Three Republican members of the Baltimore County Council joined forces with the physique’s 4 Democrats in praising a division head who ordered a police investigation of a “whistleblower” who supplied proof about an alleged influence-peddling scheme involving County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr.
The present of bipartisan help got here at yesterday’s Council work session the place D’Andrea Walker, director of the Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT), was up for promotion as county administrative officer.
In that function as the highest non-elected officer within the county, Walker will earn $263,000 a 12 months and be chargeable for the day-to-day operations of a authorities with 6,500 full-time staff and a $4.9 billion annual finances.
Although a proper vote received’t happen till subsequent Monday’s public session, chairman Izzy Patoka signaled that her affirmation was assured, most definitely by a unanimous vote.
But that left Patoka and his colleagues with the duty of how greatest to deal with Michael Beichler, the previous chief of stable waste administration, who was investigated by county detectives after he complained about Walker’s efforts to win approval of the Eagle Transfer Station following a fundraiser held for Olszewski by the station’s promoter, Jack Haden.
Dundalk Republican Todd Ok. Crandell, whose district would have gotten the rubbish switch station if Beichler hadn’t alerted the press, approached the matter gingerly with the nominee.
“During your tenure at DPWT, our places of work labored nicely collectively,” he started. “However, you’re definitely conscious of some criticism, I feel, by former staff.
“Would you want to handle that now? I don’t know if it’s the elephant within the room or not. But let’s simply get it on the market.”
Doing my Duty
Walker took the cue and ran with it.
“If I’m being fully trustworthy, I used to be shocked once I noticed a former worker within the newspaper speak about me,” she mentioned, referring to final week’s Brew story in regards to the police probe of Beichler’s alleged “theft” of county paperwork.
“I do have an obligation, if you’re trespassing on county property, to report it” – D’Andrea Walker.
“I by no means mentioned a foul phrase about that worker. But I do have an obligation, if you’re trespassing on county property, to report it. Otherwise, I’m not doing my obligation. So I used to be, frankly, damage about it as a result of I had not accomplished something for that worker to say the issues that they’re saying.”
The police report notes {that a} legal investigation was opened after Olszewski’s former chief of workers, Patrick Murray, equipped a safety video of Beichler coming into a DPWT constructing on two events after he retired from the division.
Michael Beichler says the written complaints he lodged about D’Andrea Walker have been by no means private, however primarily based on her efficiency as public works director. (Mark Reutter)
The video was supplied by Walker, whose prime aide, Anthony Russell, organized for police interviews of DPWT staff, one in all whom said “he was conscious of the information articles within the Baltimore Brew” in regards to the Eagle Transfer Station and that Beichler was “most likely attempting get Director Walker in bother [because] she was a Black girl.”
The worker “was not capable of present any proof for this perception,” the police report mentioned.
• Beichler case holds a harsh mirror as much as the Olszewski administration (4/4/24)
• Another instance of the ethically challenged tradition of Baltimore County authorities (4/25/22)
Walker stumble on the identical narrative yesterday, suggesting that she was being criticized as a result of she didn’t match the mildew of a white skilled engineer.
“I walked right into a scenario at DPWT the place individuals didn’t wish to work for me. Not as a result of I wasn’t succesful, however, frankly, as a result of I don’t appear to be loads of different individuals.”
She mentioned she accepted their antipathy as a value she needed to pay to do her job and make choices that have been helpful to county residents. “I do have very excessive expectations. I don’t consider in mistreating an worker. And no worker can come up right here and say I ever, ever mistreated them.”
Circling again to Beichler, she concluded, “I wouldn’t dare come onto this stage and lie about any person. And I don’t know why individuals really feel the necessity to do it.”
D’Andrea Walker with Councilman Julian Jones, County Executive Johnny Olszewski and retiring County Administrator Stacy Rodgers. (X)
“Thank You, Thank You”
Her remarks have been met by applause by outgoing administrator, Stacy Rodgers. Council members adopted with laudatory remarks.
“Director Walker, I simply needed to say that once I got here in as a Council particular person, the one factor I’ll at all times keep in mind is the way in which you run your division. Thank you,” mentioned Michael Ertel (D, sixth)
“Ms. Walker, I simply wish to thanks. Thank you for the work you’ve accomplished. You’ve at all times labored nicely with me and my colleagues,” added Julian E. Jones Jr. (D, 4th).
“You have one week to get all of the roads paved from the listing I gave you,” joked Wade Kach (R, third), saying he hoped she would begin her new job proper after the Council vote on Monday night, so he may put together a brand new listing for her.
“We all know that Ms. Walker didn’t have the credentials to change into director of public works” – Whitney Dudley.
There was no joking – or reward – from one other speaker on the listening to.
Whitney Dudley, a retired DPWT worker, urged the lawmkers to not approve Walker’s nomination.
There was a purpose for “the mass exodus” of senior workers following Walker’s appointment as appearing director, Dudley mentioned, and it stemmed from her lack of expertise about public works and poor personnel practices.
• Baltimore County’s largest division sees an exodus of senior workers (5/26/22)
“I discover it insulting to make use of that [race] as a speaking level as a result of that was not what anybody was speaking about. We all know that Ms. Walker didn’t have the credentials to change into director of public works,” she mentioned.
Beichler then got here ahead, prefacing his remarks by saying that Walker was at all times respectful to him and so they obtained alongside nicely personally. His points concerned what he thought-about to be her unethical habits.
“I awakened one morning and realized that my bureau was on the market by the County Executive by Ms. Walker,” mentioned the 28-year veteran of county service.
His speech (beneath) was met with stony silence from the seven-member Council.
No questions have been requested. No follow-up questions have been addressed to the county auditor or inspector normal. No request for documentation of his allegations was made.
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TEXT OF MICHAEL BEICHLER’S STATEMENT
Thank you for letting me communicate. Succinctly and to the purpose, I shouldn’t be right here earlier than you this night. Why?
• The County Executive appointed an unqualified “appearing” Director of Public Works, Ms. Walker.
• Ms. Walker for 2 years labored on this “appearing” capability in violation of County Code 406.c. entitled, “limitation of time period.” County Code is the legislation. Not solely was Ms. Walker unqualified, her time period was illegal. I’ll acknowledge that Ms. Walker was finally made “kosher,” however solely after important Machiavellian political machinations taking two years to take action.
• During her illegal time period in workplace, I served as a bureau chief beneath her and filed six complaints with the Inspector General’s Office with copious information and documentations of every criticism over two years in the past. Yet these complaints haven’t seen the sunshine of day.
• As you’re all conscious, for making these complaints, Ms. Walker was a co-conspirator in siccing the Baltimore County Police Department upon me.
What has occurred to DPW beneath Ms. Walker? Take the previous bureau that I used to be chargeable for, stable waste. I awakened one morning and realized that my bureau was on the market by the County Executive by Ms. Walker, to which I filed a criticism.
“If you approve of Ms. Walker’s nomination, count on extra of the identical” – Michael Beichler.
My successor is now a nice younger man named Nicholas Rodricks whom I employed and under no circumstances am I disparaging him. When I employed Mr. Rodricks who will not be an engineer, he was solely an intern. Four months after my early retirement and solely 16 months after coming to work, Ms. Walker appoints Mr. Rodricks as bureau chief over skilled bureau skilled engineers.
Did you get that? Ms. Walker, in her unqualified appearing capability, hires an unqualified particular person as bureau chief. And that’s how the Department of Public Works and Transportation is at this time.
Lastly, the query now earlier than you is absolutely governance as a result of that’s the CAO’s job. My expertise with Ms. Walker’s governance is printed in my March 27 letter to you and the documentation of that letter as given to the Inspector General and county auditor.
If you approve of Ms. Walker’s nomination, count on extra of the identical. Plus, you should have appointed her to both examine herself or cowl up no matter investigations there are.
Remember, the County Council’s constitutional job is to stability the manager department when it’s out of stability and kilter. And it’s. Please do your jobs and never verify Ms Walker.
• To attain a reporter: reuttermark@yahoo.com
