Councilman Izzy Patoka was unanimously elected chairman of the Baltimore County Council at its January 2 meeting.

Councilman Israel “Izzy” Patoka will serve as chair of the Baltimore County Council for the 2024 calendar year. Six members of the Council (one was not present) voted unanimously for Patoka to succeed the outgoing chair, Julian Jones, at a January 2 meeting.

The Baltimore County Council chairmanship is a one-year position and is typically rotated among members of the majority party, currently Democrats. It is Patoka’s first time serving as chair. He has served on the Council since 2018 as the 2nd District Council representative. Patoka’s district borders northwest Baltimore City and includes the communities of Pikesville, Owings Mills, and Reisterstown. His election marks the first new Council Chair in three years.

Patoka formerly was a professional community planner — that experience is coloring his agenda as Council Chair:

A former community planner, Patoka, said his priorities for the new year were the 2030 Master Plan, the 2024 Comprehensive Zoning Map Process, addressing legislation to improve public facilities capacity, revisiting impact fees legislation, and the fiscal year 2025 budget.

Read more about Patoka’s election to Chair of the Baltimore County Council.