By Jordan Schwartzberg
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced Wednesday his intentions to hire the city’s first director of broadband and digital equity.
Scott said the position is designed to help provide Internet access to the estimated 60,000 city households that are not currently connected.
Money for the new director will initially come from the Baltimore Civic Fund, a quasi-government agency that acts as a facilitator to help city agencies secure funds from public-private partnerships, philanthropists and corporate donors. It was started by former Mayor William Donald Schaefer in 1981.
“This position will serve as Baltimore City’s primary representative for coordination with internal and external stakeholders focused on digital equity and broadband connectivity issues, while working to expand public access for Baltimore residents,” the mayor said in a written statement.
Sydney Burns, the mayor’s press secretary, said the city is not ready to share the specific salary range, but she said it will be on par with other agency heads.
She said the salary will be voted on by the Board of Estimates on Wednesday. She said details about when the city might have to pick up the salary through its budget will be provided after the board’s vote.
Scott said he envisions the position as a connector, working inside the city government and with groups all across Baltimore to advance digital equity for all.
Burns said that future capacity and resource needs will be a part of the work plan once the director is chosen.
“With many of our families not having the proper access to technology for remote working, virtual learning and telehealth, we must continue to be laser-focused on the creation of resources that will help ensure that everyone has access to the 21st century technology they need to be successful,” Scott said.
The city is moving forward with the next steps, which include securing seed funding, the first official equity funding stage.
“The Baltimore Civic Fund is thrilled to support the hiring of the city’s first director of broadband and digital equity,” said HyeSook Chung, the president of the civic fund. “We know that digital access is critical in today’s world for work, education, telehealth and more — and yet more than 60,000 of our neighbors still do not have internet access.”
Several other cities such as Detroit and Seattle have introduced plans to help close the digital equality gap and bring high-speed internet to all city residents.
Burns said that the public can expect an announcement from Scott in the coming month on a candidate for the position.
Once selected, the director will be a member of the mayor’s executive team and will report to City Administrator Christopher Shorter.
“This position was a part of the mayor’s priorities in his 100 Days of Action tracker,” Burns said.