Maryland
Gay candidate wins election as mayor of Forest Heights, Md.
Troy Barrington Lilly to be sworn in on June 21
Troy Barrington Lilly, a gay member of the Council of the Town of Forest Heights, Md., who became acting mayor on May 1 after the previous mayor resigned, won a special election on June 20 as the town’s mayor.
Sherletta Hawkins, the Forest Heights Town Clerk, told the Washington Blade there were a total of 147 votes cast in the special election. She said Lilly received 138 votes and the only other candidate, Remia Hamilton, received nine votes.
Forest Heights is located in Prince George’s County along the Potomac River next to the National Harbor, with part of the town bordering Southeast D.C.
Lilly had been serving as a Ward 1 Council member since October 2021 and was named by fellow Council members as president of the Council earlier this year. Under town election rules, Lilly, in his role as Council president, became acting mayor on May 1 when the town’s previous mayor, Calvin Washington, resigned, according to Hawkins.
Lilly was scheduled to be sworn in as mayor at a Town Hall ceremony at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 21.
His LinkedIn page says Lilly has worked as a professional photographer for the past 13 years. A write-up on his background on the Forest Heights website says in recent years he has served as a U.S. Department of Defense contractor doing photography work “covering engagements between senior U.S. military officials and foreign dignitaries.”
Lilly’s LinkedIn page says he currently works as a software engineering associate for a consulting firm that does contract work with federal government agencies.
At the time he announced his candidacy in the special election for mayor, Lilly released a statement expressing his ideas and plans if elected mayor.
“For the past two years, I’ve crafted legislation and built relationships for residents as a Councilmember and Council president,” he said. He added that if elected mayor he would pursue a five-point plan that includes upgrading infrastructure, digital transformation, youth and community engagement, beautification, economic development, and planning for the future.
Lilly joins the ranks of at least four other openly gay or lesbian mayors in Maryland towns. They include Jeffrey Slavin of Somerset, located just outside D.C.; Stacy Link of Sykesville; Mona Becker of Westminster; and Nathan Brown of Brunswick.
Maryland
Layoffs and confusion at Pride Center of Maryland after federal grants cut, reinstated
Trump administration move panicked addiction and mental health programs
By ALISSA ZHU | After learning it had abruptly lost $2 million in federal funding, the Pride Center of Maryland moved to lay off a dozen employees, or about a third of its workforce, the Baltimore nonprofit’s leader said Thursday.
The group is one of thousands nationwide that reportedly received letters late Tuesday from the Trump administration. Their mental health and addiction grants had been terminated, effective immediately, the letters said.
By Wednesday night, federal officials moved to reverse the funding cuts by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, estimated to total $2 billion, according to national media reports. But the Pride Center of Maryland’s CEO Cleo Manago said as of Thursday morning he had not heard anything from the federal government confirming those reports.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
Maryland
Steny Hoyer, the longest-serving House Democrat, to retire from Congress
Md. congressman served for years in party leadership
By ASSOCIATED PRESS and LISA MASCARO | Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the longest-serving Democrat in Congress and once a rival to become House speaker, will announce Thursday he is set to retire at the end of his term.
Hoyer, who served for years in party leadership and helped steer Democrats through some of their most significant legislative victories, is set to deliver a House floor speech about his decision, according to a person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it.
“Tune in,” Hoyer said on social media. He confirmed his retirement plans in an interview with the Washington Post.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
Maryland
Joseline Peña-Melnyk elected Md. House speaker
Family immigrated to New York City from the Dominican Republic
By PAMELA WOOD | Moments after being elected speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates Tuesday, state Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk stood before the chamber and contemplated her unlikely journey to that moment.
Born in the Dominican Republic, the Peña family lived in a small wooden house with a leaky tin roof and no indoor plumbing. Some days, she said, there was no food to eat.
When she was 8 years old, the family immigrated to New York City, where Peña-Melnyk was dubbed “abogadito” or “little lawyer” for helping her mother and others by translating at social services offices.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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