Mary Pat Clarke, Ed Reisinger Retiring After More Than 2 Decades On City Council
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- More changes are coming to Baltimore's political landscape.
Mary Pat Clarke, longtime council member and the first woman council president, is retiring after 35 years.
Elected to council in 1975, Pat Clarke came back to work after an eight-year break that started in 1995. Since 2003, she's represented the 14th district.
She said her decision to retire started a while ago.
"It's sort of heartwrenching," she said. "But I've been serving with this new council, the one with new members. A lot of young people, and I'm just impressed with the energy, diligence, really progressive agenda, but done with care. Coming in, I felt like a den mother and they're eagle scouts."
District 10 Councilman Ed Reisinger will also retire after 29 years. He served south and southwest Baltimore.
He too believes he's leaving city council in good hands.
"I have hope with these new council people," he said. "Their energy. I can feel their energy, and they even pump me up."
Mary Pat, as she's known, said the council agenda is on the right track.
"So why not bring on the new team," Pat Clarke said. "The team that's not just showed up, but earned their way here and once here have still been dedicated, responsive and progressive."
