This is why I don't like tier lists. Everyone's ranking system isn't consistent and feels like the people aren't rated on the same points.

Fair enough. I’ll include a rough rubric.

1. Votes, I think held the highest weight. Was it honest or tainted by special interest

2. Cultural impact

3. Legislative drafting

4. Constituents services

Mark Conway has the look of a future president. He looks and feels like the person everyone should vote for. Then you realize he’s done absolutely f***ing nothing. I couldn’t tell you who he panders to (our district is pretty diverse) because I haven’t seen him help or do anything. His office has volunteers that do a monthly clean up, so he’s got that going him, which is nice

Costello ranked sixth is entirely too high for a man who in the last 2 weeks killed Odette’s bill to study TIFs and a bill to end predatory towing.

Costello really annoys me. I used to be in his district and when he first started I really liked him. He was super responsive and seemed to back his constituents but over time it seems like he is just pushing for development above all else which isn't 100% a bad thing its just that he seems to have blinders on to anything that happens as a result of that development.

I get why some people might find Dorsey annoying, personally I think he spends a little too much time on twitter, but I get the sense that he genuinely cares. I also think he’s one of the few city leaders who is actually working on building the Baltimore of 10 or 20 years from now instead of just putting out fires. If every councilor was like him it wouldn’t work, but I think Baltimore needs someone like Dorsey around to make a little noise.

Zeke does a lot of very progressive cosplay, but you stay to realize that he is doing a lot of that stuff on issues that don't meaningfully impact his district. Healing City Baltimore started as a feel good, unfunded law (and it's funding isn't secure moving forward).

He is cosponsoring that housing affordability bill, but just a few months ago, he was supporting a plan to oppose a plan to convert (not demolish) two buildings into 4 housing units. Why? Because a handful of community association people wanted to TEAR DOWN one of the buildings to add two parking spots.

Zeke is very progressive until you look closer. Right now he is just trying to get enough good press so he can run for city council president. He only didn't run last time because Shannon Snead beat him to it.

Very interesting rundown, thanks. Not to be that guy, but I'd wager most Baltimore residents don't know who half of the city council is, especially younger voters. So, I think it would be helpful if you put their full names. I had to google several of these.

[removed]

Odette and Maggie (McDonald?) came to speak to my Maryland Legislation class at UB, they were awesome. I think Maggie retired, she seemed very impressive. Odette seemed very knowledgeable and passionate about the city’s issues, barriers, and ways to help, and realistic about the role of city council. I think it was really valuable to have city council members come to class, I feel like they’re often overlooked for bigger offices but they are important.

And to expand the number of cameras that catch semis driving through residential neighborhoods.

He’s always tweeting during the hearings it cracks me up lmao

I assume Stokes keeps getting voted in because people think he is related to Carl (or maybe people think he IS carl)

Ranking aside, love that this uses first names only like its Baltimore's Next Top Councilmember

Yitzy and Stokes are the absolute worst.

Fixed ;-)

Good point. Fixed most so it’s easier to reference.

I really did like it! But this is probably clearer for most people, lol

"James is fairly neutral. Not very responsive just fills the shoes. His district never seems like land good representatives. His votes are mostly with constituents, his services are much to be desired."

James has also been on indefinite leave for a while, so has been no help in neighborhood matters.

Great work OP.

100% correct in that Yitzy is for his Jewish constituents to the exclusion of everyone else.

development always makes one group or another upset. always. this is why urban planners like to use the term BANANA, "build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything". Baltimore seriously needs more jobs and more tax revenue, so I may not agree with some of Costello's stances, I also don't agree with 100% of other councilmembers.

Zeke is not interested in helping his district. He is not accountable for Boston St turning into a hellhole highway.

There was 3 major accidents this last 2 weeks there.

He ignores emails.

it pains me to say it but he's just like me fr

Zeke is garbage and is only focused on his political image. A few years ago, Zeke decided to hold a press conference in the same neighborhood where this kid's father was killed the night before to promote his bill and never even met with the kid or the family. One of the most disgusting stories I've ever heard about a politician.

This has been my theory too. Up until the last election he didn't have even an email listed that you could reach him by. I actually think that if Franca Muller-Paz had been running in a normal year (as opposed to the height of pandemic with ever shifting lockdowns and restrictions and safety concerns) she could have unseated him.

He does seem very responsive on issues relating to the CSX tracks in his district. Unfortunately it's to advocate for CSX.

Yeah for sure. You can't build anything without passing someone off. It just feels more and more like Costello is ignoring all dissenters if they aren't 100% on board for any development. And that's a real shitty way to run a city.

Zeke is terrible.

To be fair, all of those who voted in favor of the bill is ranked higher. He’s just ranked best of the worse. He has some accomplishments (Airbnb bill, Grubhub bill, etc. ) and is more responsive than the average Council member.

Zeke would be best suited as either a traditional activist or working for a non-profit. As you point out, his legislative focus is not at all on his district.

This is a good idea for people to learn more about the city and the council members.

I would rank Councilwoman Ramos and Councilman Burnett even higher if possible, 1+ or gold star. Both council members support residents in my area, respond to questions fast, even though we are in district 10 under Phylicia Porter.

I would rank John Bullock higher, 9 or 8. I have patients in his area, his constituent services are responsive, not always fast. He does a lot for the older, low income people in his area, he’s not visible on Twitter the way other council members are, he responds, fixes problems then moves on. I’ve worked in his area a lot in the last year, primarily with shooting victims. There is a lot of poverty and violence but he supports multiple resources for residents, youth programs, food pantries, employment programs.

I would rank Phylicia Porter much lower. I can’t speak to her specific voting record, she supports heavy industry truck traffic over residents, low wage jobs over living wage opportunities, commercial interests over resident health and the environment. Our area devolved in the last two years, no support for grassroots organizations, youth resources or events that bring neighborhoods together. No support for the small businesses that made our area unique. The feeling of the area changed, no new accessible businesses like retail or restaurants are coming here. We don’t event have neighborhood meetings anymore because people are worried they will be fined for stepping on toes. The only legislation I saw from her was the abortion fund for out of state patients, she never helps the many homeless women in our area who need access to reproductive health services, that legislation seemed more for publicity than to help people who need help now. Constituent services is very bad, I lived here for decades with Eddie Reisinger, I never thought someone could be worse at constituent services but Porter is worse than Reisinger. I have six different 311 requests on my road that effect our quality of life here, no help for months. The block captains for my block and the next one over go directly to Mayor Scott now because they can’t get help from Porter’s office.

I would rank Robert Stokes lower if possible. I have patients in Robert Stokes area, his constituent services are nonexistent. I tried to get help for hoarder situations, elderly abuse, failure to maintain rehab facilities, never received a response from his office.

He's probably the ONLY city councilperson proactively pushing for development. We need that point of view because we really do need development (and the associated jobs) in this city. We can't just roll out feel-good trauma bills and bicker about garbage pickup.

His grandmother (who raised him) died. Seems fair to take a few weeks off. I'd probably swap him with McCray in this lineup.

Dorsey is too, it's literally what his Abundant Housing Act is about. Which notably- Costello did not co-sponsor.

Yup, at this point I feel pretty comfortable saying he just uses progressive causes to further his own standing. Occasionally helping someone might be a nice byproduct, but that's not what drives him. Not a fan whatsoever.

Fair enough. All I've seen is that he was on extended leave.

Thanks for the feedback. I didn’t know phylicia’s constituents services was so bad.

Costello is the only one on the list that’s worth a damn

This this this

Really hope Franca decides to give it another go in 2024. If she got in, she’d be top tier of this list by the end of her first term no doubt.

Zeke gives off major Beto vibes. But agree at the end of the day will be probably on right side of the vote.

They all suck but Dorsey. They also will really be shown how ineffective they are once they take control of bpd. Now they have cover to not claim responsibility.

I also like mark Conway

Ramos does a lot of grandstanding.

I’m a Green Party state-level official in Dorsey’s district. If the Democrats were all in the vein of Ryan Dorsey, I might still be a Democrat. I moved into his district when I was a teenager & while the neighborhood’s of course changed in that time, it’s gotten significantly nicer to live here since he’s been in office & championing a more livable city model.

If I had to poach one lawmaker to my party in this city it’d be Ryan. I asked him about trying for a larger office in the future in 2020 & he balked then, but having someone with an actual vision IMO is better for a citywide office type where those at the top determine a lot of the priorities.

I think the name recognition she built last time around would go a long way toward building her chances the next time around.

Who said that’s a bad thing? Someone’s gotta vibe with you, amirite?

You’re welcome. I’ve heard the services in Porter’s district depend on whether you’re part of her clique. A commenter from Pigtown mentioned the community association there thinks highly of her, but other Pigtown residents wrote she wasn’t responsive. I heard at the Violetville meetings that her friend has special DPW services cleaning the alley behind their home while the rest of the area is dirty.

My area has abandoned vehicles that have been here since last year, one is partially burned. Two large street trees fell earlier this year, neighbors cut the trunks so they didn’t block the road but the debris is still on the curb months later. Half the houses on my block are now empty, people moved out in the last year, one house has squatters who openly use and sell drugs, dump dirty furniture in the park, and break into the other vacant homes. We can’t get any help from Porter’s office or the police. My 311 requests are closed without anything happening, I’ve never received a response to an email or phone call to her office.

Zeke only cares about one thing and that is how to get in front of a camera as much as humanly possible.

Also they don't call his office the plantation for nothing: he does not pay staff. He calls them fellows or interns or student workers or whatever he wants so he does not have to compensate them.

Ramos grandstanding, there’s brief moments of her being triggered by some arguable disrespect and she’s certainly not the type to curl over undefended. I cautious the generalization of grandstanding as I don’t read her motivations as seeking attention.

As Dorsey, he’s certainly high on my list just not the highest.

Why is no one talking about the fact that Costello is openly a ardent NY Giants fan that represents the district with the fucking Ravens Stadium in it.

Mark Conway reminds me of Nick Mosby. For whatever that's worth.

Zeke is insanely responsive and down to earth. He’s my city council person and I could literally just send him a Facebook message and within 24 hours I guarantee that he would respond. I’ve talked to him a bunch of times. I can attest there were no cameras present.

I think it's funny he gives that person frat vibes, because that's Costello all day to me.

Tony Glover in 8th? Shhhheeeeet. Only if we are ranking "council person most likely to be at every social event but rarely is helpful for important issues." In that scenario, he may be top 3. Guy is very nice, but not a good city leader.

Maybe because that’s not common knowledge. He expresses grief anytime the ravens lose. You suspect that to be acting I guess, but I’m not sure about that.

Can he be much worse than those ranked below him ? Even his ineffectiveness is more of a value than some of the members straight toxicity.

He is worse than useless. He's an obstruction.

So, I just moved to South Baltimore and accordingly jointed the subreddit. I keep seeing posts about council members and I’m curious - is this truly a city where these folk actually affect change? I’ve lived in a few cities in the past where they were largely interchangeable year to year and no tangible changes were ever seen. I’m all for paying attention to local politics, though! Is there anyone in particular I should be keeping an eye on?

Baltimore is a city where politics move fast. If you want to see where you shake out politically, economically, or socially it won’t take long here. Look at how our states attorney propels into nation spotlight (although her policies were a National failure), Rawlings getting High profile positions after her departure, O’Malley getting governors seat (later failed presidential run).

It’s a city with high mobility , except for the underskilled and undereducated (which is true anywhere). A lot people come here and get propelled into relevance. Unlike nearby jurisdictions where talented is overlooked.

Be careful politicians are dropping like kings in this city too. Federal prosecutors know the fast climb exposes white collar crime and there’s plenty of it.

Tbf a few people wants the political sphere to be a gentleman club. Costello, Conway, mosby, bullock (though not widely excepted in it), Antonio hayes, etc.

They’ll attend events drink a little more than other politicians and soak the reality of their position.

And how that recommends him to be on city council is beyond me. I had to deal with Carl many times over the years and he's a POS.

Responding to constituent issues is the absolute bare minimum responsibility of an elected official, yeah it is good, but I hate when people taut this as some sort of accomplishment. And part of the reason he is this efficient is because he jams in as many unpaid employees as he can into his office.

Odette and Dorsey seem to be the only ones with policy chops.

She'll have my vote.

Unpopular opinion John Bullock is better than 11. Maybe 10 or 9. I like his vibe.

Phylicia Porter is the same as Yitzy. Same nepotism crap. A tiny part of Pig Town where she lives gets great service. Her friends get great service. She never responds to anyone else. Blocks near me went 3 months without recycling pickup. I think she's tied to special interests. Big commercial trucks are out of control here. Key properties are getting truck builds they shouldn't. Companies violate commercial truck routes. ALL. DAY. ALL. NIGHT. The roads are shit because trucks are using residential roads. She has a few super active supporters who troll anyone who criticizes her. It's a bad vibe. I live in her district. Its toxic.

Odette Ramos and Eric Costello have good constituent services. I emailed them for 2 different things. Both helped the same day. I'm in Porter's district. BUT they helped anyway.

I’d like to update my ranking if I may. I took the day off to listen to the city council hearing on sewage overflows. Councilman Burnett asked so many good questions, he is really grounded on how the city agencies work and how they allocate money. I move Councilman Burnett to 1+ gold star along with Councilwoman Ramos.

Councilman Torrence was on the panel, he provided a heartfelt story of an elderly person in his area. I was impressed by his compassion and his questions to the agencies. I wasn’t aware of anything from Councilman Torrence before today, after listening to him I believe he may be very good for the future of the city.

Councilwoman McCray is very organized, I’d hire her as an office manager if I still had a busy practice. She kept the meeting timely. This is a valuable service the city needs, more efficiency.

Councilwoman Porter was on the panel, she is my council representative, she is never responsive to my requests, my neighbors’ requests, 311 requests. I heard rumors from people I trust, people I’ve known for years that Councilwoman Porter is only responsive to a small group of her friends in Pigtown and her campaign contributors. She never responded when houses in my neighborhood of Saint Agnes experienced this sewage flooding, 20 houses along three blocks were flooded with sewage, no response to anyone from the council office. I was shocked to hear a resident from Barry Circle speak about how helpful Councilwoman Porter was, even though this resident wasn’t sure if her flooding problem was eligible for the city reimbursement. When I looked up Barry Circle it is part of Pigtown, I’m sad to confirm my thoughts that Councilwoman Porter responds to her friends, neighbors in Pigtown, but not the rest of her district. Our little area got through these sewage flows with help from neighbors and former neighbors. We need someone in council who helps the whole district not just a small group of friends. I think Porter should be ranked below Councilman Torrence.

I’m hoping Torrence rebounds and climbs a few notches up the rank. He’s been out the game and is a rookie so there’s still time to develop. Not sure how effective anecdotals and narratives are in session. Mostly baltimore is seen as a city of complainers and that tone falls on deaf ears.

I’m hearing porter is suppose to be introducing some effective bills, I won’t hold my breathe. I think her friends in pigtown will be drafting for her or she’ll continue to co sponsored bills.

Porter is toxic for the communities. EXCEPT maybe Pigtown. She and her friends created a group to take down the community organizations in Violetville. Literally every group doing good in this area is gone. Every time I see a problem and call whatever group USED to handle it I hear the group is done because Porter and her Village of Violetville group trolled them. OR fined them. OR made it too hard to operate. The thrift store for the homeless-closed. Food pantry - closed. Community mediation - moved outside the city. Community defense referrals - gone. Community tool library - gone. I know the same happened in Wilhelm Park. Their entire community association folded. No one wanted to deal with her.

I hope someone ethical runs against her. The damage is already done in a lot of the neighborhoods. BUT a good person could fix it. Maybe.