FREDERICK, MD - The Frederick Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to change the way the mayor makes his appointments.
Aldermen made a change to the city charter to limit the mayor's acting appointments to 90 days without the board's approval.
"If a mayor, any mayor, has the liberty to appoint someone in an acting capacity for an indefinite period of time, basically you could get in and appoint somebody as acting and keep them acting throughout your whole term," said Karen Young, (D), Frederick alderman.
Alderman say this corrects a loophole where an interim position could end up becoming permanent without board approval.
"I think we vetted it fairly well," says Young. "We talked about the consequences, and we talked about the precedent it would set and some problems that occurred in the past."
Now, after the 90 days are over, the board of alderman can either vote to make the position permanent or extend the temporary position for another 90 days.
"It was not put in place for any one position or any one candidate but a conceptual agreement that it was just an item that was missing from the charter that required further clarification," says Young.
Young explains the board is looking at comprehensively reforming the charter before they leave office.
