Baltimore's First Female Mayor Starts
By BRIAN WITTE
AP
BALTIMORE (AP) - Baltimore's first female mayor faces the challenges of the city's violent crime and an ethics investigation as she takes over the mayoral term of new Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.
If that isn't pressure enough, she also faces a crowded field of prospective opponents in this November's mayoral election - all of whom are eager to pounce on any mistakes.
Sheila Dixon, 53, took over for O'Malley on Wednesday with plans to seek her own four-year-term. A Democrat in an overwhelmingly Democratic city, she has already won two citywide offices for City Council president, most recently in 2004.
Dixon has said she wants to focus on strengthening neighborhoods by making the city cleaner and increasing cooperation between the city's law enforcement agencies.
At a news conference last week, she summed up her overall goals this way: "Cleaner, greener, effective, efficient transparent government, working in partnership with the community, enhancing many of the initiatives that we've been working on."
Her long roots in city politics and the power of incumbency make her stand out as a frontrunner for a full term, said Matthew Crenson, a Johns Hopkins University political scientist.
"She's got name recognition," Crenson said. "She has had the opportunity to form lots of alliances, and I think they will probably serve her well."
Prospective opponents include City Councilman Keiffer Mitchell Jr., Delegate Jill Carter, high school principal Andrey Bundley and Circuit Court Clerk Frank Conaway Sr.
Dixon, who has two children and is the aunt of Maryland basketball star Juan Dixon, who now plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, is a longtime student of karate and former elementary school teacher with a master's degree in educational management.
Her family has not been immune to the pain of a city plagued by drugs: Her brother and sister-in-law were heroin users who died of AIDS.
Dixon becomes mayor following 275 homicides in 2006 - six more than in 2005. She has pledged to improve relationships between police, prosecutors, court officials and parole and probation officials.
Dixon has been dogged by a state investigation relating to her involvement with city money that went to companies employing her sister and her former campaign chairman. The city ethics board cleared Dixon of ethics violations last week.
In October 2003, Dixon stopped employing her sister after the city ethics board ruled she was improperly hired as an assistant. Other city council members also had to fire relatives.
If that isn't pressure enough, she also faces a crowded field of prospective opponents in this November's mayoral election - all of whom are eager to pounce on any mistakes.
Sheila Dixon, 53, took over for O'Malley on Wednesday with plans to seek her own four-year-term. A Democrat in an overwhelmingly Democratic city, she has already won two citywide offices for City Council president, most recently in 2004.
Dixon has said she wants to focus on strengthening neighborhoods by making the city cleaner and increasing cooperation between the city's law enforcement agencies.
At a news conference last week, she summed up her overall goals this way: "Cleaner, greener, effective, efficient transparent government, working in partnership with the community, enhancing many of the initiatives that we've been working on."
Her long roots in city politics and the power of incumbency make her stand out as a frontrunner for a full term, said Matthew Crenson, a Johns Hopkins University political scientist.
"She's got name recognition," Crenson said. "She has had the opportunity to form lots of alliances, and I think they will probably serve her well."
Prospective opponents include City Councilman Keiffer Mitchell Jr., Delegate Jill Carter, high school principal Andrey Bundley and Circuit Court Clerk Frank Conaway Sr.
Dixon, who has two children and is the aunt of Maryland basketball star Juan Dixon, who now plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, is a longtime student of karate and former elementary school teacher with a master's degree in educational management.
Her family has not been immune to the pain of a city plagued by drugs: Her brother and sister-in-law were heroin users who died of AIDS.
Dixon becomes mayor following 275 homicides in 2006 - six more than in 2005. She has pledged to improve relationships between police, prosecutors, court officials and parole and probation officials.
Dixon has been dogged by a state investigation relating to her involvement with city money that went to companies employing her sister and her former campaign chairman. The city ethics board cleared Dixon of ethics violations last week.
In October 2003, Dixon stopped employing her sister after the city ethics board ruled she was improperly hired as an assistant. Other city council members also had to fire relatives.
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