
If you live in Baltimore or own a business in the city, Mayor Catherine Pugh wants you.
The mayor’s office has set 4:30 p.m. on March 1 as the deadline for applications from Baltimore residents and business owners who would like to serve on a municipal board, panel or commission.
Many of the city panels are structured so that board members change when the person in the mayor’s office changes, and that means the recently elected mayor gets to appoint new members. Dozens of boards and commissions need to be filled, from the planning commission to the art museum building commission, the school board, the Downtown Partnership and the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore board of trustees.
Other options include the Civic Center Commission, the Environmental Control Board, the Hispanic Commission and the Commission on HIV/AIDS.
The city today unveiled a new website for residents to apply to join city boards and commissions. Applicants can start by filling out a form stating whether they are a city resident or business owner and if they have served on a board before. They also are asked to write a cover letter that explains why they want to serve on a commission and provides other details.
Submission of an application is not the same as an appointment, the website states. “If you are selected to continue in the appointment process, the Mayor’s Office will contact you for more information,” it says.