Baltimore County narrows down executive finalists to replace Johnny Olszewski
BALTIMORE-- The Baltimore County Council has narrowed its list of interim executive finalists to five to fill the role set to be vacated by Johnny Olszewski, who will represent Maryland's second district in Congress.
According to the council, these are the five advancing in the selection process:
- Jim Brochin
- Yara A. Cheikh
- Katherine A. Klausmeier
- George G. Perdikakis, Sr.
- Barry F. Williams
The candidates will address the council and public at a public Legislative Session at 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 16. The council said it received 12 applications.
Olszewski submitted his resignation as Baltimore County Executive effective on January 3, 2025, when he will be sworn into Congress.
By law, four of seven county councilmembers must approve the interim county executive, which has two years remaining on the term. If no one gets four out of the seven votes, County Administrator D'Andrea Walker will serve as the acting county executive.
According to Baltimore County Council chairman Izzy Patoka, the council said the interim should be fiscally responsible and ready to lead 20 agencies in the county. He also said the interim executive needs to be ready to be a caretaker of the role and will not seek election when the term ends in 2026.
"My colleagues and I are pleased to announce the five candidates who have advanced in the selection process, and we look forward to hearing from each candidate on Monday night," Patoka said. "While we truly recognize and appreciate the time and effort of all the candidates throughout this process, the five candidates that are moving forward stand out in their experience and accomplishments, and represent the consensus of the Council at this stage."
