Editor's note: Lajan Cephas answered the Banner questionnaire in paragraph format
CAMBRIDGE - Cambridge is doing well in many areas such as public safety, operations, and the financial health of the city revenues, practices, and fund reserves. Our city employees take pride in providing top notch city services to residents and they deserve kudos and respect for their execution and dedication. I’m grateful to have played a part in transitioning the city’s business into this elevated position, while Commission President.
With this success of the city operations, we need a leader to continue the legacy of Mayor Steve Rideout and former Mayor Victoria Jackson-Stanley. Uniting citizens, residents, non-profits, and businesses is the basis to moving Cambridge, the community forward. Leaders never focus on personal missions, personal agendas, or personal goals, or what it could have been. Leaders focus on creating more leaders and continuing prior momentum. That’s how battles and missions are won. We cannot start over every four years, it’s not efficient and it doesn’t make good business sense. It’s about sincerely caring and actively working to advance all people, businesses, and organizations. We have to unite; we desperately need a ONE CAMBRIDGE viewpoint and that’s why I am running for mayor.
Being a single mother of three sons, with a professional background in public safety, experience in collaborative community organizing, along with prior management of many million-dollar corporate businesses, and previously owning a business in Cambridge, all provided real-life practical experiences. These skills were activated upon learning Andrew Bradshaw’s resignation as Mayor. As the commission president, I was expected to activate with powers of mayor and fill the gap at the highest level immediately and we did exactly that.
During that time we hired city manager Tom Carroll, established the Gun Violence Reduction Task force, contracted with lobbying firm, restructured operations and department of the city, began transitions towards community policing, multi-million dollar capital investment by acquiring an additional fire apparatus, established a road resurfacing schedule, investment in water and sewer infrastructure, and much more. These tasks were not completed alone, it was a collaborative achievement with fellow council members, city staff, volunteers, and the acting city manager. True leaders create and recognize other leaders.
As mayor, I will ensure we are mirroring the polices of the Gov. Wes Moore administration as a gateway to continue state funding opportunities, continue relationships with federal partners to encourage direct federal funding, continue investment in our intergenerational community (youth/elderly) as a tool to pass the torch forward, and continue transparent diligent support in the development of Cambridge Harbor to drive impactful economic development results.
Economic development is key to the lifting of a community. As Commission President, we have created the Economic Development Reserve fund which can be used for attracting job-creating businesses, providing loans or grants to small businesses, and other motivating actions to promote new business growth in Cambridge. We have allocated $500,000 available for utilization. I will commit to creating partnerships between organizations, colleges, schools, and the community to increase our skilled workforce population. We have the greatest resource, our people, and it’s time we allow the greatest opportunities and outcomes in their lives.
Our youth deserve additional support, because they are our future, and we will be depending on them to drive the city’s business as we retire. We need to provide opportunities here in Cambridge, so they don’t have to feel the need to commute, move to earn a livable wage, or feel lost during their adolescent and young adult stages in life. The juvenile curfew and the Portia Johnson-Ennals Internship provides such a compass, to put all youth on track for success. Commissioner Sputty Cephas advocated for this internship and with the support of the council and staff; we made it happen for our youth, our city, and our future.
In 2023, the city of Cambridge adopted resolution number 23-06 and item 5 of that resolution states, “Develop improved infrastructure…” and we have allocated $950,000 for fiscal years 2023 and 2024 and budgeted $600,000 for this current fiscal year. In addition, with the leadership of Larry White (resident/volunteer) and George Hyde (retired city engineer), city staff are doing a wonderful job continuing the momentum of the shoreline resiliency project, which provides special attention to flood mitigation. As mayor, my job will be to share vital information with the council and communities and to ensure the city backing this project 100%. We must protect our Westend neighbors, our marina, and our shoreline.
Code enforcement is also targeted in resolution 23-06 under goal three. The plan is to continue the work that has been completed over the course of the past 3.5 years and without the “reinvention of the wheel.” This year we have established the Land Bank Authority of Cambridge, the first in Maryland’s history, with one million dollars in allocation. Along with $1.9 million dollars in direct federal funding for Cambridge’s Healthy Homes initiative and the Homeowner Helper program. All of these initiatives and programs will provide solutions for Cambridge’s exhausted housing stock and code enforcement.
As mayor, we will continue these strategies and in 4.5 years we will observe an innovative and united ONE CAMBRIDGE with opportunities for all.
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