Greater Baltimore Board of Realtors Vice President Joseph T. "Jody" Landers III intends to officially launch his bid for mayor on Wednesday, his campaign announced early Monday.
Landers, a former city councilman, "will officially file for office on the Democratic ticket at the City Board of Elections that morning and host a press conference in the afternoon," according to an emailed announcement.
Barring any surprises, Landers would be the second candidate to formally announce a bid to unseat Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. Otis Rolley, the city's former planning director, filed to run last week.
Landers, like Rolley, says the city's property tax rate must be lowered to attract and keep residents and businesses. Two other potential candidates, City Councilman Carl Stokes and State Sen. Catherine Pugh, have also emphasized lowering the city's property tax rate, which is nearly twice as high as most surrounding jurisdictions.
Landers will hold a press conference on Wednesday afternoon at "Chef Mac's and All That Blues," in the 4700 block of Harford Road in Northeast Baltimore.
"It's only appropriate to start my campaign in the community where I was born, raised and currently reside," Landers said in a statement."The success of the Lauraville-Hamilton business association over the past decade is an excellent example of a community working together for one cause, and will be one of the focal points of my campaign for other communities to follow.
Landers said "personal frustration" with the decline of population and city services over the past 20 years motivated him to run.
"I will work with residents and business leaders to develop a clear set of priorities for our City government to operate under, advocate innovative and efficient methods to deliver city services and make reducing the City's exorbitant property tax rate my top priority in order to promote future growth," he said.
Rawlings-Blake, who in January had raised more campaign funds than all her likely challengers combined, has launched a task force to examine the city's long-term financial health and diversify the tax base over 10 years. She cut $65 million from the city's expenses to close a shortfall in the city's $1.29 billion preliminary operating budget, while raising overall operating spending by 1 percent.
Here's the complete text of Landers' announcement:
Photo courtesy of Landers' campaign.
BALTIMORE, MD, April 18, 2011 – Lifelong Baltimore City resident Joseph T. "Jody" Landers III will formally announce his candidacy for office of Mayor of Baltimore City on Wednesday, April 20, 2011. Mr. Landers will officially file for office on the Democratic ticket at the City Board of Elections that morning and host a press conference in the afternoon.
The press conference will be held at 1:30 pm, at "Chef Mac's and All That Blues" supper club, located at 4709 Harford Road in Northeast Baltimore.
"It's only appropriate to start my campaign in the community where I was born, raised and currently reside," said Landers. "The success of the Lauraville-Hamilton business association over the past decade is an excellent example of a community working together for one cause, and will be one of the focal points of my campaign for other communities to follow. My career began here in Northeast Baltimore as Executive Director of the HARBEL Community Organization over 30 years ago, and it was the start that allowed me to be actively involved in the public, private and non-profit sectors since that time.
My decision to pursue the Mayor's office is based on personal frustration observing the continued decline of the city's population and city services over the past 20 years. Baltimore cannot continue with the same old policies that have been adopted in the past. I will work with residents and business leaders to develop a clear set of priorities for our City government to operate under, advocate innovative and efficient methods to deliver city services and make reducing the City's exorbitant property tax rate my top priority in order to promote future growth."
Mr. Landers is the eldest of eight children of Janet Landers and the late Deacon Joseph T. Landers, Jr. He was raised in the Hamilton area, and attended St. Dominic's Elementary School, Northern High School and the Baltimore Experimental High School. He graduated from Morgan State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.
He resides in the Lauraville neighborhood, with his wife Cecilia, who works as a school nurse in the Baltimore City Schools. They are the parents of three adult children, Brigid, Kieran and Joseph IV, and one grandchild, Scarlett, age 9.
Access to Mr. Landers' biography and his vision for the City's future can be accessed at his campaign website, LandersForMayor.com.