For both Prince George’s County and this institution, 2010 went out with a bang. The university ended the year on a positive note as University President Wallace Loh officially took office on Nov. 1, 2010, promising a slew of goals and initiatives to energize both the campus and surrounding communities. But just two weeks later, any hope Loh brought with him was overshadowed by a local political controversy: County Executive Jack Johnson was arrested by FBI agents for taking kickbacks and bribes in exchange for helping a developer secure federal funding for housing developments in the county.
The story was so outlandish it was almost comical: Johnson was charged with evidence tampering and destruction of evidence after he was caught on tape telling his wife, County Councilwoman Leslie Johnson, to flush a $100,000 check from a developer down a toilet and hide $79,600 in cash in her bra when FBI agents knocked on their door. The arrests launched a federal probe into political corruption within the county, once again reinforcing the notion of an out-of-control Prince George’s County (anyone remember images of county officers beating university students after the men’s basketball game against Duke just eight months before?).
The university had found a strong leader in Loh, but the county was effectively left without one. Enter Rushern Baker, who took over for Johnson in December 2010.
The current county executive inherited a terrible legacy, but he vowed to turn things around in a transparent manner. Earlier this month, Baker introduced a $2.7 billion budget plan for the county which prioritizes local schools, economic development and health care. He told The Washington Post his goal is to transform the county “into a nationally recognized jurisdiction that has a thriving economy, great schools, safe neighborhoods, access to high-quality health care, effective human services for those in need, and provides a clean and sustainable environment.”
Almost two weeks later, Baker unveiled plans to launch the CountyStat program, a system that will analyze government operations, ranging from county police’s response time to how long it takes to fix a pothole, according to the Post. This system, the Post said, will let the entire community see what works and what doesn’t – a clear way to increase transparency and educate tax payers on where exactly their money is going. It also offers meetings for citizens to review the data and adds opportunities to provide feedback online. The CountyStat program will go a long way towards securing residents’ trust and improving the county’s reputation. But Baker’s proposed budget also closely aligns with Loh’s own goals for the university and offers a path for both leaders to achieve their goals that overlap. College Park is the most economically robust city in the county, and Loh has placed great emphasis on transforming it into a top-20 college town, specifically by seeing through major developments like the Purple Line and East Campus.
But he has more than this university’s interest in mind, pledging to offer pathways to higher education to local high school and middle school students. Loh and Education College Dean Donna Wiseman have worked to launch a county-wide charter school that would offer university credits to its students. While Loh and his administration work to launch the private school, Baker is looking out for the public schools – his budget calls for allocating $30 million more to local schools. Together, the two leaders are helping ensure that no student falls between the cracks and all are offered a quality education.
It’s unclear exactly how closely the two are working, but Loh started his tenure by specifically making a promise to Baker and College Park Mayor Andy Fellows in his inaugural address: “The university will work together with you to make a positive difference in College Park – to develop a safer, more attractive, less car-congested community, with stronger schools – a community that more of our faculty and staff will choose to live in.” One year later, it seems Loh and Baker have a fighting chance of seeing these goals through. By aligning their initiatives, the combined power of the university and the county can have a lasting impact on both the students on this campus and the middle schoolers dreaming of one day becoming Terps.
