By Deborah Bailey
AFRO Contributing Editor
Tara H. Jackson is now acting executive for Prince George’s County. Jackson was promoted to the post by mandate of the county’s charter after the Dec. 2 resignation of former County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, who was elected to the U.S. Senate.
Jackson met with the public and media on Dec. 4 to lay out the agenda for immediate issues the county must face in the days ahead.
“I believe I’m here to maintain the stability of the government and help us transition smoothly,” said the former chief executive officer for Prince George’s County.
She quickly made it clear she would not seek the permanent position but would connect immediately with the Prince George’s Council to pass the budget. This will be the second year in a row that the county will face a budget shortfall.
“We are certainly in challenging economic times. We are facing a deficit of $150 million for fiscal year 2026. I’ve taken that responsibility seriously and will continue to do so,” Jackson said.
Jolene Ivy, current chair of the Prince George’s County Council, welcomes Jackson and looks forward to collaborating on the budget.
“Tara Jackson has been an integral part of the County’s government and has led previous budget deliberations. We are in great hands with her at the head of our county’s budget deliberations,” Ivey said.
Jackson also faces a threat from the incoming Trump administration over the decision to move the FBI headquarters to Greenbelt. The new FBI headquarters, announced by the General Services Administration (GSA) in November 2023, will bring up to 7,500 jobs to Prince George’s County.
“I’m looking forward to the FBI building coming to Greenbelt and we are going to continue to prepare for that,” she stated.
President-Elect Trump posted on his Truth Media site his intention for the new FBI building to be located in downtown D.C. near the White House. Another concern is the continuing investigation by the GSA into the decision to relocate the FBI headquarters to Greenbelt. Members of the Virginia congressional delegation wrote a letter to GSA protesting the selection of the Greenbelt site, after which, the GSA launched an investigation into the process.
And if Jackson’s plate was not already overflowing on day one, she is on speed dial to participate in negotiations with the Washington Commanders to remain in Prince George’s County. The Commanders are in the midst of entertaining an offer to move back to their old home at RFK Stadium in the District at the invitation of Mayor Muriel Bowser. Maryland Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen along with Prince George’s County leaders met on Dec. 2 with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodall and Josh Harris, lead owner of the football team.
“I want the team to stay,” said Jackson. “We have the better site. We can provide more opportunities to develop that site.”
She insisted that whatever the team’s final decision, the community surrounding the stadium is still on track for development and improvements.
The Commanders’ decision on a final location is on hold. RFK Stadium is located on federal property, so Congress must first pass legislation giving D.C. control of the land. The D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act has passed the House of Representatives and is working its way through the U.S. Senate.
The Prince George’s County Council met in special session Sept. 10 to set election dates for a permanent county executive. The special primary election will be Tuesday, March 4, 2025, and the special general election will be Tuesday, May 27, 2025. The special election will be conducted by mail with drop boxes made available for voters. District 5 voters will vote for a Council representative and county executive on the same ballot.
Certification of candidacy for participation in the special election must be filed with the Board of Elections by Dec. 20.
With her eyes firmly fixed on the wide range of transformative decisions for the county that can’t wait until a permanent election is held this coming spring, Jackson vowed to “keep the trains running,” and pledged to do whatever it takes to keep Prince George’s County on track.
“I want to handle this transition well,” said the 20-year public servant and native of Prince George’s County. “The people deserve it.”
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