Wilmington City Council seeks to hire former Mayor James Baker
April 7, 2022
Wilmington City Council is seeking professional consulting services with former Mayor James Baker, and a contract is in the process of being drafted and signed.
In August of 1966, Baker arrived in Wilmington as a Volunteer In Service To America (VISTA) volunteer from Fostoria, Ohio. He sought to guide and build a prosperous and ecologically sustainable city through the 1960s and 1970s, and in 1972 he was elected to Wilmington City Council as a district councilman.
In 1984, Baker became the first African American City Council President, where at that time he led newly elected council members in understanding their roles as council members with the approach of having both branches of government working together. In 2001, Baker was elected as Mayor and held the position for three, four-year terms, making him the longest-serving Council President and Mayor in Wilmington’s history.
“I’m looking forward to former Mayor James Baker joining our team with his wealth of knowledge and experience,” said City Council President Ernest “Trippi” Congo. “He will help us become a more proactive Council by assisting all 13 Council members.”
Baker is eager to share his knowledge and experience with City Council Members in hopes that his insights will help the council as a whole. Over the course of the 12-month anticipated contract, Baker will be paid $40,020 to assist and provide guidance to Council’s initiatives related to, among other areas, legislative and policy development, strategic planning, cable franchising, land use development, condemnation, eminent domain, serving as a conduit with State and Federal Legislators on pertinent matters for Council, and fiscal budgetary matters.
“With the new set of Rules in the 108th session being drastically different from the City Council 107th Session and having the majority of new Council members, I believe bringing on former Mayor Jim Baker would be a win for both the legislative and executive branches with his historical knowledge and experience having served on both sides of government,” said 4th District Council Member Michelle Harlee. “I am looking forward to him joining our team and being more engaged with all of the 108th City Council members this time around!”
Baker’s consulting contract aligns with City Council’s fiscal year 2023 priorities, which focus partly on developing well-researched legislation that will enable Wilmington’s government to provide its residents, visitors, and businesses with the highest quality of public services, along with developing a strategic plan that outlines the priorities of the 108th Session of Council.
“City Council looks forward to the opportunity to tap the great wealth of knowledge that former Mayor Baker has,” said 7th District Council Member Chris Johnson.
For more information, and to sign up to receive information from City Council, visit www.wilmingtoncitycouncil.com
For media, inquiries contact Yesenia Taveras Director of Communications of Wilmington City Council; Office: (302)576-2585, Email: ytaveras@wilmingtonde.gov, City Council Website: www.wilmingtoncitycouncil.com