The Baltimore City Council on Monday urged Mayor Catherine Pugh to resign, but within hours of the council issuing its call Pugh responded saying she "fully intends" to return once her health improves.
The 14 council members sent a two-sentence letter to Pugh that was released at 7 a.m. urging her to step down and sent copies to Acting Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young, City Solicitor Andre Davis, Pugh's chief of staff Bruce Williams, and Baltimore's senators and delegates in the General Assembly.
The letter comes as Pugh has taken a leave of absence as mayor amid an unfolding scandal over her
sales of her "Healthy Holly" children's books to entities that have business dealings with the city. The state prosecutor has
opened an investigation into the book sales.
Shortly before noon Monday, Pugh's office issued a response saying the leave was for health reasons and that she plans to return to her duties as mayor.
"Mayor Pugh has taken a leave to focus on recovering from pneumonia and regaining her health," Pugh's office said in a statement. "She fully intends to resume the duties of her office and continuing her work on behalf of the people and the City of Baltimore."
In an interview with The Baltimore Sun on Monday, Young said he was not asked to sign the letter and that he would not have done so because it would appear to serve his own interests if he wanted to remain mayor — a job he has repeatedly said he does not want to hold beyond an interim period.
But
Young said the council's "unprecedented" call for a mayor's resignation will make it difficult for Pugh to return once her illness improves and her doctor clears her to come back.
"Her ability to govern would be very difficult," Young said. "Let's face it: How would she get anything done?"
City officials said a council has never asked a mayor to resign in recent history. And Young, a 21-year veteran of City Hall, said he could not remember such a request, but that he respects the council's right to ask Pugh to step down.
Signing the letter were: Council members Zeke Cohen, Brandon M. Scott, Ryan Dorsey, Bill Henry, Isaac "Yitzy" Schleifer, Sharon Green Middleton, Leon F. Pinkett III, Kristerfer Burnett, John T. Bullock, Edward Reisinger, Eric Costello, Robert Stokes Sr., Shannon Sneed and Mary Pat Clarke. That's every member of the council except for Young.
