Councilman Sam Moxley said Tuesday he is getting closer to a decision about his political future.
“I’m seriously considering running for clerk of the court,” Moxley said after a council work session.
Moxley has expressed an interest in the position before. Last June he said he was considering running for the office that has been held by Suzanne Mensh since 1986. (more…)
Think you know a lot about county government, the council and the County Charter?
Well, strap on your thinking caps and try this pop quiz.
The 60-question quiz comes courtesy of Debbie Patchak, the council administrator.
A couple of rules, though.
First, no asking others for the answers. Second, no looking it up on the Internet or anywhere else. Play fair.
I’ll post the answers on Friday.
A bill that some say offered a more comprehensive approach to reforming pensions for County Council members would have been legal under federal retirement law, according to a five-page memo prepared by the county Office of Law.
The issue of legality came up last week after the council passed a 60 percent pension cap for any freshman councilman who takes office this December. The council voted that same night to kill a more restrictive bill sponsored by Councilman Joseph Bartenfelder. (more…)
Check out this story on WBAL.com for my discussion with Robert Lang about the $1.1 million in cash on hand raised by Councilman Kevin Kamenetz.
Republican Del. Pat McDonough said after Wednesday’s opening General Assembly session that he’s no longer considering a run for governor and is setting his sights again on running for Baltimore County executive in 2010.
Earlier this year, McDonough said he was considering a run for county executive only to change course a few months later and announce was testing the gubernatorial waters. The caveat was that he wouldn’t run if Republican former Gov. Robert Ehrlich sought a rematch with Democrat Gov. Martin O’Malley.
“I believe (Ehrlich) is running, that’s my opinion,” McDonough said in an interview. “I see a lot more activity, a lot more enthusiasm and a lot more commitments for fundraising. I see the intensity is there.” (more…)
Today’s debate over two bills that would reform pensions for members of the County Council might be the first skirmish of the campaign season between two men thought to be the top contenders for county executive in 2010.
Councilman Kevin Kamenetz in November proposed capping pensions for councilmen at 60 percent for freshman council members elected in 2010. The proposal sounded strangely like an idea Councilman Joseph Bartenfelder said he raised but never filed a bill on nearly a decade ago but could find no supporters.
So in December, Bartenfelder struck back and offered his own bill with language that would not only cap pensions at 60 percent but would also tighten the pension rules that allow so-called double-dipping pensions when council members run for county executive. The bill also seeks to change the age at which retiring members can collect their pensions. (more…)
Add 2nd District County Council candidate Vicki Almond to the list of candidates interviewed by Michael Paul Smith, the son of County Executive Jim Smith, and David Gildea, a former law clerk to Smith during his time as a Circuit Court Judge.
Almond said she interviewed with Smith and Gildea in October. The pair, who each has a land-use practice, are throwing high-priced fundraisers for select candidates in open council districts in the 2010 election.
Almond said the meeting, which took place in Gildea’s Towson law office, covered a wide range of subjects, such as public safety, education and development. The meeting sounded much like a conversation Towson Democrat Mike Ertel said he had with Smith and Gildea around the same time last year.
I asked Almond, a self-described “community person,” if she had concerns about attorneys with land-use practices putting together a slate of candidates who could be friendly to development interests if elected. (more…)
There wasn’t much to vote on during the County Council meeting Monday night, but Councilman John Olszewski Sr. did find one item on which he felt the need to abstain.
At issue was a contract for on-call snow removal services with Crusse Construction.
Contracts with independent companies for such services are not uncommon. The county has 32 other contractors that augment the county’s snow removal efforts at a rate of $110 to $160 per hour.
This year the county has budgeted $6 million for storm-emergency cleanup, plus an additional $1 million for on-call contractors.
So far, for three storms this winter, the county has spent $4.5 million, including $1 million for payments to snow-removal contractors.
Olszewski said after the meeting he abstained because he was concerned about a “possible conflict of interest.”
Olszewski said Crusse Construction is owned by his wife’s stepbrother.
“I’m not even sure I had to abstain, but I just thought it was best to play it safe,” Olszewski said.
Last month I wrote about Councilman Bryan McIntire and his decision to start saluting the flag during the Pledge of Allegiance that opens each County Council legislative session.
McIntire said he was following recently passed law that allowed retired and active duty soldiers who are not in uniform to salute the flag during the national anthem and the pledge. I wanted to know more about the change but was unable to find additional information, and a spokesman for the Maryland National Guard also had some difficulty.
I received e-mails from several readers, who also asked for additional information.
Enter Eric Schaffer, an attorney in Frederick County.
Schaffer e-mailed links to two Web sites, including one to a press release issued in 2008 by the Department of Veterans Affairs and another from a group that monitors issues related to the flag. The sites explain the change and provide reference to the specific federal law.
Think this is what Al Gore had in mind when he invented the Internet?
As expected, Councilman John Olszewski Sr. will be named the next council chairman. This photo was taken tonight inside the council chambers about 30 minutes before the council was set to meet and vote. (click to enlarge)