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BALTIMORE CITY, MARYLAND

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

ADMINISTRATION

ORIGIN & FUNCTIONS

CHIEF OF STAFF

[photo, City Hall, 100 North Holliday St., Baltimore, Maryland] Serving in the Office of the Mayor, the Chief of Staff oversees three Deputy Chiefs. Each of these is responsible for specific areas of concern to the Mayor: Economic and Neighborhood Development; Emergency Management and Public Safety; and Government Relations and Labor. Also answering to the Mayor are directors of Administration; Citistat; Communications and Policy; Emergency Management; Human Services; Inspector General; Labor Commissioner; and Special Projects.

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

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 OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
Formerly under Public Safety, Operations, and Citistat, the Office of Inspector General was relocated under the Chief of Staff in September 2012.

Violations of criminal law, civil statutes, 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 conducts an operational audit of procurement activities by the City, and submits its annual report.

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.

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).

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, assists the City in financing 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 such events 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 Office's Board of Directors is comprised of ten members. The Executive Director serves on the Mayor’s Cabinet.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT & PUBLIC SAFETY

Formerly Public Safety, Operations, and Citistat, Emergency Management and Public Safety was restructured in September 2012, and assumed its present name.

The Deputy Chief for Emergency Management and Public Safety is responsible for three offices: Criminal Justice; Emergency Management; and Information Technology.

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 City. Programs target such agendas as reducing gang activity and drug trade, and advancing prisoner re-entry 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, programs such as C-Safe and Operation Crime Watch coordinate efforts between local neighborhood watch groups and law enforcement.

OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Developing out of the City's Civil Defense program following World War II, the Office of Emergency Mangement was placed under the Department of Public Works. In 2002, it was restructured under the Fire Department. The Office was placed under the Chief of Staff in 2008, and transferred to Emergency Management and Public Safety in September 2012.

The Office develops and implements emergency readiness plans to address potential disasters, and works to alert residents, businesses, and government agencies of how to prepare for predicted emergencies, react to existing emergencies, and recover from past emergencies. The Office coordinates City emergency responders, and acts as liaison to federal, State, private, and nonprofit agencies to ensure residents have basic necessities (Code Public Safety Article, secs. 14-109 through 14-113).

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 provides instruction and technical assistance to agencies. For residents, networks managed by the Office allow for 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. 311 services allow residents to reach a City agency with one phone call, while EGIS coordinates information sharing among City agencies, making available data more efficient and accurate. These services enable residents to more easily notify the City of concerns, and allow for quicker resolution of problems.

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS & LABOR

Government Relations and Labor began as Government and Community Affairs and reformed under its present name in 2014.

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

Under the Deputy Secretary is the Office of Neighborhoods and Constituent Services.

OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOODS & CONSTITUENT SERVICES
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.

The Office coordinates and manages interagency and City initiatives related to neighborhood and community planning. To assist 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 creation of the City’s budget and ordinances, the Department annually prepares a preliminary operating budget, which it submits to the Board. The Department is responsible for implementing and enforcing actions of the Board, 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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