrators by managing ancillary tasks that allow others
“I agree they are deplorable, unacceptable, and a major reason why I am running for Mayor. Our children
deserve better. What I would do is form partnerships with private companies, churches and other local non-
profits, and others as part of an overall strategy to combat these problems and then we would go about
tackling them, one school at a time, using local, state and federal dollars. One of the many problems with city
government is that they spread their resources so thin that nothing actually gets permanently fixed. That and
there is no auditing of where our money is being spent. That’s why we continue to have these issues. When
we start managing our resources properly and putting more of them into fixing one problem, then it will cease
to become a problem and start becoming an asset. Eventually, they all will. But we need a mayor who is not
afraid to make those tough decisions and I have a proven track record of being able to do that.”
“The first step is increasing the amount of funding that the City provides to the education system. The
second is using the school system’s $1 billion in new 21st Century School Funding to create a school
infrastructure that ensures every student learns in an environment free from the dangers of lead, asbestos,
and mold. The creation of a safe learning environment extends beyond the physical infrastructure that the
City’s new funding will remedy though. It requires a proper relationship between school police and
students, utilizing mental healthcare professionals as a regular part of the learning environment, and
implementing the community school model in all of Baltimore’s schools.

10
to focus more exclusively on their primary goals. Each of these areas helps build an academic environment that offers the
benefits more well funded school districts are able to provide their students, and they do so by leveraging extant resources in
the community.”
Catherine Pugh
Cindy Walsh
David Warnick
can get the resources they and their families need to succeed.
Every public school should be a community school where children can get more than a good education – they can get the
individual attention they need to succeed.”
Calvin Young, III
“I stated above that I would reassess the past public school building model and rebuild public schools in
all communities and with that assessment will come whether a schools can be upgraded or needs to be
completely rebuilt. That said, all public schools will have lead, asbestos, and mold issue solved and I will
do this with immediacy. This is a public health crises and I am a public health advocate. All Baltimore
City Schools will be funded and maintained equally and Baltimore City Schools will all receive the
resources they need for principals, teachers, and students to be successful.”
“A good education creates opportunity, and every child in Baltimore deserves a school where they can
learn, grow and thrive. This means a school that’s lead-free, safe and fosters – not hinders – learning.
Expanding community schools would be a key part of my strategy for improving educational and family
outcomes in Baltimore. Community schools – where afterschool programs, healthcare, mental health
resources, adult education, workforce training and community services available right in the local
neighborhood school – will make sure that children get more than a good education. They can get
“My first objective is to audit our entire City budget, department by department. For many years, there
have been many efforts to find a quick fix to the staggering problems in the schools. I am seeking to bring
full control over Baltimore City Public Schools back under the Mayor and City Council control. I will
have all school buildings occupied and unoccupied inspected to identify issues for environmental and
health concerns and seek the best and highest use from each building. I will seek to continue funding for
our 21st Century Schools initiative, rebuilding schools and promoting a safe path to school.”
“Our schools must be healthy environments where children can learn and where teachers and
administrators can work. As Mayor, I will aggressively work to eliminate all dangerous substances in
our schools.”

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Question #4 – Supporting Small Business
Large corporations like the Horseshoe Casino and health conglomerates like Johns Hopkins are essential to
boosting the city's economy and employment rate. Great efforts have been made over the years by city
officials to provide incentives and supports to attract big business to Baltimore. However, small business
owners in Baltimore City receive very few incentives or supports even though small businesses employ a large
segment of Baltimore residents. If elected, what will you do to help small businesses in Baltimore thrive? How
will you encourage entrepreneurship? How will you support new and emerging business owners?
Mack
Clifton
lower rates on other services that businesses receive, such as phone and internet services, and encourage large businesses like
Comcast and Verizon to charge them the same rates as regular consumers, since their yearly revenues do not equal or surpass
those of large businesses. And new businesses would be able to enjoy the same benefits as current small business owners.”
Gersham Cupid
Sheila Dixon
Patrick
Gutierrez
“President Obama seems to have said it best in 2010 when he called small businesses ‘the backbone of our
economy and the cornerstones of our communities.’ I would not be opposed to lowering taxes and offering
incentives to small businesses in Baltimore City, and I would be a huge proponent of them, as I am a small
business owner myself (the sole proprietor and only employee of a computer repair and software sales
business). I would encourage the owners to apply for forgivable loans, or loans with very low interest rates
and longer repayment periods. I would sponsor a yearly bazaar or a conference and invite all small business
owners in the city, so they can gain exposure and interact with prospective customers. I would even offer them
coupons so that they can get discounts on services like advertising and signage. Also, I would push for
“We have to make starting the business more affordable and give tax breaks to small businesses. This
will give small businesses a better chance of surviving the crucial first year of the business and make
hiring employees more affordable which will help the business run more smooth.”
“I have always been an advocate for local business owners, as well as ensuring that minority and women
owned businesses were afforded contracts on an equal level as any other local business. Small businesses are
the backbone to any successful economic platform, and my plan is to ensure that these small business owners
and entrepreneurs receive tax breaks on the same level as big corporations and developers, as well as
streamlining city licenses and permits so as to not bog these family-owned businesses down with unnecessary
or duplicate paperwork and so as to not nickel and dime them out of business by taxing them with so many
unnecessary license and permit provisions.”
“I would vastly improve the processes that small businesses must go through to obtain the necessary
approvals from the city. I would automate where we can and streamline where we can’t. I would institute a
30-day guarantee for approval decisions so small business owners can get the answers they need in a timely
manner. I would remove certain nuisance fees that prohibit small businesses from improving their
locations. I would cut or defer property taxes for the first two years to give small businesses a better
chance to succeed. I would promote businesses by attending their grand openings or other community-
related events. I will work with local neighborhood agencies like the Main Street program to increase the
number of micro-loans available for startups. My family and I will shop at these businesses.“

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Nick Mosby
profits from the local income tax, in order to encourage reinvestment in the businesses via additional hiring or research and
development that could lead to further business growth. This proposal only applies to pass-through entities that engage in daily
operations and employ at least one worker for more than 30 hours a week, which helps prevent abuse by shell entities.
I believe that strong urban housing markets require mixed-use, walkable communities. Not needing to drive to commercial and
entertainment destinations is a significant draw for residents moving to or remaining in Baltimore. Local businesses provide
the neighborhood “main streets” that make truly walkable mixed-use communities a reality for our residents.
Beyond attracting residents with the means to live elsewhere, neighborhood business can improve the quality of life for
residents in traditionally disinvested communities. At least one in four Baltimore residents (over 150,000 people) currently
lives in a food desert. Food deserts are areas where a food market of some sort is more than a quarter of a mile away, the area’s
income is at or below 185% of the poverty line, and over 30% of all households have no vehicle. Intentional lending to small
businesses can go a long way to helping create anchor stores in these underserved markets.
BOLD Zones, as explained in my housing platform, will pair the City’s resources with private capital, and funnel them into
targeted investments around neighborhood anchors, creating a critical mass of capital that creates transformational
development. A vital component of this transformational development is City loans that bring small businesses into BOLD
Zones, creating more vibrant, mixed-use communities that provide residents an array of shopping and entertainment within
walking distance of their front doors. Businesses will pay the loans back to the City, while generating taxes from the retail
property, their revenue, and their employee’s earnings, all while helping to stabilize neighborhood-housing markets.”
Catherine Pugh
Cindy Walsh
“Maryland municipalities can charge a “piggyback” tax on income, which means each county/Baltimore
City charges a local income tax, with the rate set by the municipality, on top of the base rate income tax
that the state levies. This tax also applies to pass through entities like LLCs. Baltimore’s piggyback tax is
the maximum allowed by the state, set at 3.2% in additional income tax.
I will catalyze small business growth in Baltimore by offering a tax cut on the local income tax for pass
through entities like LLCs I will do this by exempting the first $50,000 of a pass through entity’s profits
from the local income tax, in order to encourage reinvestment in the businesses via additional hiring or
research and development that could lead to further business growth. This proposal only applies to pass-
through entities that engage in daily operations and employ at least one worker for more than 30 hours a
week, which helps prevent abuse by shell entities.
I believe that strong urban housing markets require mixed-use, walkable communities. Not needing to drive
to commercial and entertainment destinations is a significant draw for residents moving to or remaining in
Baltimore. Local businesses provide the neighborhood “main streets” that make truly walkable mixed-use
communities a reality for our residents.
“I will help small businesses in Baltimore thrive by providing financial support to existing businesses that
seek to expand into a second location in an underserved neighborhood. These small capital infusions will
increase businesses in empty retail corridors.I will encourage entrepreneurship as a pathway to increase
economic development and create new jobs, particularly for young people, minorities, women and ex-
offenders.
I will support new and emerging business owners by working to ensure the process for starting and
conducting business is streamlined to facilitate ease of doing business. I will ensure that the Office of
Economic Development is appropriately staffed diversely in an effort to serve our Hispanic, Asian and
Middle Eastern populations.”
“I stated above my intention to make the community small business economies the priority in my
approach to growing Baltimore’s economy. We do not want to rely on big corporations bringing jobs
exclusively because as many in Baltimore know, those big corporations hold the city hostage to corporate
subsidy, to controlling our government, to creating low-wage jobs. We may need a big corporation
economy but it will not be central in development. The key with any free-market economy is competition
so these big corporations need lots of small businesses keeping them on their toes.
The next thing we must do is transfer the tax burden from small businesses and individual citizens to those
big corporations which have managed to convince past city hall politicians to allow them to be totally tax-
free with lots of subsidy. These are rich corporations not needing this while our small businesses do need

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the subsidy and tax breaks. We cannot have both. Big corporations MUST pay their fair share in order for the city to build
and maintain our local economies. Don’t be fooled by the threats of big corporations leaving. Know what? If a Marriott or a
national restaurant chain left, we will immediately fill that lost economy with small business motels and family-owned
hospitality housing and restaurants. That is what tourists are looking for anyway!
I look at the word entrepreneurship and I see Small Business Association. They have changed that meaning to make it seem
people wanting to start a new business must start something new rather than giving citizens in a community what they need.
Small Business loans build mom and pop stores selling what a homeowner, a teenager, a person looking for recreation needs. I
am also promoting the small manufacturing factory model of small business co-ops……people working at the factory own the
factory and I will send the money to help build that factory. We need lots of small factory manufacturing around the city and I
do not want global corporate factories that produce for the world because they exploit workers and kill our environment.”
David Warnick
Under my administration, city government will invoke the concept of customer service, working for the people they are paid
to service - the taxpayers of Baltimore. A good city hall works to support local small businesses to help them grow jobs in our
city, not hinder it.”
Calvin Young, III
Colorado, I would create a Revolving Fund Program to help small businesses in targeted areas with gap financing.
The primary goal of this program will be to enhance the quality of goods and services available in Baltimore’s low
and moderate-income neighborhoods while creating permanent jobs.”
“We need a mayor who has a real vision for the future of our city, and who understands how to create
jobs. I’ve created thousands of jobs, and I know what it takes to help businesses grow, hire and pay
family-sustaining wages.
I’ve spent my career creating good jobs in Baltimore. From my own small business, Camden
Partners, to the other Baltimore-based small businesses I’ve invested in like Paragon Biosciences or
Green JobWorks, I’ve created hundreds of jobs that pay good, family-sustaining wages right here in
Baltimore.
“My experience working in the private sector combined with my formal education through
Harvard’s Business School give me a unique perspective on how to revitalize Baltimore’s
economy. As Mayor, I will focus on encouraging and supporting small businesses by City
services for small business. The fewer hurdles there are to turning an idea into a business
opportunity, the more job opportunities there will be for our residents. Even if a resident can
easily create a business, securing capital needed to start a company or expand an existing
operation is increasingly difficult. Similar to revitalization programs in cities like Denver,

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Question #5 – Baltimore City Public School Confidence Check
If you are the parent of a school-aged child, is your child currently enrolled in a Baltimore City Public
School? Why or why not? If your child is beyond school-age, did he/she graduate from a Baltimore City
Public High School? Why or Why not?
Mack
Clifton
Gersham Cupid
Sheila Dixon
Patrick
Gutierrez
Nick Mosby
“I have two girls, 8 and 5, and both are enrolled at a non-Baltimore City Public School. My wife and I
decided it was important for our children to learn Spanish and to do so early on so we enrolled them at
Archbishop Borders because they have a dual-language (Spanish) immersion program. This was after we
applied to Baltimore International Academy, a BCPS school close to our house that also offers Spanish
immersion, and did not get in.”
“Yes, my daughters go to Baltimore City Public Schools, because I believe a strong public education
system is the backbone of social mobility. As a public servant I am responsible for that education system,
and believe it is important that my family and I utilize that system just as our neighbors do.”
“We are the parents of a high school senior. He used to attend Northwestern High School. When the students,
faculty, and staff received word that the school was to be closed, the effect of that news was drastic, like rats
jumping off a sinking ship. My son, who is 17 years old, and has been diagnosed with ADHD, was no longer
able to concentrate on his schoolwork. His teachers began to leave one at a time, until he was subjected to
getting his work assignments from a substitute teacher. His grades suffered. We ended up sending him to live
with his aunt in Owings Mills, and he enrolled at Newtown High School. His grades improved, and he has
enough credits to graduate. The learning environment he experienced shortly before leaving Northwestern
was drastically different from the environment that he is in now.”
“Both of my children, Jasmin and Joshua, have graduated from area schools, both of whom were sent to
parochial schools, as their father and I wanted to ensure that they received a Christian based learning
foundation. This was a personal decision because of our spirituality, which I advocate more of when it comes
to real opportunities for parents looking to have their children placed in a school of their choice with a high
standard ofeducational achievement and proven outcomes, which is why I support expanding the current
charter school initiative we see doing excellent work across our city for thousands of students.”
“Well fortunately my baby will be born this year and I have a lot of time to fix our public school before
he is able to attend. We do have some great high schools in the city such as City and Poly but we can
do better. We need to bring back fundamental things like spelling bees and introduce 21st century
opportunities such as engineering. I want to give our kids the opportunity to be competitive in the work
field and have the skill set that will last a life time.”

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Catherine Pugh
Cindy Walsh
David Warnick
Calvin Young, III
“No, I have no children in school or who attended Baltimore City schools. All of my connections with
schooling have been public K-12 and public universities.”
“I am not a parent of a school-aged child, but I have spent my career committed to education. I know
that a quality education creates opportunity.
I attended public schools, and I went to public universities. I came to Baltimore in 1983 with a pickup
truck full of student loans and a job offer at T. Rowe Price, and it’s thanks to that public education that I
was able to build a business and begin giving back to Baltimore. It’s why I co-founded Green Street
Academy – so that students in Southwest Baltimore can have access to the resources they need to
succeed. My public education gave me something that everyone in Baltimore deserves – opportunity.”
“I do not have children but if I did, they certainly would attend Baltimore City Public Schools. I was
honored to build the first new public school in Baltimore in more than 30 years, the Baltimore Design
School.”
“I am not the parent of a school age child. Both of my nieces, and of my siblings, cousins, and I
attend/attended Baltimore City Public Schools. Private school was not an option due to the high costs
our parents couldn't bear.”

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Question #6 – Parks/Green Spaces
Baltimore is unique in that it is one of the few urban cities in the United States with public access to so many
parks and green spaces. If elected, what will you do to help protect and enhance all of the public parks and
green spaces in Baltimore?
Mack
Clifton
Gersham Cupid
Sheila Dixon
Patrick
Gutierrez
Nick Mosby
City begin building green-transit corridors that connect our parks and cultural sites to one another, while ensuring that the
vacant spaces left when homes are torn down do not become another form of unused nuisance to the community.”
“A quality public park can transform the surrounding neighborhoods. I’ve witnessed that first-hand with
Patterson Park. When I moved to Baltimore in 1999, Patterson Park was a haven for drugs, prostitution and
violent crime. But once residents decided to come together and take back the park, everything changed.
Now the areas around the park are filled with diverse residents who love living there. It has a great sense of
community and several high-quality neighborhood schools have emerged that people can walk to. We need
to replicate this model across the city, and to do that I will put more money into the protection and
enhancement of our green spaces and work with neighborhood groups and residents to empower them to
take ownership of their parks with support from the city.”
“It is imperative that Baltimore becomes more purposive about how it uses its open and environmental
spaces. Atlanta’s Beltline and the Indianapolis Cultural Trail are tremendous examples of how Baltimore
can encourage transit routes that are both bikeable and walkable, while surrounding those routes with green
space that connects our parks and cultural hotspots. In many areas along the Beltline and Cultural Trail, the
housing market has exploded in response to those areas’ newfound desirability. Baltimore can pay for these
spaces, in part, by raising fees- and actually enforcing fees- against development that fails to comply with
open space zoning requirements. Deconstruction of vacant homes should be targeted towards helping the
“If need be, I would hire additional groundskeepers to maintain the parks and green spaces, and hire more
park rangers to protect them, including the smaller designated green spaces throughout the city. I would also
like to designate City-owned vacant lots as green spaces, community fruit and vegetable gardens, and
community art gardens for local artists to display their work when the weather permits. The fruit and
vegetable gardens would be part of the Vacants to Veggies Initiative, in which each community where a
garden has been established will be responsible for their upkeep and care. The community art gardens would
be part of the Diamonds in the Rough Project.”
“My administration has always been built off of having a Cleaner, Greener, Healthier and Safer city, which I
will continue to push as Baltimore’s next Mayor. We have a rich history throughout the City of Baltimore,
and I would continue to preserve the national institutions and historic sites that bring pride to our city, as
well as continuing to be an advocate for preserving the many neighborhood parks and recreational facilities
while adding to those treasures by building new landmarks and areas of beautification through local
community grants to improve the city’s way of life and image.”
“We have to ensure that it is safe, clean and active. We need to rebuild the communities which includes
green spaces and public parks. The vision for the future is one that will last for generations not just what
fits into our current budget. That requires us to rebuild the communities of Baltimore City.”

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Catherine Pugh
Cindy Walsh
David Warnick
We can’t just preserve our open space, we have to make it sustainable for future generations. Our parks and green space are an
integral part of the fabric of our neighborhoods. As mayor, I’d make sure that our parks, and the city workers and community
volunteers who take care of them are supported, recognized and protected. We have to celebrate and publicize these
community assets.”
Calvin Young, III
“I described above how I would like to see all community rebuilding to have a central grand public green
space and that would bring a public park to each community. If you do not know much of the current
development is taking lots of public green space and they are temporarily designating it as a non-profit
community garden for example with no expectations of keeping this real estate green. I hear them say
that corporate campus landscaping will be the green space and that is not public. I will protect existing
public green space. As well, I have the hopes of large orchard parks connected to some community food
green spaces where space is available. We should have plenty of fresh fruit available with fresh
vegetables and that can exist in the form of public parks.”
“Preserving the open spaces in a city is critical to that city’s quality of life, and economic growth.
Baltimore’s historic open space rivals other cities in design and size, and more people should know about
it so they can use it. Baltimore’s green space is one of our city’s true gems, and the everyday citizens who
work to beautify and protect their neighborhoods parks are some of Baltimore’s unsung heroes.
The first step is reinvesting in the Department of Recreation and Parks, which hasn’t had meaningful
investment in a generation. And second is to support and encourage and promote public-private
partnerships, like the Mt. Vernon Conservancy, to encourage private investment.
“We know that healthy parks contribute to healthy citizens and we must ensure that they continue to be
safe and available for physical activity. As we review our abandoned housing stock in Baltimore, we need
to figure out what can be rehabilitated and where opportunities exist to create more green space in our
neighborhoods.
With the creation of more green space we can expand urban farms providing more fresh fruits and
vegetables for our community in lieu of a city plagued by food deserts.
There was an effort to create a ONE-PARK system connecting every neighborhood to a park, this
administration will explore the feasibility and implementation of that system and the cost associated with
the upkeep.”
“Parks in Baltimore City must continue to be an enjoyable and clean place where residents can gather
and children can play. Where possible, I would like to see some green space used to create
opportunities for urban farming. Community gardens improve neighborhoods by improving the
overall health of participants and facilitating an environment of community involvement.”

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Question #7 – Crime/Violence
2015 marked a year of unprecedented murders in Baltimore. If elected, what is your plan to address the
violence and murder crisis in Baltimore?
Mack
Clifton
Weather permitting, the Heroes would simply sit on their porches, or walk through their neighborhoods and interact with any
police officers assigned to their area, or generally just be seen. The goal would not be to force criminals to move to another
area, but to present a show of force that may encourage them to cease criminal activity altogether and find another means,
preferably legal, to obtain what they want.”
Gersham Cupid
ignored for so long is addressed.”
Sheila Dixon
I have talked with rank-and-file officers, and I believe that under Commissioner Davis’ leadership we are moving in the right
direction. But we would be doing the people of Baltimore a great disservice if we stop now. The 30 year low in homicides and
violent crimes during my previous Mayoral administration came about because of partnerships in the community, with
residents, business owners, faith leaders, and with law enforcement to weed out bad practices and improve on what works. We
can return to that policing model and create a safer, healthier, stronger community in all our neighborhoods.”
“Simply having more police officers on patrol is not enough. Once the police have left the area, the crime can
come back with a vengeance. The citizens should be involved in ensuring their own safety, because their
neighborhoods are directly affected by the crime in the city. I proposed a plan last year for a project called
Citizen Heroes. It would be implemented throughout the entire city, and would need cooperation from
residents in order for it to be effective. I had also briefly discussed and considered partnering with the
Guardian Angels to be in a supervisory capacity over the program. Each participant in the program would
receive apparel that would clearly be recognizable and noticeable.
“The first step in rebuilding our great city is reducing crime, which is why I have put forward a four-point
crime plan that uses tested strategies to keep our residents safe. Step one is to target the most violent offenders
and get the illegal guns off the streets. I believe improving police-community relations starts with
accountability. I have proposed hiring professional staff to our civilian oversight board and re-training our
officers to make sure we have clear and actionable expectations of appropriate conduct in our police force.
But it is just as important to recognize that our officers are men and women doing a tough job, and that we
need to equip them with the best information, technology, and support so they can target the most violent
criminals and prevent crime before it happens. Our job is not done until every resident in every neighborhood
can feel safe in their own community.
“Being a expert in public safety and having first hand knowledge of Baltimore as I was raised,
currently live and work in the field of Public safety I have a unique view to stop violence. My plan to
stop violence includes preventing black/males from being profiled by not only the police department
but also by communities. We must stop violence now by taking guns out of the hands of bad guys that
is within the criminal element and at the same time ensuring that we protect the rights of our residents.
In light of the current events and sensitive nature of Freddie Gray and the Black Lives Matter
movement we must work with them within the guidance of the law to ensure the things that have been

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Patrick
Gutierrez
 Redesigning school curriculums to focus more on daily physical and mental wellness, life skills,
character and ethics coaching, and other areas designed to meet the specific needs of today’s children,
particularly those who aren’t getting these things at home.
 Expanding Career Training Education (Vo-Tech) beginning in 6th
grade to give children more reasons
to want to come to school every day and provide them with more avenues to a productive life as an
adult.
 Create financial incentives for at-risk children to do well in school and stay out of trouble.
 Expand after-school programming that continues to reinforce the lessons being taught in school.
 Make it easier for those with a criminal past to rejoin society by working with local employers on
changing their hiring practices and encouraging them to hire locally.
 Provide the necessary incentives to spur development of our underserved neighborhoods and
additional incentives to encourage people to move there afterwards.
 Ensure affordable housing is available in those redeveloped neighborhoods.
 Improve relations between the community and the police department via more community policing, a
functional civilian review board, a public database to track brutality complaints, and a properly-
managed body camera program.
 Support organizations which have proven successful in reducing neighborhood violence.
 Increase efforts to promote non-violent conflict mediation and resolution.
 Provide the necessary incentives to attract more companies to Baltimore so we can put more people
to work.
 Be present in our neighborhoods to show people the mayor is there and that I care.”
Nick Mosby
that demonstrate resident interaction, walking the beat, and taking every reported crime seriously.
 Creating a program that helps officers on the beat connect residents with City agencies to address
quality of life complaints.
 Ending mandatory non-disparagement agreements for police misconduct cases to improve
transparency and rebuild public trust.
 Strengthening the civilian review board by filling its vacant seats, adding elected members, and having
trained civilian investigators conduct misconduct complaints.
 Investing in stabilization centers to assist residents arrested for intoxication and overdose by
connecting them with the care and services they need to break the pattern of addiction.
 Creating a Morbidity and Mortality Board that makes policy recommendations after reviewing cases
of injury or death for officers or residents and gives injured parties a voice.
“My plan includes treating the violence as part of a larger, public health issue. We will not police ourselves
out of this crisis. It is going to take a large-scale, coordinated effort across all city agencies in partnership
with local clergy, charitable foundations, non-profits and public/private institutions. That effort has several
components to it, both to address the issue in the short term and the long term. That plan begins with me
providing the strong leadership and management from the Mayor’s office that will be required to make this
plan successful. It also includes, but is not limited to:
 Increasing Kindergarten readiness by expanding Pre-K to all children in the city.
“My 15 Point Plan highlights several ways that I will make life safer for every Baltimore resident. We will
improve police transparency, require true community policing, combat addiction, and get body-worn
cameras on officers within 100 days of taking office. This means:
 Ensuring that the Police Department equips officers and patrol cars with body and dashboard
cameras to ensure the safety of police and the residents they serve.
 Directing the Police Department to implement a comprehensive community policing strategy

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I will make sure we fight violent repeat offenders by strengthening the Warrant Apprehension Taskforce, employing CitiStat to
create a more targeted, impactful approach to chasing down violent offenders, and deploying a better trained police department
with stronger connections to the community it serves. This means:
 Utilizing CitiStat to create data-driven methods that target Baltimore’s violent repeat offenders.
 Investing in the Warrant Apprehension Unit so that the officers have the resources they need to get
violent offenders off the streets.
 Advocating Truth in Sentencing for violent repeat offenders so that they serve the bulk of their
sentences.
 Utilizing the training facility at Coppin State University for the Police Department and encouraging
city officers to pursue study in Criminal Justice by providing tuition reimbursement for officers that
agree to a (5) year commitment with the department.
 Waiving the property tax for police officers willing to live in communities identified as developing
communities.”
Catherine Pugh
citizens from across the state as well as police organizations’. I participated in both of these work groups and co-chaired our
state work group. Many of the suggestions from both police organizations and police reform advocates are being submitted as
legislation in this current session. As Mayor we will adopt the legislation as it is passed. The Maryland reform committee
offered 23 recommendations that you will find on my website. We must solve the problem of crime that plagues our
neighborhoods because high crime rates also serves as a detractor when families prepare to send their children to school and
businesses decide to grow and expand their companies.
As Mayor I am not seeking to run the police department, I will hold them accountable for implementing strategies that will
result in the reduction of crime. I will employ them to hire the best and brightest to develop community style policing. I will
also provide them with the support and tools to accomplish their goal of reducing crime and protecting our citizens. I will
expand usage of technology to improve data and data collection. Continue Comp-Stat and Citi-Stat programs.
I will build trust and establish a culture of transparency and accountability. I will work to increase the diversity in race and
gender in all ranks of the department. I will increase foot patrols. And I will require Baltimore to comply with state law to
provide body cameras for active duty police officers.
We will get illegal guns off the streets (I submitted SB638 in this session) by increasing the penalties for possessing them.”
Cindy Walsh
“I will reform and rebuild the criminal and public justice system first. I will rebuild local community
economies and develop communities to give people living there other alternatives than crime. Simply
feeling invested in a neighborhood moves people from wanting to be destructive against community assets
and citizens. That said, drug dealing and gangs organized around crime need direct policing, an engaged
City Hall actively meeting with community members affected by this violence and the people identified as
cultivating that crime and violence. We have many non-profits doing this---we need more organization
and oversight of this huge network to keep community engagements from being duplicated and removing
those known to be not effective. I think we have allowed too much leeway in how funds are distributed
for these programs. We must build a network of tracking at-risk youth and offenders for the long-term for
continued support, eliminate employment barriers around criminal records, and make sure citizens
brought into the criminal justice process feel they are there for the right charges and they have a real
system of public justice working for them. When people feel they have no rights or pathway to justice,
they take justice in their own hands and/or find self-empowerment by acting against other people.
“While we suffered an unusual high spike in crime in the past year, it is also a wake-up call for our city.
We must address the police and community divide and improve the neighborhoods that have been
neglected for decades leaving the impression that we are at war with our own citizens. The reaction to
Baltimore, Ferguson, Cleveland and Charleston and many other cities caused our President Barack Obama
to set up a unique task force to address the issue of reforming our police departments in an effort to reduce
crime and restore faith and trust in the officers we hire to protect and serve our communities. Further
Senate President Miller and Speaker Busch established a similar committee in Maryland. We heard from

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brought into the criminal justice process feel they are there for the right charges and they have a real system of public justice
working for them. When people feel they have no rights or pathway to justice, they take justice in their own hands and/or find
self-empowerment by acting against other people.”
David Warnick
But in the long term, we’re going to cut our crime rate by providing alternatives: resources for recreation, after-school
programs and job training. We will work with businesses and the faith-based community to create mentorship and scholarship
programs. And most importantly, we’re going to grow jobs and opportunity so that less of our young people choose a life of
crime.”
Calvin Young, III
sufficient resources, programs like Safe Streets can help to reduce crimes in communities throughout the City. However, the
only long-term solution to reducing crime is by helping communities build wealth and expand opportunities.”
“We have to be diligent and focused on solving our crime problems, and that means being smart on crime.
If there’s anything Baltimore learned in 2015, it’s that we cannot prosecute our way to prosperity.
Immediately, we’ll begin the difficult work of repairing police-community relations by retraining our
police force to get out of their cars, and talk to people. This is Smalltimore. We’re close enough to talk,
and we’re close enough to listen. And that applies to our police officers.
“As Mayor, public safety will be my top priority. Reducing violent crime is essential so that residents
feel safe in their communities. An innovative tool that I would bring to Baltimore to reduce gun
violence is a state-of-the-art gun-detection system. A gun-detection system would provide near
instantaneous notification, and provide law enforcement with the exact location of a shooter, direction
of a shot, and even detect the type of gun used. Cities with gun-detection system have seen a 49%
reduction in gun incidents.
I also understand that part of the work to reduce violent crime will be to support evidence-based
initiatives like Baltimore's Safe Streets program. With the right provisions in place and with

22
Question #8 – Baltimore: A Neglected City
Baltimore City is a city that is suffering from neglect. Elected officials and public servants in Baltimore have
turned a blind eye from everything to the mistreatment of families in less than standard public housing
complexes to the intentional oversight of hundreds of abandoned commercial and residential buildings
throughout the city to the less than standard public transit system in Baltimore. If elected, what will you do
differently to ensure that Baltimore receives the attention and care it needs to become a better place to live,
work, play, pray and learn?
Mack
Clifton
is part of my way of being accessible to the people, holding Baltimore City employees accountable for how they treat citizens,
transparent in the way that business is conducted, ensuring fair treatment and showing respect as well as receiving it, and no
longer doing ‘business as usual.’
I would, under replacing the current leadership in the agency, put the Housing Authority in direct charge of the vacant
properties that the City owns outright, and give them the responsibility of turning those properties into habitable structures or
making sure that the unsafe properties are demolished.
I would request that the Maryland Transit Administration open a new bus yard, hire additional drivers, purchase more buses,
increase coverage that will extend into areas where people who have to walk more than a half a mile to the nearest bus stop
would have an easier commute, and take over the Charm City Calculator and charge a small fee to ride (between 50 cents and
$1.00) and increase its coverage, as well as install machines that would accept MTA bus passes. This would be similar to what
I had experienced while living in New Jersey, when an independent bus company became an affiliate of New Jersey Transit
and began to accept monthly bus passes. I believe that this will work. The Charm City Calculator loses more money than it
makes.”
Gersham Cupid
Sheila Dixon
“I am in agreement with the statements made in the question. Not only have blind eyes been turned, but deaf
ears as well. The first thing I would do to address this is to LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE. That being said, I
propose the Front Counter Plan. This plan involves direct involvement from me, where I would personally
address concerns at least once a week in several municipal agency locations, primarily City Hall and the first
floor of the Municipal Building, since many people come to pay their property taxes and water bills
downtown. It has been my experience during my 26 years of providing customer service that many people
feel better when they know that a manager or a supervisor is handling their problem directly. This new Plan
is part of my way of being accessible to the people, holding Baltimore City employees accountable for how
they treat citizens, transparent in the way that business is conducted, ensuring fair treatment and showing
respect as well as receiving it, and no longer doing “business as usual”.
I would, under replacing the current leadership in the agency, put the Housing Authority in direct charge of
the vacant properties that the City owns outright, and give them the responsibility of turning those properties
into habitable structures or making sure that the unsafe properties are demolished.
I would request that the Maryland Transit Administration open a new bus yard, hire additional drivers,
purchase more buses, increase coverage that will extend into areas where people who have to walk more than
a half a mile to the nearest bus stop would have an easier commute, and take over the Charm City Calculator
and charge a small fee to ride (between 50 cents and $1.00) and increase its coverage, as well as install
machines that would accept MTA bus passes. This would be similar to what I had experienced while living in
New Jersey, when an independent bus company became an affiliate of New Jersey Transit and began to
accept monthly bus passes. I believe that this will work. The Charm City Calculator loses more money than it
makes.
“I believe the city needs a cheerleader as much as a leader, someone who can restore the sense of pride in its
citizenry while highlighting the rich and historic place Baltimore has played in the history this country. I
will continue to be the city’s biggest fan and cheerleader by ensuring that we have a cleaner, greener,
healthier and safe city, and through my policies and advocacy will help lend to the national image of
Baltimore turning from the home of the Wire to that of being seen as ‘Charm City’ – a 21st century
city on the rise!”
“Well I believe Baltimore already have the attention and if elected I will use my power as Mayor to
continue to expose the corruption in every and all agencies within my grasp. In order to bring change
we must be transparent about the issues that we are dealing with. For a long time we have denied issues
such as gangs, poor schools, police brutality, and it must stop now. We need to accept the things we are
responsible for and remove anyone that have neglected to do the job that they was intended to do to
protect our community. It will take a combine effort to raise the standard of Baltimore City and move
forward from the riots of April 2015 and become that city shining on a hill for the world to see.”

23
Patrick
Gutierrez
Nick Mosby
Catherine Pugh
I will reduce the vacant housing through a multifaceted approach. As your next Mayor, I would issue a notice within 90 days
of entering office to the owners of vacant properties that they have to improve their properties or be subject to their land being
returned to the city’s rolls. Once those properties have been returned to the city, we would open a Land Bank to facilitate the
development of this land and return to this dormant property to the tax rolls. I was always in favor of William Donald
Schaefer’s one dollar homes to get residents to rebuild this city. Working with the business community there will be a prime
opportunity to develop the shops, grocery stores, needed by returning residents so that our neighborhoods can grow and
prosper.”
“I will empower neighborhoods and residents to make the decisions they feel are best for themselves and
their families and then support those decisions from City Hall. People know better what they need than I
ever will. My job will be to be a Mayor who actually listens and then responds to their needs. For public
housing complexes, that means soliciting bids from outside management companies and letting the
residents choose who they want to manage their complex. For vacant houses, it means enforcing already-
existing laws to force landlords to comply, giving some away for $1 to those who will improve them, and
streamline the process for reporting vacant properties. For transportation, it means personally working with
the state and MTA to ensure we have the world-class public transit system we deserve.”
“My 15 Point Plan lays out a number of improvements that can be made to City Government, so that it
delivers better services more efficiently. We will make government more efficient and effective by tracking
every dollar spent and the impacts they produce. This means:
 Creating a City Procurement Office that centralizes procurement oversight, and introducing
legislation that codifies a transparent procurement process.
 Creating offices of Contract and Project Management to ensure that major capital projects are
completed on time and on budget, reducing cost variances that have contributed to Baltimore’s
overspending.
 Implementing an automated bidder registration system to aid in tracking, reporting, and enforcement
of M/WBE participation goals.
 Creating the Mayor’s Office of Data and Analysis to reinvigorate CitiStat and institutionalize data
driven decision-making.
 Restoring the position of Inspector General in the Housing Authority.
We will foster transparency and public involvement by running an open data government. This means:
 Implementing a plan for regularly auditing City agencies to ensure that City resources are well spent
and lead to the desired results.
 Utilizing the new Mayor’s Office of Data and Analysis to facilitate citizen access to real time data,
while promoting civic participation.
 Requiring all City departments to regularly record and publish machine-readable data online, with no
public-access costs for the data.”
“First off we must understand that Baltimore is a strong Mayoral run city. The Mayor sets the tone. The
tone I will set begins with the goal of improving the quality of life for all Baltimoreans. Improving the
quality of life for all our citizens will require a focus on eight critical areas, health, housing,
transportation, lighting, property tax reduction, the environment, infrastructure, and improving our city’s
image.
I would separate the Department of Housing and Community Development from the Housing Authority of
Baltimore City for greater efficiency.

24
Cindy Walsh
David Warnick
tackle crime, create affordable housing and jobs, and support a public education system that captures kid’s imaginations. All of
this takes leadership, and vision, in the mayor’s office.
We are at a critical crossroads—that rare moment in history—where our creative, innovative, historic city can be born again
and reshaped for the future.”
Calvin Young, III
“I am the only candidate for Mayor of Baltimore who will enforce Federal laws and US
Constitutional protections for housing, education, public health, and employment. All politicians in
the past have refused to do that joining in to a Maryland-held belief in States Rights. States Rights is
a very Republican policy stance and Baltimore votes every election to be Democratic. A real
Democrat enforces Federal laws, ensures equal opportunity and access, makes sure Federal funds for
low-income and poor go where they are intended. This has been missing and this is why Baltimore
has such levels of poverty, decay, unemployment, and public health issues. This will be addressed
under my administration.”
“Baltimore is at a crossroads and we need new leadership, and a new direction. I am running for Mayor to
put my experience as a successful businessman to work for the people of our city.
I’ve spent the better part of my professional life turning around companies on the brink of failure getting
them in a position to grow and add jobs. To spiritually and economically revive Baltimore, we must build
change that is supported by having a functional city government. Typical politicians have had their
chance, and they’ve failed our city. Our government has to understand the concept of customer service,
.
“ For too long Baltimore’s residents have been neglected and left behind by career politicians who are
primarily concerned with their political careers. Voters and residents no longer trust that our leaders
will help to lead Baltimore city through the 21st century. As Mayor, I will work to bring new and
innovative solutions to the problems that have plagued us for so long. My administration will be
focused on bringing a state-of-art metro system through public-private partnerships and aggressive
bond initiatives. This combined with a renewed focus on small business growth and fundamentally
changing our educational system will only bring more prosperity and opportunity to communities
throughout Baltimore.”

25
Question #9 – Access to Affordable, Beautiful, Healthy, Safe Places to Live
Many residents in Baltimore City are unable to find affordable and beautiful housing in Baltimore that is
lead, asbestos and rodent free. If elected, what will you do to ensure that everyone in Baltimore has access to
affordable, beautiful, healthy and safe places to live?
Mack
Clifton
Gersham Cupid
Sheila Dixon
have no role in my administration.
While pursuing new projects, I will restart efforts that have been delayed. For example, in 2008, I signed into law the Park
Heights urban renewal plan, but it has stalled under this administration. Finally, I will enforce the inclusionary housing act that
I signed as mayor, which has not been a priority for the current administration.
Moving forward, my administration will be committed to making sure that we have affordable housing options in the city so
that people are not priced out of their neighborhood. I will work to provide incentives to keep our teachers, officers and other
city workers in the city.”
Patrick
Gutierrez
“Everything in my power and then some. I love my city, I love the people who live here, and I’m running
for Mayor because I believe we can have a much better city, one that looks like what you described above,
if we have a Mayor who knows how to lead, manage, and inspire others to support their vision. We don’t
have a resource problem, we have a resource management problem. We can make huge improvements
together once our people and our money are managed properly. That’s what I’ve done successfully my
entire career, including right here in Baltimore, and that’s what I will do as your Mayor if I am elected.”
“To my knowledge, there is no rent control in Baltimore. It is believed that rent control reduces the quality
and quantity of housing. I believe that the studies that have shown this can be disproved. It is understandable
that property owners are concerned with property value and market rents, but what they may fail to consider
is whether or not that raising rents due to rising property values and other costs are contributing to the
growing homeless population. I also believe that no one deserves to be homeless, and that not only should
there be rent control, but I wish that the costs of living would decrease so that people would be able to have
more money to pay their bills, rent, mortgage and to buy food.
I would push for legislation to allow rent control. If it is possible to introduce a bill to the City Council and to
have it ratified, I am wholeheartedly behind it. If people are able to pay their rent, and if that rent is
affordable, that is less time spent in court facing eviction.”
“The deplorable condition of public housing in Baltimore is one of the key reasons that I am running. In
order to rebuild Baltimore, we need safe, quality housing available for people of all incomes and I have the
experience and leadership to deliver.
I am not opposed to privatizing some public housing, but the city must maintain a permanent role in
overseeing that process to make sure it meets quality standards. It also means we must have accountability
within the housing department, and I was the first candidate to say that Commissioner Graziano would
“We absolutely must deal with public safety, we must drive out the criminal element from our city and
rebuild our communities. The city is in possession of thousands of vacant properties and I want to give
investors and contractors the opportunity to rebuild those communities which includes schools, drug
stores, food markets and recreation centers. A long term solution to affordable housing is to promote
residents purchasing a home and repairing it. A source of income and circulation of wealth within the
city will give us a realistic plan that will last for years to come through safe and clean communities.”

26
Nick Mosby
We will intentionally create anchor residential communities through public private partnerships with neighborhood main
streets and school construction funding by layering a critical mass of investments that create robust turnaround efforts. This
means:
 Creating BOLD (Building on Leveraged Development) Zones that focus the City’s development
incentives in targeted areas. BOLD Zones will identify underdeveloped neighborhood anchors and
layer development incentives around them, scaling the impact of each dollar spent rather than
spreading them too thin.
 BOLD Zones will be mixed-income communities that include affordable housing options and benefit
from dedicated Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) infrastructure improvements.
 BOLD Zones will have reduced property taxes as additional incentives to spur influx of new owners.
 BOLD Zones will pilot a gap-financing subsidy for row homes.
 Utilizing CitiStat to create data driven methods for monitoring neighborhood indicators so that the
City can stabilize struggling neighborhoods before they reach a critical point.
 Creating service agreements with large tax-exempt institutions that expand the services they provide to
the City in exchange for ending comparatively small payments in lieu of taxes.
We will combat vacancy with stiff financial penalties for negligent owners, a focus on swiftly moving problem properties into
the hands of new owners, and tailored neighborhood redevelopment plans. This means:
 Developing a tiered tax structure for vacant, dilapidated, and abandoned real estate. Seeking
opportunities to bundle properties that are delinquent on their tax payments and auction their debt to
investors who seek to collect that debt.
 Creating a receivership taskforce that builds and maintains healthy neighborhoods by quickly moving
problem properties through receivership.
 Evaluating and mapping vacant properties to create development plans on a neighborhood-by-
neighborhood basis.
 Waiving the minimum bid on receivership properties for buyers who contract to begin rehab immediately and demonstrate
“My housing plan provides a comprehensive approach to improving every Baltimore resident’s access to
affordable, beautiful, healthy housing. It begins by:
 Lowering the City’s property taxes for all properties.
 Separating the property tax and waste disposal costs
 Offering tax credit portability for homes purchased in the City.
 Offering property tax reductions for police officers, first responders and municipal employees who
purchase a new home in the City.
 Listing lead paint poisoning as a public nuisance and creating a taskforce that ensures City landlords
register all rental properties with the State, pass lead paint inspections, and enforce remediation of
properties that fail lead paint inspections.
 Creating a rapid housing program targeted at veteran homelessness that breaks the cycle of
homelessness while delivering services more efficiently.
 Creating LGBTQ and Youth Homeless shelters and ensure cultural sensitivity methods are in place
to promote wrap-around services.
 Introducing a stronger inclusionary housing law that builds truly mixed-income communities.
 Implementing a retooled energy efficiency and renewable energy program aimed at decreasing
energy consumption city wide, increasing small scale renewable energy production, increasing air
quality and putting money back into the pockets of home owners and businesses.
 Developing a comprehensive tree canopy action plan with a focus on long term fiscal savings
through energy reduction, increased livability of neighborhoods, and crime reduction.

27
sufficient resources to do so. Supporting community development corporations that have a track record of success in the
community with the resources they need to rehab problem properties.”
Catherine Pugh
Cindy Walsh
David Warnick
Calvin Young, III
“I addressed this in question 3 above but let me add this. We have many different ways to fund our
affordable housing. First, we have Federal funds coming down for low-income housing through HUD
and Enterprise Zone awards. Baltimore was ground zero for the state’s subprime mortgage fraud and as
such has several hundred million dollars owed from the State of Maryland towards what can be low-
income housing. Found revenue from rebuilding oversight and accountability will bring more for
housing. So, Baltimore really does have plenty of revenue resources for addressing new, rehabbed, and
multi-family housing WITHOUT entering all kinds of Wall Street leveraging and bonds. Citizens and
taxpayers always lose when we make deals with Wall Street. We will get this done.”
“Baltimore City has had generations of mortgage and rental discrimination, affecting thousands of poor,
African American families. We need new leadership – not the same old politicians – if we’re going to
create real change that ensures our neediest families, and our working families, have access to affordable
homes.
But without bringing more jobs and opportunity to residents, no affordable housing initiatives will change
the lives of the least fortunate in Baltimore. The stakes in this election couldn’t be higher, and we need a
leader who has a proven track record of creating jobs and opportunity in Baltimore.
Affordable housing is critical to the long-term health of any city. We need a mayor who will grow
opportunity in Baltimore. And as Baltimore grows, we have to make sure we all grow together – we must
not leave anyone behind.”
“I will take a balanced, targeted approach to improve our mix and inventory of quality affordable housing.
Our two fastest growing populations in the city are between the ages of 18 to 35 and 55 and older. The
boarded up housing problem is an opportunity to create affordable housing with a lower property tax rate.
I would bring back the $1 house program started by William Donald Schaefer and create a low interest
loan program to finance those homes. We would also apply a lower tax rate. We will provide imaginative
tax incentives for developers to spur growth in depressed neighborhoods and create affordable housing.
We will also build affordable senior living communities. Not high rise buildings but safe walkable ones.
These communities will be a place where seniors can walk outside their door and experience the best of
the city.”
“Increasing the supply of quality affordable homes is an important component to making sure people
who have called Baltimore City home can continue to reside here. However, we can no longer fool
ourselves into thinking that creating more affordable homes alone will revitalize our local economy.
The key is to incentivize small businesses to expand and create jobs in communities that have largely
been neglected or abandoned by our leaders. Like with so many issues facing our city, our solutions
must be comprehensive, and our elected officials must be willing to deviate from the failed policies of
the past. As Mayor, I will bring fresh leadership to systematically tackle issues of poverty, injustice
and inequality that have been neglected for too long.”

2016 Primary Election Mayoral Candidates' Responses to Tubman City News Candidates Questionnaire

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2016 Primary Election Mayoral Candidates' Responses to Tubman City News Candidates Questionnaire