Anne Arundel County Executive-elect John R. Leopold announced yesterday that he is replacing Fire Chief Ronald D. Blackwell with David L. Stokes Jr., a 27-year department veteran who was promoted to deputy chief last summer.
Blackwell, picked by Democratic County Executive Janet S. Owens in 2004 to be the county's first black fire chief, said Leopold told him in a brief phone conversation Monday that he was being replaced. Blackwell described it as a "one-way discussion."
Blackwell is credited with expanding paramedic service and hiring more women and minorities, but he has drawn criticism for failing to rein in the department's overtime spending and being unable to keep his ranks filled.
Leopold, a Republican who has been described by members of his own party as a loner in the House of Delegates, is apparently keeping his own counsel on key appointments and has left several department heads in the dark about their futures.
In the news release announcing Stokes' promotion, Leopold did not refer to Blackwell.
Reached by phone yesterday, Leopold said of replacing Blackwell: "In putting together a new government, I am trying to weigh the experience as well as other factors, including respect among the career firefighters as well as the volunteers."
Leopold also noted that Stokes, 49, "has a wealth of experience."
"He's viewed as a calming influence who is familiar with a bunch of disciplines, including budgeting," Leopold said. "I am looking for a keen administrator to address the overtime problems as we search for efficiencies in that department and others."
Stokes could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Last week, Leopold revealed his first wave of 19 key appointments. He named Dennis Callahan, a Democrat and former Annapolis mayor and county parks director, as his chief of staff; promoted Deputy Police Chief James Teare Sr. to replace the retiring chief of police; and retained some Owens appointees while accepting the resignations of others, such as civil rights activist Carl O. Snowden.
About 45 government jobs are filled by the county executive.
Stokes, who steps into the job Dec. 4, will oversee more than 1,300 uniformed and volunteer firefighters. A Lothian resident, Stokes currently runs the logistics bureau, overseeing the 911 fire center, other communications systems and vehicle maintenance. He served for six years as a volunteer with the Eastport and West Annapolis volunteer departments.
