When Appointments Replace the People

By Euniesha Davis

I believe in government—not as a club for insiders, but as a trust held on behalf of the people. That trust is now being tested by consecutive appointments to the Prince George’s County Council and that should worry all of us.

Across our County, more and more power is being handed out by cozy interest through appointments instead of elections. Those of us who have been around long enough recognize the pattern that’s gotten us here.

Local observers will recall April 2022, when with justifiable cause, District 6 residents demanded that no appointee be confirmed to the seat without promising to forgo their advantage of incumbency. This outcry ultimately barred the appointed Council Member Johnathan Medlock from seeking a full term to fill the seat during the 2024 election cycle.

Unfortunately, a similar public imposition of checks and balances is absent in today’s discourse.

Recently, the winner of that 2024 election, Council Member Wala Blegay, was appointed to serve out the remaining term of outgoing Council Member At-Large Calvin Hawkins. In turn, members of the County Council chose to appoint a close friend of the County Executive’s to complete the District 6 term abandoned by Council Member Blegay.

No part of these processes involved discussions of incumbent advantage or unfair insider connections. Standards have shifted. 

Even more troubling are the allegations coming from inside the government itself. Employees have raised concerns about self-dealing and financial decisions that appear to benefit friends and family members of those in power, while everyday residents pay the price. These are not just rumors on social media. They are serious claims that deserve daylight, scrutiny, and accountability.

You do not need to be a lawyer or a policy expert to understand this: when the government acts in secret, trust disappears.

Supporters of the current system will say, “This is how it’s always been done,” or “Everything is technically legal.” That misses the point. Democracy is not just about what you can get away with. It is about legitimacy. It is about consent. It is about whether people believe their voices still matter.

Right now, too many residents feel like decisions are being made for them, not with them.

I am not calling for chaos. I am calling for something much simpler—and much harder for those in power to accept: transparency, restraint, and respect for voters.

Public office is not an inheritance. It is not a favor to be traded among friends. It is a responsibility loaned by the people. This County belongs to its residents—not to a small circle of insiders. If our leaders forget that, it is our duty to remind them.