City Council President Nick Mosby today blasted Mayor Brandon Scott’s veto of his bill lowering elected officials’ eligibility for pensions from 12 to 8 years, while conceding that he doesn’t have the votes for an override.

Mosby said the veto will discourage regular people from running for elective office in Baltimore,  while “perpetuating circumstances that ensure only the wealthy and well-connected can serve.”

Without addressing concerns by the Board of Ethics that Council members who approved the bill may have violated the city ethics code, Mosby said his bill had “sought only to create a fair system” in light of voters’ passage of Question K, which set term limits for members of the Council and other elective offices.

Noting that he and  other Council members had learned of Scott’s veto “at the same time you announced the decision publicly,” Mosby told the mayor that “residents are truly tired of the disconnection between city government and officials.”

“As the leaders of Baltimore’s two branches of government, the city we both love would be better served if you and your administration would do more to open the lines of communication between the Council and the mayor’s office,” he wrote.

• Self-dealing, political payback and drift (12/2/22)

After tonight’s Council meeting, Mosby said he would not initiate an effort to override the veto – which would require 10 votes – but would not rule out supporting another member from taking the initiative.

Bill 22-0292 passed on a 8-5 vote, with two members abstaining.

Text of Mosby’s Letter