I have always been community-centered. As a council member and during my time as chair of the Baltimore County Council, I have had a clear legislative agenda. Whether it be reducing plastic bag pollution, adopting Master Plan 2030, reducing classroom size to support students and teachers, creating zoning tools to expand affordable housing, expanding the county council to create fair representation or creating an independent appointment authority to take the politics out of the inspector general selection process, it was always done with intention. These were difficult items to implement legislatively, but with determination and intent, they were accomplished.

I am trained as an urban planner. I have worked as chief of capital budgeting for both Baltimore City and Baltimore County; in both cases, I was the principal author and manager of a $3 billion budget. I have also authored and managed operating budgets in Baltimore County, the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office and in the Maryland Governor’s Office.

As county executive, I will implement a good government and community first agenda. These will be the pillars of my administration.

With the continued uncertainty at the federal level, it is critically important that we are as strong as we can be at the local level. The budgets ahead will be difficult. I am a strong and experienced fiscal steward and will instill budget discipline.

The playing field in Baltimore County has been unbalanced. For decades in this county, the desires of developers have received far more attention than the needs of communities. In the Patoka administration, we will put communities first.

Our community engagement operations will be elevated and decentralized. Our community engagement teams will be part of the budgeting process. The budget is the way you articulate public policy. And our public policy will be putting communities first.

Read full article and listen to audio: Izzy Patoka: Good government and community first for Baltimore County