BALTIMORE, MD (Monday, December 7, 2020) — On the eve of his inauguration, Baltimore Mayor-Elect Brandon M. Scott is announcing two people who will serve in top posts in the Mayor’s Office: Christopher J. Shorter, who will be nominated for the role of City Administrator, and Michael Huber, who will be Chief of Staff.
“Hiring Baltimore’s first chief administrative officer has been one of my top priorities, and I look forward to working closely with Mr. Shorter to focus on how we effectively, reliably, and equitably deliver services to all of our residents,” said Mayor-Elect Scott. “My City Administrator, Chief of Staff and I will work closely together to fix what’s broken in city government and restore the public’s trust.”
Shorter will become Baltimore’s first-ever Chief Administrative Officer.
Christopher J. Shorter currently serves as Assistant City Manager for the City of Austin, and oversees a portfolio of departments that support Health, Environment, Culture and Lifelong Learning. Shorter has played a pivotal role in the City’s COVID-19 response and issues around homelessness and support for vulnerable populations. Previously, Shorter served as Director of the DC Department of Public Works, where he oversaw the expansion of the District’s environmental sustainability portfolio and led the introduction of advanced technology to transform DPW’s operations.
Shorter also served as the Director of Agency Operations in the Office of the City Administrator within the District and provided direct oversight of the offices of Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining, Performance Management and Agency Operations. He also served as Chief Operating Officer for the DC Department of Health. He received a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public & International Affairs and a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University in Tallahassee, Florida.
Michael Huber currently serves as the Chief of Staff in the Office of the City Council President. He previously served as Director of Legislative Affairs and Director of Business and Economic Development in the Council President's Office. He earned his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law in 2011 and was sworn into the Maryland State Bar later that year. He is a graduate of Knox College.
In 2019, then-Councilmember Scott introduced a charter amendment that requires Mayors to appoint a professionally-trained and experienced Chief Administrative Officer, also known as a City Administrator, to ensure the day-to-day operations of city government are efficient, effective and reliable. The charter amendment appeared on the November ballot and was overwhelmingly supported by the voters.
The positions of City Administrator and Deputy City Administrator will be generated from existing Mayor’s Office resources, and will not require additional positions or an increase in the Mayor’s Office budget.
Most jurisdictions in Maryland already have charter-mandated City Administrators, understood as a best practice in local governance nationwide.
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Headshot of Christopher J. Shorter
