2022 Voter Guide: John “Johnny O” Olszewski, Jr., candidate for Baltimore County Executive

Why are you running for office?

Three years ago, Baltimore County was at a crossroads. Facing an $81 million structural deficit, we were in danger of losing our Triple AAA bond rating and being unable to provide the services our residents depend on. Together, we developed a bipartisan solution to close that deficit and put the county on strong financial footing, while making historic investments in education and open government. In the three years since, we set a bold vision to strengthen our schools, make our government more open and accountable, and instill equity and sustainability as core values in Baltimore County. We came together to save lives and combat the worst public health crisis in generations. Now, it’s time to raise the bar for Baltimore County and become a world class jurisdiction — the model for our state and the region.

What do you see as the most pressing issue Baltimore County faces and how would you address it?

As a BCPS parent and former Baltimore County teacher, education continues to be my top priority. While I am proud of the progress we have made investing inside the classroom and in school infrastructure, there remains work to do. Our school system is the third largest — and third oldest in the state, with significant infrastructure issues. While the Built to Learn Act and our local investments have made an impact, we must sustain this level of investment so our schools meet the needs of our students. That’s why we developed a 15 year plan which will invest more than $3 billion in every school in the county — with equity as a key priority in these investments. The plan eliminates the need for trailers within a decade, while making significant investments in career and technology education, special and alternative schools, and community schools, which provide wraparound services tailored to the community.

What plans do you have to help the county and its businesses successfully emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic?

In the beginning of this pandemic, we built out a countywide food distribution program with BCPS and the MD Food Bank that provided over 18 million meals. We established eviction prevention programs that helped thousands of families stay in their homes. We provided Internet Essentials to thousands of families — a step towards closing the digital divide. And we provided $26 million to small businesses. Baltimore County has received $160 million as a part of the American Rescue Plan. Our strategy for allocating these resources is rooted in equity: Making investments in all communities, but especially those that were hit hardest by the pandemic. That includes the creation of an affordable housing fund, new equity districts, a community development organization on Liberty Road, and a comprehensive recovery initiative for Essex. These resources aim to go beyond stabilizing communities in need to lift them up so all of our residents can thrive.

What are your views on the future growth and economic development in the county?

Baltimore County is fortunate to have a strong and diverse local economy, with a growing business community and strong workforce development partner in CCBC. We will continue making necessary investments in education, workforce development, and our infrastructure to ensure we continue to grow a strong economy. Moving forward, we are working to bring new investment to communities that have seen chronic underinvestment. For example, we have announced $20 million in state and local funding for revitalizing Security Square Mall, which was once a vibrant anchor for western Baltimore County but has languished for years. In addition, we are leveraging ARP funds to support a community development organization to grow our economy on Liberty Road, as well as a place-based recovery initiative in Essex. Economic growth can and will happen throughout Baltimore County, but should be rooted in equity and focused on redevelopment in communities that have traditionally experienced underinvestment.

What role can the county government play to improve education in county schools?

In Baltimore County, the day-to-day operations of our schools fall under the Superintendent and the Board of Education, but Baltimore County government is responsible for providing the funds for our schools. One way we have worked together to improve education is by enacting an efficiency review for BCPS and county government so we can save money and make our government more efficient. As County Executive, I will continue working with Superintendent Williams and the Board to set a shared vision for our schools that supports our students, our educators, and all of our support staff. In Baltimore County, we have consistently provided historic funding for education: In FY22, Baltimore County led the State of Maryland in funding over the maintenance of effort. Inside the classroom, we will continue investing in wraparound services to support the holistic needs of our students, including food access, mental health, and career and technical education.

What efforts do the county need to make to address systemic racism in government services?

Everything we do in Baltimore County is rooted in equity, so that we provide all of our communities with the services they need and deserve. In my first budget, I created Baltimore County’s first Chief Officer for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and all of our policy and budget decisions include an equity component. We also created the County’s first Immigrant Affairs Coordinator to help us better connect with diverse communities. In my proposed budget for FY23, we have funded four additional DEI staffers, embedded across county agencies to ensure our services are equitable. We are also providing implicit bias training for all senior leaders in Baltimore County government.

Do you think there needs to be additional oversight to the Office of the Inspector General or changes to the structure of the office? If so, please explain.

Local government should be open, transparent, and accountable to the people we serve. I’m proud to have created Baltimore County’s first Office of the Inspector General, and to have increased its budget each year I have been in office. In my budget submission for FY23, I proposed doubling the size of the office. In local government, all agencies should have some form of oversight and accountability — including the Office of the Inspector General, which does not currently have any oversight. We have engaged a diverse group of independent stakeholders, staffed by the University of Baltimore Schaefer Center for Public Policy, to review best practices and recommend policies to create independent oversight and ensure the long-term success of this office.

What steps must the county take to improve public safety?

Public safety is one of the most sacred responsibilities in local government. Thanks to our officers and upstream community investments, we saw violent crime decrease in 2021. Our homicide clearance rate of 81 percent is well above the national average. About half of our homicides last year had a mental health or domestic violence component. That’s why we launched an expansion of our mobile crisis teams program, which pairs police with licensed clinicians to respond to calls that involve social service resources. We are creating a 9-1-1 Call Center Clinician program to connect residents with the most appropriate resources. In addition we are leveraging ARP funding to better support our Domestic Violence Coordinators. On top of providing robust funding for public safety, we will continue to make upstream investments in our communities, including in schools, mental health, PAL Centers, parks and rec facilities, and our Summer Youth Employment program.

How is climate change impacting the county and what can be done locally to address the effects?

Climate change is an existential crisis and poses unique challenges for Baltimore County — especially our waterfront communities, which already experience flooding. As County Executive, I have promoted a number of initiatives to promote sustainability and combat climate change. In my first year, we created the County’s first Chief Officer for Sustainability to lead this work, and to develop a Climate Action plan and a Greenhouse Gas inventory. We set a goal to achieve 100 percent renewable energy by 2026 by using solar energy and converting methane gas at our landfills into renewable energy. We have also launched innovative tree planting programs. Under my administration, we have planted more than 44,000 trees to maintain our 40 percent tree canopy countywide. Trees are one of our best tools to lower carbon dioxide and support the environment. We launched Operation Re-Tree to plant more trees in our urban communities that lack tree canopy.