Mosby: 'The Mayor Did Not Buy My Vote'

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 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 $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 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.

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