About Bill Henry

Bill Henry has worked his whole life to make Baltimore a better place. For the last 12 years, Bill has served as the City Councilmember for Baltimore’s 4th District, where he’s been a consistent independent voice. Now, Bill is running for Baltimore City Comptroller, where he’ll be able to make Baltimore City government work better for all of us.

Speaking Up for the Community

Bill started volunteering for campaigns and causes at an early age. Before being elected to the City Council, he honed his skills as an advocate for communities in his role with Patterson Park Community Development Corporation (CDC), as board president of both the Citizens Planning and Housing Administration (CPHA) and the Greater Homewood Corporation (now Strong City Baltimore), where he helped lead revitalization efforts for the York-Greenmount corridor.

In these roles Bill proved that he was an independent thinker and a fair dealer, able to take on and solve the challenges kinds of intractable challenges Baltimore’s communities face. He also learned that when it comes to meeting our challenges, our communities have the answers, and great leaders and policymakers get things done through partnership and empowering others to take action.

A Qualified Expert in Urban Policy

He is a graduate of both the Johns Hopkins University, where he concentrated in urban studies and public policy, and Loyola University Maryland, where he earned an MBA with a concentration in finance.

While still a student at Johns Hopkins, Bill interned for Mayor Kurt Schmoke and worked as a congressional aide to Ben Cardin. He then served for several years in the Council President’s office, working his way up from legislative aide under Mary Pat Clarke to chief of staff under Lawrence Bell. Along the way, Bill developed the truly independent, accountable, and collaborative approach to making policy that he’s known for today.

Challenging the Status Quo

Bill ran for City Council in 2007 on a promise to be a full-time City Councilman, tirelessly advocating on behalf of his District. As Councilman, Bill became a staunch critic of the City budget, advocating for smarter spending and a realignment of City spending away from policing to education, recreation and youth support. In 2012, in the face of strong headwinds,  Bill introduced a package of major government reform bills that began a conversation we are still having today about structural change in City government. Bill currently serves on the Biennial Audits Oversight Commission (the City’s auditing reform commission), and the Budget & Appropriations, Housing & Urban Affairs, Health and Labor committees.

He’s represented the City Council on the Commission for Historical & Architectural Preservation and was the City’s first African-American representative on the City’s Planning Commission. He’s also served previously as the chair of the City Council’s Housing & Community Development committee, and as Vice-Chair of both the Taxation, Finance, & Economic Development and the Education & Youth committees. Bill is also a past board member of Local Progress, a national organization for progressive municipal officials.

Devoted to Family, Community, and Baltimore

A lifelong resident of Baltimore, Bill lives in Radnor-Winston with his wife Ruth and their two daughters, Claudia and Amelia. Bill attended St. Mary’s Parish School in Govans, and graduated from the Honors program at Loyola-Blakefield High School. Baltimore is where he grew up and where he has devoted his career of public service, advocacy, and volunteerism.

A past board member of the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Johns Hopkins Society of Black Alumni, the Radnor-Winston Improvement Association, and the Mobtown Players theater company, Bill currently serves on the board of the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company and on Notre Dame of Maryland University’s Business & Economics Departmental Advisory Board. As a longtime advocate for strengthening the York-Greenmount corridor, he co-chaired the Greenmount Avenue Revitalization Task Force while at Greater Homewood Corporation and has been a member of the leadership committee for the York Road Partnership.

Bill loves Baltimore and wants to see it thrive. As Baltimore City Comptroller, he’ll work tirelessly for this City.