Baltimore County exec. makes priority of African-American

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Jul 7, 2004 by Chet Dembeck

The growing number of black residents moving to Baltimore County over the last 10 years has convinced County Executive James T. Smith Jr. to make their participation in county government a top priority.

In an interview yesterday with The Daily Record, Smith said since 80 percent of new residents moving into the county over the last 10 years have been minorities, it is imperative that they become key players in county life.

We need the benefit of their talent, Smith said.

Figures from U.S. Census Bureau show the percentage of new black residents migrating to the county over the last decade may even be more than 80 percent.

For example, the number of blacks living in the county almost doubled from 85,451 in 1990 to 156,546 in 2000. This boosted their total percentage of the county's population in the last decade from 12.3 percent to 20.1 percent. During the same period, total county population increased from 692,134 to 754,292, a gain of less than 10 percent.

Smith said the influx of black citizens was a resource he did not intend to lose to other jurisdictions.

The Randallstown area has one of the highest household incomes in Baltimore County, Smith said of the predominantly black neighborhood on the county's west side.

One way to assure black participation in county government is by appointing minorities to boards and commissions, he added.

About 35 percent of my participants [to boards and commissions] are minorities and women, he added.

To show he's serious, Smith has appointed black department heads in his administration, and ordered a diversity study to correct any underparticipation of minority contractors in county contracts.

This is real benefit, not just rhetoric, Smith said.

The Baltimore County Council recently approved the $238,522 contract for the disparity study, which it awarded to California- based Mason Tillman Associates. The consulting firm will spend the next two years evaluating all past county purchasing contracts.

Smith also said aging neighborhoods like Randallstown would receive much-needed educational resources in an effort to better anchor the communities and spur the renaissance that he envisions.

I don't want them moving to Pennsylvania, Harford County or Carroll County, Smith added.

Councilman Kenneth N. Oliver, who represents Randallstown and is the sole black member on the council, believes that Smith's focus is good but long overdue.

He's making progress, Oliver said. But more progress is coming.

Oliver added that his district breaks the stereotypical notion that blacks earn less income and are not well educated.

When people look at the statistics, they are surprised, he added.

Smith's focus on the inclusion of blacks into county government is also being well received by the minority business community.

Wayne R. Frazier Sr., president of the Maryland/Washington Minority Contractors Association Inc., said Smith's commitment to black participation is welcome.

Jim Smith knows that in order for the county to be successful, he has to bring in all of the folks, he said.

Arnold Jolivet, president of the American Minority Contractors and Business Association, also gives Smith high marks for focusing on the importance of more minority participation in government.

Former county executives were somewhat responsive to the black community, but they didn't make them a priority, he said.