They’re all Democrats, but a division on the Prince George’s County Council in Maryland likely means gridlock for months.
The Prince George’s County Council has been working with 10 members, following the vacancy caused by former at-large member Mel Franklin’s resignation in June.
And while all 10 are Democrats, five are more moderate Democrats and five are more progressive. While their goals might often align, their methods have also led to divisions.
During the council’s final meeting of the calendar year, when members gathered Tuesday to elect new leadership among their ranks for next year, those divisions were revealed to everyone again.
Council chair Jolene Ivey held on to the gavel again, after efforts to elect her, as well as council members Eric Olson and Wala Blegay to the chair, fell one vote short each time.
Ed Burroughs was elected vice chair after at-large member Calvin Hawkins threw his support behind the District 8 representative, another sign of an emerging bond between the two over the last year, despite their ideological differences.
Asked about the divisions on the council, Ivey attributed some of it to personalities.
“I think we all want the same basic, good things for our county, but we have different ways of going about them,” she said.
Tuesday’s drama wasn’t too surprising, she said, but added there will be times when it’s difficult for legislation to get the six votes needed to pass. That figures to be especially true when it comes to money, and funding some of the more progressive priorities some on the council have.
“I know that with some of the priorities of some of my colleagues, there’s no way to get around having some kind of a tax increase, and I don’t want that to happen,” Ivey said. “So no matter how good something might sound, sometimes you have to tell people no. And people don’t like to be told no.”
Burroughs is one of the chief critics of how money that isn’t spent on education of public safety is currently doled out.
“The things that we should be talking about are what the council will do to help the people of Prince George’s County, and there are several visions for how to accomplish that,” he said.
“We’re in unprecedented times, and it’s going to be my job as vice chair, along with my colleagues, to be laser focused on what’s in the best interest of the people of Prince George’s County, in spite of all of the madness that is happening around us.”
Arguments about tight finances are hard to swallow, Burroughs said, considering the millions that will be spent on special elections in the coming months. Right now, there’s an open county executive seat, an open council seat and — depending on how that first race goes — there could be another open council seat.
“We keep talking about budgets are tight when it comes time to giving senior citizens tax breaks, but this game of musical chairs needs to stop,” he said.
Burroughs believes the gridlock, the uncertainty — and the open seats — could end up being a good thing for the county in the long run, though.
“When you have so many questions in the air, so many things unsettled, this is a time for the people of Prince George’s County to organize and to demand the kind of government that they want,” Burroughs said.
What happened Tuesday likely won’t be the last time lingering grudges reveal themselves publicly. Ivey said she believes residents want the council to work together, and said what she called “shenanigans” probably aren’t on anyone’s radar.
“A bunch of adults who can’t seem to get along, who’ve been elected to serve them, I think that just confuses” people, Ivey said. “If they pay attention at all.”
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