Julie Giordano sworn in as first female Wicomico County Executive
WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. – Tuesday marks a change in leadership for Wicomico County. Julie Giordano was sworn in as the first female County Executive. It’s the first time Wicomico County voters have chosen their County Executive since the late Bob Culver’s election in 2018.
Sworn Into Office
On day one in office, Giordano tells 47 ABC first steps are already in place.
“I’m just very excited. It’s humbling. What an amazing experience,” said Giordano. “For these next couple of weeks, it’s going to be filling in positions, and kind of laying out that foundation as to what type of executive and administration we’re going to be.”
Giordano says figuring that out will have to come through building relationships with new and existing County Council members.
“I think the biggest thing is going to be forming those relationships. Right now, since it is four new council members coming in, they kind of did the campaign thing with me. So, I think that they’re ready and willing to bridge that gap,” said Giordano. “I’m going to have to rely on those Council members who are coming back; Councilman Cannon, Councilman Holloway, Councilman Hastings. Just making sure to keep those relationships.”
Council President John Cannon says they’re ready to welcome her aboard.
“I think the Council is excited about it. We’ve done a lot of good work over the last few years, and I’m very excited to see how we can continue those efforts forward, whether it’s education, public safety, roads, water and sewer,” said Cannon. “I think the key is going to be coordinating efforts, and making sure communication is open. I believe the Executive understands that, as well.”
Stepping Up to the Plate
Among those tasks, Giordano says she thinks tackling the county’s water and sewer plan might prove the most challenging.
“It’s such a massive task, especially without having a set Director of Public Works,” said Giordano. “We’re going to be looking at the format of that, if we’re going to be creating a new division, a new department, who’s going to be heading that up, who’s going to be looking at everything else.”
Giordano also adds that a more immediate priority is having a department head meeting to draw a map towards those goals. That meeting is planned for Thursday.
“They haven’t had one in eight months, so it will be good to get all the department heads together,” said Giordano. “We plan to schedule meetings with them individually to go over things that they’re in the middle of, plusses and deltas, things that they want to work on, and things that they need for their departments.”
On Friday, the newly-minted County Executive will host a legislative breakfast. There, Giordano hopes to express County needs to local, state, and federal leaders
“We have a really good group of people coming. So, it’s not just our delegation. We have people from Senator Van Hollen’s office, Senator Cardin’s office, Mayor Jake Day, the municipalities will be there,” said Giordano. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to let them know exactly what kind of legislation we want to put forward.”
Message to Wicomico County
Beyond that, Giordano says she’s ready to listen, learn, and prove to her new constituents that she’s ready to lead the county. As Giordano steps into office, she sends this message to Wicomico County:
“Thank you for everything. Thank you for supporting me. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you,” said Giordano. “And, for those of you who maybe didn’t support me, I want to apologize because I didn’t earn their vote. I’m hoping that over these next four years I’m able to prove to them that I was the right person for the job, and hopefully I can earn their trust.”
