BALTIMORE CITY, MARYLAND

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

ADMINISTRATION

ORIGIN & FUNCTIONS


[photo, City Hall, 100 North Holliday St., Baltimore, Maryland] Within the Office of Mayor, Administration is the responsibility of four Deputy Mayors, the Chief of Staff, and the Director of Administration. The Deputy Mayors are each responsible for specific areas of concern to the Mayor: Economic and Neighborhood Development; Government Relations and Labor; Health, Human Services, Education, and Youth; and Operations.

City Hall, 100 North Holliday St., Baltimore, Maryland, June 2006. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.


CHIEF OF STAFF


ADMINISTRATION

Answering to the Director of Administration are ten offices: Citistat; Criminal Justice; Human Services; Information Technology; Inspector General; Promotion and the Arts; Public Affairs; Public Safety; Special Projects; and Strategic Planning and Policy.

OFFICE OF CITISTAT
Founded by the Mayor in 1999, the Office of Citistat formerly came under Public Safety, Operations, and Citistat, but transferred to the Chief of Staff in September 2012.

Citistat is a data-driven, performance-based management system to improve the performance and effectiveness of City services and offices. Conducting audits of current data and information, the Office of Citistat reviews agency performance, polices, and procedures. The Office and agency representatives meet with the Mayor bi-monthly to address the Office's questions, concerns, and recommendations.

OFFICE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Responsible for public safety and criminal justice issues, the Office on Criminal Justice creates and administers programs and strategies designed to reduce crime in Baltimore. Programs aim to reduce gang activity and drug trade, and support prisoner re-entry to the community and juvenile justice reform.

The Office coordinates criminal justice strategies with federal, State and City agencies, community groups, and nonprofit organizations. Managed by the Office, the C-Safe Program and the Operation Crime Watch Program coordinate the work of local neighborhood watch groups and law enforcement.

OFFICE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Digital networking and infrastructure for City government is managed by the Office of Information Technology, which also provides agencies with e-mail service and web access. The Office develops and procures hardware and software for the City, and gives instruction and technical assistance to agencies. For residents, networks managed by the Office allow e-payment of bills to the City by computer or phone.

Advising the Mayor and the Board of Estimates on technology programs and needs of the City, the Office operates the City’s Enterprise Geographic Information Services (EGIS), and the 311 One Call and Dispatch Center. With one phone call, 311 services allow residents to reach a City agency while EGIS coordinates information sharing among City agencies, making available data more efficient and accurate. These services enable residents to easily notify the City of concerns, and allow for quick resolution of problems.

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
Formerly under Public Safety, Operations, and Citistat, the Office of Inspector General was transferred to the Chief of Staff in September 2012, and to Administration in 2014.

Violations of civil and criminal law, City regulations, or employee standards of conduct by City agencies are investigated by the Office of Inspector General. The Office audits and investigates to detect program weaknesses, contract irregularities, or other institutional problems. Annually, the Office audits procurement by the City, and submits its annual report.


ECONOMIC & NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT

Responsible for the advancement of Baltimore's businesses and communities, Economic and Neighborhood Development oversees the Department of Human Resources, and six offices: Cable and Communications; Children, Youth, and Familes; Economic and Neighborhood Development; Minority and Women-Owned Business Development; Promotion and the Arts; and Research and Communications.

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Management of City staff is overseen by the Department of Human Resources, which develops and implements policies to hire, train, and supervise City employees. Employee and retirement benefits also are overseen by the Department, which sets employee classification and pay. In cases of collective bargaining, the Office of Labor Commissioner determines wages, benefits and work environment standards.

The Mayor and the Civil Service Commission hear and rule on issues related to human resources, and may amend or overturn current policies and procedures. Implementation of decisions is made by the Department (City Charter, Article VII, secs. 96-98).

OFFICE OF MINORITY & WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Working to improve the success rate of Baltimore’s minority and women-owned private businesses, the Office of Minority and Women-Owned Business Development contracts services to companies owned by minorities or women, reducing the City’s procurement needs, and increasing contracts available to qualified contractors. To meet these ends, the Office manages the Minority and Women-Owned Business Development Fund, which, in coordination with City procurement resources, helps the City finance necessary contracts (City Code, Article 5, sec. 28).

The Office oversees the Local Contractor Development Program, the Annual Procurement and Outreach Fair, the Women’s Business Forum, and the Vendor Seminar Series. The Office works in cooperation with government and private agencies and organizations, such as the Small Business Resource Center, the City Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Greater Baltimore Committee.

OFFICE OF PROMOTION & THE ARTS
Established in 1977, the Office of Promotion and the Arts formed as the Baltimore Office of Promotion and Tourism. The Office merged with the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association in 1989, and was renamed the Office of Promotion. The Office assumed its current name in 2002, when it merged with the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Arts and Culture. In 2004, the Office incorporated as a nonprofit corporation.

Coordinating dozens of art, cultural and sport events for the City, the Office of Promotion and the Arts manages events, such as Artscape; the Baltimore Book Festival; the Baltimore Grand Prix; the Baltimore Farmers’ Market; the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Parade; the Showcase of Nations Ethnic Festivals; and the annual lighting of the Washington Monument. The Office also arranges the Mayor’s town hall meetings, and supervises the Municipal Music License Administration.

The Board of Directors of the Office is composed of ten members.


GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Government Relations began as Government and Community Affairs and reformed as Government Relations and Labor in 2014. It was renamed Government Relations in December 2016.

The Deputy Chief for Government Relations and Labor advises the Mayor on matters of government responsiveness to City residents.

Under the Deputy Secretary are three offices: Civil Rights and Wage Enforcement; Labor Commissioner; and Neighborhoods.

OFFICE OF LABOR COMMISSIONER
Created by the City Charter of 1968, the Office of Labor Commissioner was under Public Safety, Operations, and Citistat before being restructured under the Chief of Staff in September 2012. In 2014, it was placed under Government Relations and Labor.

The Office oversees City labor organizations and acts as arbitrator in labor disputes within City government. For the City, the Office conducts collective bargaining, and negotiates union employment matters, including benefits, wages, and working conditions. For those not covered by collective bargaining, these matters are managed by the Department of Human Resources.

The Office provides management training for supervisors. In addition, the Office reviews and makes recommendations to the Mayor and City Council on labor policies and procedures (City Code, Article 12, secs. 1-10).

OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOODS
In 2001, the Office of Neighborhoods was established by the Mayor upon recommendation of the Neighborhood Planning Program Steering Committee, and the Neighborhood Revitalization Transition Team. In 2012, the Office merged with Correspondence and Constituent Services to form the Office of Neighborhoods and Constituent Services. In 2014, the Office returned to its original name.

The Office coordinates and manages interagency and City initiatives related to neighborhood and community planning. To help in these initiatives, the Mayor appoints neighborhood liaisons who communicate with community associations and organizations. These liaisons oversee all Office programs in their assigned areas.


DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

The Department of Finance collects required City and State taxes and levies, issues and maintains lien records, conducts property sales, and adopts rules and standards for City purchases. The Department manages deposits and withdrawals of accounts, and submits a monthly summary of City finances to the Board of Estimates and the Board of Finance. The Department also oversees the financial records of City agencies. Annually, the Department makes a full report of all income, expenses, assets, and liabilities to the Board of Estimates.

To assist the Board of Estimates in formulating the City’s budget and ordinances, the Department annually prepares a preliminary operating budget, which it submits to the Board. The Department implements and enforces actions of the Board of Estimates, and provides the Board with its reports and recommendations (City Charter, Article VII, secs. 5-19).

The Department is assisted by the Board of Finance.

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