Maryland Politics - Johnson seeks to oust head of Prince George's planning board

Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson is trying to get rid of Samuel J. Parker, Jr. (right), the man he appointed to lead the county Planning Board, according to Parker and several county sources familiar with the matter.

Johnson wants to replace Parker, who has served since 2005, with Johnson's Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, David Byrd. If Byrd is confirmed for the four-year term, it will prevent the next county executive from choosing his or her own planning chairman for several years.

With a role in approving much of the county's development, the planning board chairman is one of the most powerful appointments a county executive can make. It is unusual for a lame duck executive to seek to remove a chairman of the Planning Board -- especially one he selected.