User:Y2hyaXM/sandbox/Izzy Patoka

Israel C. Patoka (born September 26, 1957) is an American politician who has served as a member of the Baltimore County Council representing its second district since 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, Patoka served as the chair of the Baltimore County Council since 2024.

Background
Patoka was born on September 26, 1957, to father Wolf Patoka and mother Rose Patoka ( Prager). His parents emigrated to the United States from Europe to escape the Holocaust. During his childhood, Patoka helped his parents by translating official documents from English. He graduated from Towson University, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in 1979 and his Master of Arts degree in 1981.

Early career
After graduating from Towson, Patoka worked as a community planner for the Baltimore City Department of Planning until 1996, afterwards working as the deputy director of the Baltimore County Department of Planning until 2001. From 2001 to 2007, he served as the director of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods under Baltimore mayor Martin O'Malley. After O'Malley was elected governor of Maryland in 2006, Patoka served on his transition team and later served in various positions within O'Malley's administration, including as the executive director of the Governor's Office of Community Initiatives and as a liaison to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. After O'Malley left office in 2015, Patoka worked as the director of community development at LifeBridge Health until his election to the Baltimore County Council in 2018.

Baltimore County Council
Patoka ran for the Baltimore City Council in 2018, seeking to succeed outgoing councilmember Vicki Almond. He was endorsed by former governor Martin O'Malley. He won the Democratic primary in June 2018 with 56.5 percent of the vote, and defeated Republican Michael Lee in the general election with 71.8 percent of the vote. Patoka ran for a second term in 2022, during which he defeated former Baltimore County NAACP chair Tony Fugett in the Democratic primary with 73.6 percent of the vote, and defeated Republican James Amos in the general election with 81.3 percent of the vote.

Patoka was sworn in to the Baltimore County Council on December 3, 2018. In January 2024, the Baltimore County Council voted to elect Patoka as its chair.

Crime and policing
During his 2018 county council campaign, Patoka said he wanted the Baltimore County Police Department to work with the Baltimore Police Department to prevent crime. He participated in a Black Lives Matter protest in Towson, Maryland, following the murder of George Floyd in June 2020, and Patoka supported a bill to ban police chokeholds and neck restraints in September 2020.

Housing and development
During his 2018 county council campaign, Patoka said he wanted developers who want to build in the district to engage with communities to devise compromises. He supports revitalization efforts to Pikeville's downtown corridor. Following his election as county council president in 2024, Patoka said he supported the 2030 Master Plan, improving public facilities capacities, and revising the county's developer impact fees.

In November 2019, Patoka voted for the Baltimore County HOME Act, which banned landlords from discriminating against potential tenants based on their source of income.

In September 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Patoka introduced a bill to cap rent increases at 2.07 percent during and up to 180 days after the state's coronavirus state of emergency and would prohibit courts from ruling in landlords' favor for nonpayment of rent complaints unless landlords can prove they complied with the legislation.

In February 2024, Patoka introduced a bill to create mixed-used zoning areas, which would allow developers to build multiuse buildings in certain business or manufacturing areas. The bill was introduced after Patoka had reached an agreement with county executive Johnny Olszewski that led Olszewski to withdraw his bill that would allow the county executive to bypass county council approval for mixed-use developments, which Patoka supported. The bill passed and was signed into law by Olszewski in April 2024. In June 2024, Patoka introduced legislation to raise developer impact fees, which became law after the county council unanimously voted to override Olszewski's veto on it in July 2024.

In May 2024, Patoka introduced a bill that would block commercial and residential development in areas with overcrowded schools. The bill passed, but was vetoed by Olszewski in June 2024; the county council voted to override his veto in July 2024.

Environment
In January 2023, Patoka introduced the "Bring Your Own Bag Act", which banned plastic bags at large retailers and charged customers $0.05 per paper bag in checkout. The bill passed and was signed into law by county executive Johnny Olszewski in February 2023. In November 2023, he voted against a bill to exempt liquor stores from the plastic bag ban.

Ethics reform
The Baltimore Banner has described Patoka has a vocal supporter of Baltimore County Inspector General Kelly Madigan, having broke with his party by voting to confirm her as inspector general during his first term. In December 2023, Patoka opposed proposals by county council chair Julian Jones to weaken the Inspector General's office's subpoena power and establish an oversight board to oversee the office.

Social issues
In March 2021, Patoka voted against a bill to create a referendum subjecting members of the Baltimore County Council to a three-term limit.

During his 2022 county council campaign, Patoka said he supported expanding the Baltimore County Council up to eleven members. He introduced a bill to study expanding the county council in October 2023, which passed later that month and recommended expanding the county council to nine members in March 2024. In June 2024, Patoka introduced legislation creating a ballot referendum on expanding the county council from seven to nine members, which passed and will be voted on by voters in the 2024 general election.

Personal life
Patoka married his wife, Denise Watkins, on September 26, 1994. Together, they have one child and live in Pikesville, Maryland. He is Jewish and is a member of the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation.