Cambridge Mayor Discusses Veto

(CAMBRIDGE, Md) – The City of Cambridge’s hotly contested Ordinance 1262 is going back to the drawing board following a veto from Mayor Lajan Cephas.

An ordinance that would have dealt with registering vacant commercial spaces in the city.

Mayor Cephas tells us, “But it’s about trying to gain notice of who our vacant properties are, where they are, identify them. So that we could encourage them to activate these spaces instead of just having vacant storefronts throughout the city of Cambridge.”

Community groups, like the Cambridge Association of Neighborhoods spoke up about the need for an ordinance like this to help with further revitalization efforts.

“We need to get the downtown vibrant again. There’s so many stores down there that are boarded up and not been used, and some of them are quite large,” says Cambridge Association of Neighborhoods, Chuck McFadden.

Mayor Cephas told us there are a number of reasons as to why she vetoed the ordinance.

She tells WMDT, “You know, I had concerns of if there was a mix property, would they have to register for both ordinances? And, it’s clear that there’s a strong probability based off the wording, that they would have to register for both and probably could be penalized.”

The ordinance now goes back to City Council members for discussion following the veto, with the goal of bringing it up at a later City Council meeting.