Mayoral candidate Del. Jill P. Carter yesterday accused Mayor Sheila Dixon of using high-ranking city officials to campaign on her behalf, saying they have been routinely filling in for her at neighborhood candidate forums.
But a spokesman for the mayor denied that Dixon has done anything improper, saying that city officials are permitted to campaign as much as they want - provided they do it on their own time.
In a complaint that Carter said she sent to the Maryland State Ethics Commission, the Northwest Baltimore delegate is calling for an investigation of whether it was proper for Dixon to send top members of her administration to candidate forums in her place - most recently Monday night, when Deputy Mayor Andrew Frank stepped in.
Bill Hahn, executive director of the state commission, said he would not confirm whether his agency received a letter from Carter's staff, noting the confidentiality of the ethics process. But Hahn said the commission is not responsible for ethical matters pertaining to local elections, and that jurisdictions in the state tend to have their own ethics boards.
The director of the Baltimore City Ethics Board, Avery Aisenstark, said allegations of ethical wrongdoing by an elected city official normally fall under his agency's jurisdiction. Aisenstark said he could not say whether he has seen Carter's letter, also noting confidentiality.
But speaking generally, Aisenstark said city officials are permitted to participate in campaigns as long as they do not "do it on city time and not in any official capacity."
Carter, however, called the practice a misuse of tax dollars.
"These people are paid to do the work of the people on behalf of the city, not to work on behalf of the Dixon campaign," Carter said.
Carter's letter - which she released to the media during a news conference yesterday in front of City Hall - charges that Dixon's chief of staff, Otis Rolley III, attended a forum hosted by the Baltimore Muslim Council this month, and Frank attended another debate in place of Dixon in June.
Anthony McCarthy, a Dixon spokesman, said staff members have the right to attend the meetings.
"Mr. Rolley and Mr. Frank are supporters and volunteer on the mayor's team on their own time off the clock," McCarthy said. "Two of those forums were at night and one was Saturday. Both of them went as surrogates for Mayor Dixon to represent her at those events.
"There is nothing inappropriate about these gentlemen supporting their candidate for mayor. No city money nor time was expended by their effort on behalf of the campaign."
Although the candidate forums tend not to be held during working hours, Carter said, she wants an ethics commission to examine whether city administrators should be allowed to campaign.
"I think they have an obligation to consider it and look into it," Carter said. "This isn't the first time this question has come up. There have been questions in the past about the use of city employees to do campaign work. The answer is still unclear. ... "
Carter also criticized Dixon for not participating in a number of recent community forums. McCarthy said the mayor has a series of radio and community debates scheduled.
"The issue is, she has an obligation to face the people of the city," Carter said. "She needs to talk about her vision of the city and what she plans to do as mayor. And frankly, it's disrespectful. It's disrespectful to people to send some representative that works for you that's getting paid with our tax dollars."
The mayor was significantly ahead of her opponents in a recent poll conducted for The Sun, leading Carter, City Councilman Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr., schools administrator Andrey Bundley, Circuit Court Clerk Frank M. Conaway Sr., and others heading into the Sept. 11 primary.
Mitchell, too, criticized the mayor for not participating in more forums but stopped short of saying it was an ethical violation to send staff members in her place.
"It's obvious she's hiding from her record," Mitchell said. "People want accountability. They don't want to hear from the staff. I don't know what the ethical laws are, but at a candidates forum, people want the candidate."
McCarthy said Carter raised the issue to draw attention to her campaign.
"Mayor Dixon, whether serving as mayor or discussing issues in her efforts to be elected to a full term, would prefer we talk about solutions to the challenges we face and not waste time trying to improve poll numbers or get media attention, which is clearly what Ms. Carter was doing," McCarthy said.
brent.jones@baltsun.com
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