Kurt L. Schmoke, who as the erudite yet aloof mayor of Baltimore took the city through recession and toward another urban renaissance, is expected to announce today that he will not seek a fourth term in office.
Schmoke telephoned the White House and each member of the City Council last night and has summoned his Cabinet to an 8 a.m. meeting at City Hall to discuss his decision.
He is set to formally announce his plans at his weekly news conference at 9: 15 a.m.
People who spoke with Schmoke yesterday said he had no immediate plans but was considering returning to the practice of law, working for a nonprofit organization or becoming a lobbyist on Capitol Hill.
Coming to office in 1987, Schmoke won national acclaim as mayor at the same time he struggled to cope with the most intractable of urban ills -- violence, middle-class flight, deteriorating neighborhoods and poor schools.
Even before Schmoke's announcement, a gaggle of politicians and former politicos began eyeing the mayor's job, including NAACP President Kweisi Mfume; state Del. Howard P. Rawlings, the influential chairman of the House Appropriations Committee; and city school board member Carl Stokes.
City Council President Lawrence A. Bell III, a cousin of Mfume who is also seen as a candidate for mayor, praised Schmoke -- his long-time political nemesis.
"Although we've had our disagreements over the years, I believe all of us, all of the citizens of Baltimore, owe a debt of gratitude to Mayor Schmoke for dedicating the last 16 years of his life to public service," said Bell, a Democrat. "I certainly wish him well."
Schmoke was out of town until late yesterday and could not be reached for comment. His spokesman, Clinton R. Coleman, said a Schmoke announcement on "political matters" was set for today.
He declined to make any further comment.
Daniel P. Henson III, the city's housing commissioner who also has considered a run for mayor, said he has been trying to persuade Schmoke to run again. Last night, Henson said he planned to talk to Schmoke again before the mayor's announcement today.
But it appeared yesterday that Schmoke will remain resolute in his decision. His last day in office would be Dec. 7, 1999.
"The mayor called us to say he was going to finish his term but he wouldn't seek re-election," said 5th District Councilwoman Rochelle "Rikki" Spector, a Democrat. "We knew it was coming )) but still it was a surprise."
Reached while attending the grand opening of the redeveloped American Can Co. plant in Canton last night, Gov. Parris N. Glendening declined to comment.
But Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, an ally of the mayor's, praised Schmoke last night:
"Maryland is lucky to have had Kurt Schmoke, who had the
courage to take on some of the toughest issues: school reform, drugs and promoting the quality of life."
She said she had not heard from the mayor as to what his plans might be, but, "I'm sure whatever he does, he'll always care about improving the quality of people's lives."
Police Commissioner Thomas C. Frazier, whom Schmoke lured to Baltimore from California in 1994 and is under contract through 2002, said through a spokesman last night that he intends to remain in the city.
"Commissioner Frazier remains firmly committed to the city of Baltimore as well as the men and women of the Baltimore Police Department," said Robert W. Weinhold Jr., the department's director of public affairs.
President Clinton is expected to issue a formal statement today. But Mickey Ibarra, the White House's director of intergovernmental affairs, said that while it is unclear what Schmoke's next move will be, the White House would like to talk with him.
"I know that any organization would be very fortunate to have the services, abilities and commitment of Mayor Schmoke," he said. "If he's interested in continuing his public service on another level, I'm sure that would be something that would be very interesting to us."
Schmoke, who turned 49 yesterday, has wrestled for months over whether to seek another four years as mayor of his hometown.
A Rhodes scholar, Schmoke became Baltimore's 46th mayor after holding posts as the city's state's attorney and an assistant attorney.
The mayor made many strides while in office, removing decrepit public housing, improving health care for the poor, pushing Inner Harbor growth and keeping the city financially sound. But Schmoke acknowledged during a recent interview that he might not have become the savior that residents expected.
Schmoke also believes that his experience as the Baltimore state's attorney failed to adequately prepare him for City Hall.
"State's attorney is not a job in which you seek consensus," Schmoke said. "You don't take a poll before you indict somebody."
"I had to learn that the word 'mayor' is an active verb, you have to get out and mayor," he said. "But you can't be a person different than who you really are. People will see right through that you are a phony."
Despite his efforts, the city's reputation remains somewhat tarnished because of its poor schools, persistent crime and high taxes.
Even so, most political observers say Schmoke needed only to run again to be re-elected. During the last mayoral election in 1995, Schmoke defeated former City Council President Mary Pat Clarke with 60 percent of the vote. And polls taken during the recent governor's race showed the mayor with a favorable rating among 57 percent of city residents.
Some residents and local business owners such as Jules "Sonny" Morstein, a Light Street jewelry store operator who considers himself a friend of the mayor, said they recently tried to persuade Schmoke to run again.
"I told him a couple of weeks ago: 'You should be here to see things get better.' I'm upset he won't be there to see the 12 years of work pay off," said Morstein.
Among the big changes now under way for Baltimore is the massive reconstruction of the west side of Baltimore's downtown. The city has begun notifying 112 property owners that their buildings could be condemned.
Redevelopment outside the Inner Harbor is expected to reach the $1 billion scope.
With the mayor's announcement today, all eyes are turning toward the 1999 election.
"That's going to start this city buzzing," said Baltimore Comptroller Joan M. Pratt last night.
Pratt, 46, who lost a bid for state comptroller in September's Democratic primary to former Gov. William Donald Schaefer, said she has been urged to run for mayor next year, should Schmoke decide not to run.
"I've not decided yet," she said. "I'm leaving my options open."
Many people are talking about the possibility of Mfume, a former Democratic congressman and city councilman, filling the seat.
"The scuttlebutt has been that Mfume would not challenge the mayor, but if the mayor was not going to run, he could be drafted," Councilwoman Spector said.
"The smart money would have to be on Mfume. He would give the city such a national image. If he got into the race, everybody would have to get behind him."
Rawlings, who holds a key position as the House Appropriations Committee's Democratic chairman, said he is considering a run for mayor but would yield to Mfume, who he said is contemplating a run for mayor.
Rawlings, who said he recently met with Mfume, said Cheryl Benton, who ran Anthony Williams' successful mayoral campaign Washington, D.C., had agreed to help with his campaign. But Rawlings said he would rather have Benton help Mfume.
Rawlings said Mfume "has not rejected the idea."
"If we can improve on [the candidates] list with a Kweisi Mfume, I would rather be chairman of the appropriations committee," Rawlings said.
Asked whether he would stay in the race if Mfume declared his candidacy, Bell would not answer or even confirm that he's talked with Mfume about the job.
"I'm looking to the future," Bell said. "Tomorrow is the next to the last council meeting, and I don't want to comingle government with politics. Let's get through the last two meetings, and we'll be talking a lot more."
One candidate has made a definite decision to run. That is Stokes, the school board member.
In letters sent yesterday to Glendening and Schmoke, Stokes said he will leave the school board at the end of the month to run for mayor.
He plans to declare his candidacy officially next week.
Other candidates are expected to follow Stokes' lead soon. And it's likely to engender a tough battle among the Democrats.
"This is going to be a wild race," said 4th District Democratic Councilwoman Sheila Dixon, who also is considering a run for mayor.
Kurt L. Schmoke's career
1949: Born Dec. 1.
1963: Becomes Baltimore mayor for a day at age 14.
1967: First African-American elected City College student president.
4 1971: Earns history degree from Yale University.
1975: Rhodes scholar at Oxford University.
1976: Graduates from Harvard Law School, joins Piper and Marbury law firm.
1977: Takes position on President Jimmy Carter's domestic policy staff.
1978: Becomes assistant U.S. attorney.
1981: Elected state's attorney for Baltimore.
1987: Becomes first African-American elected mayor of Baltimore, defeating Mayor Clarence H. Du Burns.
1988: Gains national attention calling drug abuse a health, not criminal, problem.
1990: While neighboring cities such as Philadelphia and TTC Washington face bankruptcy during the recession, Schmoke keeps Baltimore solvent as he eliminates nearly 3,400 city jobs.
1991: Elected to second term.
1992: Hires private company to handle nine troubled city schools. That effort ends in failure as pupil costs rose and test scores fall.
1993: Hires Nation of Islam guards to provide security at city housing projects. Makes the contraceptive Norplant available to public school teen-agers.
1994: Dismisses EAI, the company handling schools.
1994: Lands $100 million federal Empowerment Zone to lure new jobs and businesses. He later calls it one of his proudest accomplishments.
1995: Elected to third term with primary win over City Council President Mary Pat Clarke with 60 percent of the vote.
1997: Signs city school system over to state in exchange for $254 million in aid. Despite having doubled education funding, Schmoke surrenders Baltimore schools to the state after the acting city schools chief dubbed them "academically bankrupt." While signing the papers to hand over the city school system, the mayor weeps.
1998: Bucks incumbent Gov. Parris N. Glendening, supporting rival in primary election.
Dec. 3, 1998: Announces will not seek a fourth term.
Pub Date: 12/03/98