Mosby: 'The Mayor Did Not Buy My Vote'
Councilman Nick Mosby, who represents parts of Hampden, Medfield and Hoes Heights, voted against amendments to cut $6.1 million from the mayor's budget.
After City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young’s proposals to alter Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's budget were defeated, he accused her of buying the votes of council members.
Young named two members Councilman Nick Mosby, who represents parts of Hampden, Medfield and Hoes Heights and Councilman James Kraft, who represents Southeast Baltimore, as two members whose votes were bought.
"Various council people got certain things. Councilman Mosby, I think they told him he was going to get a ‘super rec center.’ I don’t know what the rest of them got, but they all got something," Young said. "But they should all be grateful to me that I put those amendments in, because maybe they wouldn’t have got what they got."
During a telephone interview with Mosby later on Thursday night, he said there were no hard feelings about what Young said, but denied his vote had been bought by promises from the mayor.
"I’m not sure where that information is coming from, but the mayor did not buy my vote," Mosby said.
The City Council’s Committee of the Whole voted on the mayor's amended proposed budget on Thursday. Earlier in the week, council members voted to include amendments that would have cut $6.1 million from the budget. Supporters argued the mayor should use those funds for priorities, such as increasing after-school program funding and keeping three firehouses open that are set to close.
But nine members of the council voted against the amended budget, and instead supported the $2.8 billion operating budget proposed by the mayor.
Although Mosby had voted for 19 of the 34 amendments offered to the mayor’s budget during Monday’s hearing, he said he declined to vote for the entire package because of the ramifications for his district.
He said that he has been talking about providing the best recreational opportunities for kids since he started campaigning for his seat—and successfully defeated incumbent Councilwoman Belinda Conaway—last summer. He said he decided the total package of amendments was not in their best interest of his constituents.
"There was nothing on the table that said, 'If you vote yes, this is what you get,'" Mosby said.
IamGayle
9:28 am on Friday, June 22, 2012
Most of us are aware that there are 'perk$' that come with supporting those in power. Councilman Henry recently scored a seat with the city's CHAP commission. And the beat goes on.....
IamGayle
9:29 am on Friday, June 22, 2012
Did i read that correctly? A $2.8 BILLION dollar operating budget?? Lord have mercy.....
MrGiordano
10:14 am on Friday, June 22, 2012
Whether he got the promises of the Mayor for a Super Rec or not, though he did, he promised to stand with area youth by rejecting closures of rec centers, Parkview in his district only weeks ago, at a rally with Pete Welch being sponsored by Joseph Armstead and area youth, that was reported on by me in the Examiner. So how do you justify that lie councilman? IJS..,.
Baltimore Matt
12:23 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
All hail Dictator Blake and her band of thieves...
If you disagree, think about this, the mayor has actively acted against having a full city audit, tried bribing the city's comptroller when her shady dealings were brought to life, worked hard to give the Grand Prix to a large campaign contributor, opposed a moratorium on selling liens for water bills (while that office remains a mess)...and the list goes on. The city council has no authority to change her legislation as regards to the city’s budget (any part of it) and doesn’t really have the power to remove her. Therefore she is a dictator and a tyrant.
So historically how do you get rid of a tyrant like this? You would have to physically remove them from power (hello Louis XVI)
IamGayle
1:04 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
BRAVO! ALL true!! It's so blatant too! That is just a part of what make all of this so incredibly hard to understand in terms of how this can continually go on! SRB has talked about only staying on for 2 years, and then going on to the state level to join Marty. If she's outed (one can only hope) then Jack moves into the mayor's seat until the next election.