Mayor Brandon Scott Sworn Into Office In Baltimore

BALTIMORE, MD — Mayor Brandon M. Scott was sworn into office Tuesday as the 52nd mayor of Baltimore.

"You have trusted me to be your mayor in this critical moment," Scott said, speaking outside City Hall, where attendance was limited due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"We are in the midst of battling two public health emergencies — COVID-19 and a continued epidemic of gun violence," Scott said. "We cannot accept this as normal in our city."

Nearly 25,600 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Baltimore, where 574 people have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, the Maryland Department of Health said Tuesday.

Since the beginning of the year, 309 people have died by homicide in Baltimore and 679 have been injured in nonfatal shootings, the Baltimore Police Department reported Tuesday, Dec. 8.

"Our city remains unsafe and dirty, despite the way we invest our public dollars in our budget," Scott said. "We will get back to the basics of safe neighborhoods, reliable trash and recycling collection, plowed roads, dependable public transit, clean and affordable water, and most importantly a good education, all with a focus on equity."

The mayor said he wanted to "chart a new way forward for Baltimore," stating: "Equity will be my guiding principle."

Public safety would be addressed with an "all-hands-on-deck approach" rather than a "one-size-fits-all strategy," Scott said, pledging:"I will focus on the root cause of crime" and invest in communities.

"Our young people are Baltimore's greatest untapped resource," Scott said. "They are our key to ... better neighborhoods."

My first order of business as Mayor was spending some time to check in w/ Ms. Veldt’s 6th grade social studies class from @Hen_Hop. Our young people are our greatest untapped resource and I look forward to laying the groundwork for them to thrive into the leaders of our future. pic.twitter.com/cJt3XcZDGD
— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) December 8, 2020

Scott, who is the youngest mayor of the city, said the youth would have a seat at the table in government if they wanted to be involved.

Growing up in Park Heights, he graduated from MERVO High School and St. Mary's College of Maryland. Currently, Scott lives in northeast Baltimore's Frankford neighborhood.

Reflecting on his start at City Hall working as a neighborhood liaison, he said in a statement before the swearing-in event: "These last 9 years have been the most fulfilling of my life."

He spoke for approximately 10 minutes outside City Hall, focusing on the public health crises, including gun violence and drug overdoses.

"The status quo cannot continue, and under my leadership, it will not," Scott said. "Under my leadership, we will chart a new way forward for Baltimore."

Fiscal recovery and restoring the city to health would be his priorities, rather than ribbon cutting events and headlines, he said.

"I am humbled by the task before us ... but I am not naive to the challenges we face," Scott said. "I am not a savior for our city. No one is coming to save us. We have the ability to save ourselves, but we can only do that together."

Sad Scott: "The only way forward is together ... We can do this, Baltimore."

Watch Scott deliver his inaugural remarks.

See Also:

• Baltimore Mayor-Elect Names City Administrator, Chief Of Staff
• Multiple Challenges Await As Scott Prepares To Assume 'Thankless Job'
• Baltimore Election Results: Scott Claims Victory In Mayoral Race