New Carrollton Voters Decide Between Council Manager and Strong Mayor Systems

New Carrollton residents will choose between two distinct models of city government on Nov. 9.

The contest pits former Mayor Katrina Dodro against City Council member Briana Urbina in a special election to fill the vacancy left by Phelecia Nembhard's removal. On Sept. 9, the City Council voted 4-1 to oust Nembhard following allegations that she violated a hiring freeze. Nembhard denies the claims and is urging supporters to write her name on ballots, though elections board chair Charles Davis stated those votes will not count because her candidate package was rejected after her removal.

Dodro, who served on the council for 14 years before becoming mayor in 2023, argues the city requires stability. She said she inherited a government lacking a chief of police, a public works head, and an assistant city administrator. Her administration hired a grants writer and created a manual to track staff responsibilities. Dodro plans to meet with human resources, the comptroller, and department heads immediately upon winning to address vacancies and finances. She cautioned against major structural changes during her short term, stating, "You can't say I'm going to come in and I'm going to change this out right now when you're in the middle of chaos."

Urbina, a council member since 2021, proposes a fundamental shift away from the strong-mayor system. She supports a council-manager model where a professional staff oversees daily operations while elected officials share policy responsibility. Urbina believes this structure will ensure consistency in services like trash pickup and snow removal regardless of who holds office. "I'm very confident that less power for the mayor equals more power for the people," she said. A charter review commission is currently studying governing structures used by other municipalities, and Urbina is awaiting its recommendations.

Both candidates agree the city needs more revenue to fund services. Dodro noted that costs for asphalt, concrete, and labor have risen sharply and said the city must reconsider its tax structure. Urbina proposes raising taxes on commercial properties to attract specific retail businesses, including grocery stores, gyms, and sit-down restaurants. "What we are going to try to aim to do through creative tax policy is reward these commercial developers when they provide the kind of retail that our residents want," Urbina said.

The city faces an indefinite hiring freeze that began on Oct. 22, stemming from council concerns over hiring processes and salaries. Key positions, including the county clerk and city manager, remain vacant. The winner of the Nov. 9 special election will serve until the regular mayoral election in May 2027. Both Dodro and Urbina stated they plan to run again in 2027.

Voting is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 9 for the approximately 13,600 residents of New Carrollton.