House of Delegates members offer legislative update

(Originally published in the East County Times, Vol. 20, No. 22 [March 5, 2015], pages 2 + 5)
- by Emily Blackner -

With the 2015 legislative session just over a third completed, the East County Times reached out to several local Delegates to find out what they have been able to achieve so far.

District 6

With all three of its delegates freshman, and all three Republicans for the first time in memory, the District 6 contingent had to “hit the ground running,” according to Del. Ric Metzgar.

He is the primary sponsor of three bills and co-sponsor of dozens of others. Among them is a proposal for a toll plan for the Francis Scott Key Bridge, calling for commuters to be able to pay a flat $20 for a two-axle vehicle to make unlimited trips over the bridge.

“It’s exactly the same toll plan as they have at the Hatem Bridge in Harford and Cecil counties,” he explained. “I feel our residents deserve the same benefits. We want to save them money however we can.”

Metzgar is also the driving force behind the Welcome Home, Stay at Home Act, HB0644. The bill calls for a property tax credit of 20 percent to be granted by counties, cities and other municipalities to seniors over 65 who have lived in their home for 40 years, retired military personnel and people who lived in Maryland within the last ten years, then left the state and have now returned.

“We want to bring people back home where they belong and have them spend their money here,” Metzgar declared.

The credit would be granted for five years as the legislation is currently written, but Metzgar hopes that the committee will amend the proposal to extend that time frame. The process began on Feb. 25 when the bill had its first reading.

Metzgar noted that he had bipartisan support for all of the bills he submitted. He also said he feels there is bipartisan support and momentum for a repeal of the stormwater management fee, known as the “rain tax,” which was a campaign promise for many of the Republicans elected last November.

Robin Grammer, Metzgar’s colleague, is also advocating for a “rain tax” repeal. His other main focus this session is on gun rights; specifically, he has a bill in that would repeal parts of SB231 of 2013, Gov. O’Malley’s gun control bill.

“That bill basically criminalized the ownership and sale of certain firearms in this state,” Grammer explained. “It’s a big issue we ran on; I am very much in favor of gun rights and a lot of people here are, too.”

The bill has been titled the Firearm Decriminalization Act of 2015.

Grammer is also the primary sponsor of the Junior Advancement via Association Act, which is a complicated name for a relatively simple problem: the closure of the student-run coffee shop at Patapsco High School last year. Grammer explained that federal laws prohibited the sale of caffeinated beverages but that the coffee house was a valuable way for the students, many of them with special needs, to gain work and social skills. The bill would apply to any similar program at any Maryland school, not just Patapsco.

“It’s like a one sentence bill, but just that required about 10 to 15 manhours,” he revealed. “We had to consult with the Attorney General’s office and just do a lot of legwork. There’s a lot of work that goes on in the background that people don’t see.”

In spite of the demanding nature of the job, Grammer is enjoying it and looking forward to casting votes as that process ramps up.

“This year will be primarily consumed by budget, taxes and jobs,” he explained. “We’ve gotta be realistic about what we’re gonna be able to do down here, so we wanted to keep it relatively simple for the first year.”

District 8

As one of only a few veteran legislators to make it through the election, and the only remaining Democrat from eastern Baltimore County on the House side, Eric Bromwell is finding the biggest adjustments to be working with other members of his own party.

“It hasn’t really changed anything about the way I work,” he explained. “District 8 has always been a split district. But the biggest challenge, unfortunately, is that a lot of the Democrats who lost are from moderate areas, like me. So I went from having a group of people to count on to stick up for a more moderate approach to taxes and fees to losing some of that with the more tax-and-spend people here.”

He is instead working to build coalitions with Republicans in the chamber, mindful of some of the Republicans who served as mentors to him when he was just starting out in Annapolis. “I am very supportive of all my colleagues and try to be helpful to them. It helps get work done, but I also think it’s important that people have someone to go to to help slow it down a bit when things get hectic.”

On the policy side, Bromwell has sponsored 12 bills and co-sponsored many others. A few of these bills attempt to address the growing heroin epidemic in the state, calling for a Opioid Use Disorder Consortium and an overdose response program.

There is also HB0898, which is a follow-up to legislation passed last year to allow first responders to carry naloxene, a medication that can reverse a heroin or other opioid overdose.

“That bill, which I put in with the help of the state police, would give [additional] legal protection to police officers carrying the naloxene. The police didn’t feel the protection was enough,” he said.

Bromwell is also the primary sponsor on a measure to allow slots at BWI airport. He has introduced this measure before, he said, but it fell short of passage.

“I don’t know if the new administration will be opposed,” Bromwell said. “The new governor might recognize that he has a new form of revenue in front of him.”

The slots would be located inside the terminal itself, “so you couldn’t drive to the airport just to play them,” Bromwell noted. “It’s designed to capture money from people flying into and out of Baltimore.” The funds would be used to replenish the Transportation Trust Fund.

Maryland law means that even if the bill passes both chambers, it would still go before the voters as a referendum. Bromwell said he has this session and the next to get it passed in time for the 2016 ballot. “I’m very, very confident that the voters would uphold this,” he declared.

While Bromwell has focused on heroin crisis, fellow District 8 delegate Christian Miele has been studying another issue in the news: redistricting reform. He has submitted a bill to address the flaws in Maryland’s current system, which results in highly gerrymandered districts.

“I call it a good government plan because I don’t think there should be partisanship or gamesmanship involved in popular representation,” he asserted.

Miele’s plan would call for districts to be drawn starting from the lower eastern shore and to be as compact and concise as possible, using natural boundaries like major roads, rivers and municipal lines to help form the district boundaries. It would also call for only two-member districts, because the current system means that citizens in three-member districts are, on paper at least, receiving closer representation because each member represents fewer citizens. The districts would be drawn by a committee featuring Democrats and Republicans from the House and Senate as well as registered voters affiliated with each party and those unaffiliated.

“We have a great opportunity in Maryland to be the national leader in showing that any partisan drawing of district lines is antithetical to democracy,” Miele declared.

However, he does not believe that his bill will advance, he admitted. “I think the governor is positioned to issue an executive order to create a commission to study this issue, and I think the legislature will give him the leeway to do that.

“I am hopeful to be appointed to that commission,” he added. “I’ve made it known around here that I would love to serve to at least bring all of my research to the table.”

Miele is also the primary sponsor of the Animal Shelter Standards Act of 2015, which is adapted from the CAPA ( Companion Animal Protection Act) model legislation specifically to meet Maryland’s needs.

“This is probably one I’m most proud of,” he admitted. “A lot of taxpayers assume that county shelters are more rescue-oriented, but that’s not the case.” Instead, county shelters, including Baltimore County’s, have very high euthanasia rates.

“This was an issue I began hearing about on the campaign trail when I was door-knocking,” he explained. “And then I found out it’s not just a Baltimore County issue, that concerns were raised in other jurisdictions as well. People want the shelters to do more to avoid euthanizing.”

The Animal Shelter Standards Act will receive its first hearing on March 4.

Crandell, Bevins prepare for council work session on ‘rain tax’ reduction proposal

(Originally published in the East County Times, Vol. 20, No. 21 [Feb. 26, 2015], pages 2 + 5)
- by Emily Blackner -

The Baltimore County Council devoted part of its Feb. 24 work session to a proposal, submitted by Council Chair Cathy Bevins (D-6) at the recommendation of County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, to amend the 2013 stormwater remediation fee schedule. The proposal calls for a reduction of about one-third in all fees imposed, but Councilman Todd Crandell (R-7) does not think this goes far enough.

“The one-third cut proposed is two-thirds short,” he declared.

His push for a full repeal of the fee, commonly referred to as the “rain tax,” included a statement and an amendment proposed at the work session. (Because the work session took place after this issue went to press, the East County Times’s complete coverage will appear in next week’s paper.)

“The fee as it is currently constructed unfairly targets employers in our district,” Crandell told the East County Times on Monday. “It reduces their ability to hire more people and to grow. We have the largest industrial redevelopment project in the nation going on in our district, and we don’t need anything to hinder that.”

The County Council passed the “rain tax” in 2013 after the Maryland General Assembly directed the ten largest jurisdictions in the state to impose a fee to pay for stormwater remediation projects designed to reduce pollution entering area waterways; specifically, the goal is to meet total maximum daily load (TMDLs) caps for designated pollutants.

As reported in the East County Times on Jan. 22, the proposal before the Council would reduce all of the “rain tax” fees by approximately a third, from $39 to $26 for single-family homes and for businesses, from $69 to $46 per 2,000 square feet of impervious surface. The adjustments came after a review of the stormwater projects the county needs to complete showed that a monetary savings of about $8 million dollars could be achieved by using various measures such as spreading out expensive projects and buying more durable equipment. The administration said it would pass the savings onto the taxpayers through reducing the amount each property owner paid. There is also a provision to assess mobile homes at the same rate as single-family homes, a measure Bevins strongly supports after concerns were raised among her constituents.

“Some of them were paying three times what a single family home[owner] would pay,” she said. Bevins also views the proposal as a way to make sure the county’s citizens save money even if Gov. Larry Hogan’s efforts to repeal the statewide law does not succeed.

“One-third doesn’t make everybody happy, but it is something,” she said. “Little by little we keep making these amendments.”

However, she questioned the feasibility of eliminating the fee entirely, given that the counties are required by federal law to fund these remediation projects.

“What people need to be reminded of is that as unpopular as the fee is with some people, it is a federal mandate,” she stated.

She did point out that counties on the lower Eastern Shore directly touch the Bay and contribute to its pollution load, but were not among the ten jurisdictions affected by the General Assembly law.

“I do wish there would’ve been more direction from the state as to how the counties do it,” she admitted. Crandell argues that the county has a budgetary surplus from its general fund, and that that money could be used to pay for the projects the fee is currently funding.

“The administration has been very fiscally responsible and should be commended for that,” he said. “So now we do have the ability to fund stormwater remediation projects through the general fund instead of as an additional fee.”

Crandell hopes to get some support from other Council members as the amendment process moves forward. Although he preferred to let other Council members speak for themselves, he did note that some of them had previously voted against the fee either in the Council or the General Assembly.

The Council will vote on the proposal and any amendments at its March 2 meeting.

Bevins, Kamenetz announce proposal for ‘rain tax’ reduction

(Originally published in the East County Times, Vol. 20, No.16 [Jan. 22, 2015], pages 2 + 7)
- by Emily Blackner -

On Jan. 16, County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and members of the County Council announced the development of a proposal to lower state-mandated stormwater remediation fees, commonly referred to as the “Rain Tax.”

“I’m just glad it’s finally happening,” said Council Chair Cathy Bevins (D-6). “We’ve been working hard to get some sort of reduction.”

She will introduce this legislation at the County Council’s Legislative Session on Feb. 2. After that, it will be debated at a work session on Feb. 24 and voted on at the March 2 legislative session.

The proposal reduces fees across the board by about a third. The fee for single-family homeowners would be $26 annually, down from $39 dollars, while those living in attached homes will see a drop from $21 to $14. Likewise, condominium fees would be lowered to $22 from the current $32. For businesses, the new rate would be $46 per 2,000 square feet of impervious surface as opposed to the current $69. For non-profits, the fee would be dropped from $20 to $14 per 2,000 square feet.

Another significant change is in the way the fee treats mobile home residents. Under the new proposal, they would be taxed at the same flat rate of $26 as residents of individual homes. Bevins said that this change was of particular importance to her.

“When we looked at different rates [initially], mobile home parks just weren’t thought of. The owners were taxed at the commercial rate and passed those costs onto residents, “ she explained. Residents of communities like Biscayne Bay were paying as much as $89 each, she revealed. “It’s so unfair because the land they sit on, they have no control over that.”

The proposal also calls for the elimination of fees pertaining to commercial swimming pools, which was something Councilman David Marks (R-5) spearheaded as a response to constituent complaints from the owners of local pools. Since the water from pools drains into a treated system, Marks said it seemed “strange” to tax pools.

“I voted against the 2013 stormwater fee legislation because I thought the county could absorb the cost without passing another tax,” he added. “I would prefer for there to be no tax at all, but I welcome any opportunity to provide cuts that provide relief for homeowners and businesses.”

The fee reduction proposal is the result of months of analysis by the County and the implementation of several cost-saving measures. The initial fee rate was set in order to bring in $34.4 million - the County-identified price tag for the various projects it needed to implement during Fiscal Year 2014 to comply with pollution reduction mandates. The fee has generated $24.4 million, which was supplemented with $10 million from the Metropolitan District fund to meet the goal.

However, based on this first year of implementation, the County was able to identify $8.1 million in savings through measures such as purchasing more durable, productive equipment; trying smaller fixes before more expensive ones and deferring big-budget projects for later years; and updating standards. These savings reduced the projected price tag and, therefore, the amount of money needed for Fiscal Year 2015, which begins July 1, and the savings are being passed onto the taxpayers.

Still, Kamenetz acknowledged that this proposal is not a perfect solution. In particular, he pointed to a 2025 compliance date as a major obstacle to further cost reductions. As a result of a mandate from the federal Environmental Protection Agency for Maryland to fully enforce the 1972 Clean Water Act, the state government agreed to comply with specific pollution reduction goals by 2025. It then passed the responsibility for funding the projects needed to meet that goal onto the ten largest jurisdictions in the state, of which Baltimore County is one. Kamenetz has spoken with incoming Governor Larry Hogan about this deadline and the way it forces the local jurisdictions to cram many, often expensive projects into a short time frame.

“I urge the incoming governor to negotiate an extension of the 2025 compliance date with the federal government in order to give local government some breathing room to achieve the required reduction in pollution levels. That would be an important step forward,” Kamenetz said in a statement. “Simply eliminating the mandate that we impose a fee does not solve the problem of the local counties who have been saddled with the clean-up responsibility as a result of the state’s entry of the federal consent decree.”

Kamenetz was alluding to the efforts of many in the state to repeal the “rain tax” bill altogether, arguing that a repeal of the state’s mandate does nothing about the federal one.

Del. Pat McDonough (R-7) has been spearheading a “Stop the Rain Tax” campaign from the beginning, and he believes his efforts have contributed to this reduction proposal. But he wants to see even more done.

“We eliminated the fee entirely in Harford County, which I also represent,” he noted. “So we are still going to work this summer to reduce the entire amount and have the [county] executive roll it into the budget. He’s already demonstrated with this latest reduction that we have the legal right to do that.”

McDonough also said that he introduced repeal bills at the state level last session, which did not pass, and will do so again this session. He also pointed out that Gov. Hogan plans to repeal the law.

Councilman Todd Crandell (R-7) also believes the proposal does not go far enough, claiming that the proposed reduction is too small to significantly benefit the families and businesses in his district. He also noted that the across-the-board reduction means that businesses are still burdened more heavily as the overall economy makes operations difficult enough.

“At a time when the largest industrial economic recovery and redevelopment project in the nation is taking place in our district [at the Sparrow’s Point property], we should ensure that it remains unhindered by onerous taxes,” he said in a statement. It also said that he, like McDonough, is exploring other, “more aggressive” ways to approach the fee.

Still, Bevins and Kamenetz are optimistic that the bill will receive much support and co-sponsorship when it is formally introduced next month.

“I’m really happy about it and I think the residents of Baltimore County are going to be thrilled,” Bevins declared.

Hogan, Republicans thank Dundalk for election victory

(Originally published in the East County Times, Volume 20, No. 7 [Nov. 20, 2014], pages 2 + 9)
- By Emily Blackner -

Governor-elect Larry Hogan drew a crowd so large it spilled out of the doors and parking lots of the Boulevard Diner in Dundalk when he made a stop at the eatery as part of his state-wide victory tour. Hogan's victory was just one part of the Republican wave that swept legislative districts 6 and 7, giving the GOP dominance on the east side of Baltimore County.

"I knew we were gonna win the election on July 4th at the Dundalk parade," Hogan told a supporter at the event. "I knew we were gonna need that kind of enthusiasm, and we got it. I felt the energy."

Well-wishers came from as far away as the eastern shore to shake hands with the governor-elect, get his autograph or snap a photo. Hogan spent the entirety of his hour-long visit last Thursday, Nov. 13, circulating through the rooms, meeting with and thanking voters.

"Governor[-elect] Hogan's visit shortly after his victory shows his commitment to southeastern Baltimore County," stated John Fiastro Jr., outgoing chair of the Baltimore County Republican Central Committee. "His goals of lower taxes, lower spending and lower regulation resonates with folks down here. For the first time in eight years, Dundalk and Essex have a partner in the governor's office."

The other Republican victors were also in attendance, notably the three delegates-elect Bob Long, Ric Metzgar and Robin Grammer and state senator-elect John Salling, who formed a ticket with Hogan during the final months of the campaign.

"We won because people believed in us and believed in our word. But having the governor at the top of the ticket helped as well," Salling said. "Mr. Hogan impressed a lot of people at the debates and we worked well with him and his team."

Robin Grammer declared, "Governor-elect Hogan is on the same page as we are in making eastern Baltimore County the economic engine of the state again. I think this district has nothing but opportunity ahead."

But all the candidates stressed that Hogan's name on the ballot was far from the only factor in the sweep.

"This has been building for years. People had just had enough and they wanted change," noted Del. Pat McDonough, who easily won his re-election bid in District 7.

"This election has shown that the voters were dissatisfied with the status quo and that they wanted real action, communication and transparency," declared Todd Crandell, who will become the first Republican to hold the County Council seat in District 7 since the Council was chartered in 1956. "I think we ran a very solid campaign and had the necessary bipartisan support to win the seat."

Hogan himself also emphasized the importance of bipartisan support in his victory.

Delegate-elect Metzgar attributed his success on his third run for the seat to "persistence, perseverance and pushing through" to bring his message across.

The Merritt Boulevard stop was Hogan's only one in eastern Baltimore County to date. He had planned to visit Perry Hall Square Shopping Center earlier that afternoon, but decided to cancel that appearance due to the search for a missing 12-year-old girl (who has since been found safe).

"I think it was appropriate to cancel the Perry Hall event," said Councilman David Marks at the time. "It's not a celebratory time in Perry Hall and we're all focused on finding the missing girl."

After the celebrations are over, each of these leaders will have to turn to the task of governing, which each man seemed ready to tackle.

"I am humbled and honored to serve the constituents and this community," said Metzgar. "I promise we'll hit the ground running; we've been working nonstop since we heard."

Salling said, "I am honored and overwhelmed with joy that I have the opportunity to represent the people. I see it not as a challenge, which of course it is, but as a great opportunity to make a difference.

McDonough was also optimistic about his new colleagues' performance. "I think that the people of Dundalk and Essex are getting energetic representatives who are going to be at almost every event in the community and will tell them the truth," he declared.

"It's still very, very surreal," Robin Grammer admitted. "Nobody expected this [complete sweep]. But we put in effort and it paid off."

A big night for Republicans in Baltimore County, state races

(Originally published in the East County Times, Volume 20 No. 5 [Nov. 6, 2014], front page and page 2.)
- By Devin Crum, Emily Blackner and Patrick Taylor -

Election night 2014 was a huge success for Republicans, who not only took the state house but also claimed victories all over eastern Baltimore County.

The GOP won every delegate and senate seat from Dundalk up through Middle River and parts of Perry Hall and Harford County, with only one delegate and one senate seat remaining in the hands of Democrats.

The Republicans managed to pick up a County Council seat in the Seventh District as well, meaning that Dundalk went from entirely blue to entirely red.

In the race for the Sixth District House of Delegates, Republicans managed to pull off a clean sweep with Bob Long, Ric Metzgar and Robin Grammer easily defeating Nick D'Adamo, Jake Mohorovic and incumbent Mike Weir. Long had the highest precentage of votes with just over 21 percent, while Metzgar amassed more than 19 percent. Grammer sealed the third and final seat with 18.5 percent of the vote.

"We were told by members of the Democratic Central Committee that we would take one seat and we would be limited to that, and instead we've taken the whole damn thing," said Grammer. "The people heard our message and turned out today. It's a little surreal right now."

"I am so excited and so honored to be state delegate and to be the representative for the Sixth District," said Metzgar. "I'm excited to put my vision into action to make this a strong community again. I want to make Essex and Edgemere and Dundalk very proud. They listened to their heart and voted with their heart and saw that we have what it takes to do something good here."

In the race for state senate in the Sixth, John Olszewski, Jr. was surprisingly taken down by Johnny Salling with approximately 1,000 votes separating the two. With John Olszewski, Sr. calling it quits from the County Council and John Olszewski, Jr. losing to Salling, this will be the first time in almost two decades that an Olszewski hasn't held a major local office.

"Tomorrow I get my life back," said Olszewski during his concession speech. "It was a close race and we came up a little short, but I called to congratulate our next Seantor in the area, and I wish him the best. But we have nothing to be embarrassed about."

"'I'm so honored. So many talented people put a whole lot of time into this, and they fought hard," said Salling. "Honestly the right words aren't here right now. But the Sixth District spoke and they spoke loud. They said, 'We want change!' Well, guess what they got?"

But the Republican takeover didn't stop there, as Todd Crandell came away with an easy win over Joe DiCara in the County Council race in the Seventh District. Crandell amassed an impressive 61 percent of the vote, a more-than-impressive tally considering that John Olszewski, Sr. held the County Council seat for the Democrats for 16 years.

DiCara realized he was out of the running early, saying, "There's no way I'm coming back from this, unless there's an absolute miracle. Really, this is a bit puzzling for me, but the votes don't lie. But I'm proud of the campaign we ran and thankful for my son, Tony, who did a great job managing the campaign. But the sun comes up tomorrow, and I'm here talking to you, so things aren't all bad."

There were no surprises in the Seventh legislative district as all four incumbent Republicans also swept the House and Senate seats. J.B. Jennings held onto his Senate seat, taking nearly 75 percent of he vote, and Pat McDonough, Kathy Szeliga and Rick Impallaria all retained their delegate seats, each with approximately a quarter of the vote, while none of their Democratic challengers made it out of single digits for vote percentage.

Where there was somewhat of a surprise was in the Sixth District County Council race, which saw incumbent Democrat Cathy Bevins face off against Republican challenger Jason Samios-Uy. By all accounts, Bevins was expected to handily dispose of her challenger. But the final tally was only 57 percent to 43 in Bevins's favor.

"It's been a very difficult day; it's been one I did not expect. But for the last four years, I've been working really hard for the Sixth District. And tonight it paid off," Bevins expressed. "There was definitely a movement in Baltimore County tonight, but I was successful."

While Bevins will hold onto her post in the council, she was visibly emotional due to the many losses by other Democrats she supported in their various races, particularly Renee Smith in the Eighth District who she said had probably worked harder than anyone on her campaign.

In District 8, incumbents John Cluster (R) and Eric Bromwell (D) will retain their seats, as expected. But even these returns were not without their surprises: newcomer Christian Miele earned the highest vote total of the day, 19,616 to Cluster's 19,379 and Bromwell's 16,817.

"It's surreal," Miele commented. "We've worked so incredibly hard over the last year and it's nice to know that hard work can pay off and that our message is resonating with people."

"Christian worked his butt off," Cluster, who was on a ticket with Miele and County Councilman David Marks, acknowledged as he awaited results with Miele at the Silver Spring Mining Co. restaurant in Perry Hall. "I am not surprised that he ended up beating me."

"I think people have had enough of partisan politics and just want people to do what's best for the community and not for the partisan interests," Miele said. "And we were able to bring people together regardless of political party."

Bromwell, the only Democrat to be elected to the House of Delegates from District 6, 7 or 8, faced a tough re-election bid.

"It's common for District 8 to elect two Republicans and one Democrat," he noted. "Everyone ran a very good, very clean race; we were all very friendly, regardless of party. I think we will all work together well in Annapolis." He blamed his relatively poor showing on the voters' general unhappiness with the government in Annapolis.

Bromwell's ticket-mate Bill Paulshock came in fourth place, just shy of a seat, with 15,397 votes.

"I have to say, I am disappointed in Perry Hall," he admitted. "They lost a good man for this district, and this state, a small businessman which no other candidate is. But I have a good life here, and I live and breathe Perry Hall." He promised to continue his efforts on behalf of the community, especially his work on Angel Park, but he said he will not seek office again.

Trailing Paulshock by only 187 votes was Republican Norma Secoura; Democrat Renee Smith netted 14,240 votes. Smith's affiliation with popular state senator Kathy Klausmeier, who easily won re-election with 61.22 percent of the vote, was not enough to pull her through the general election as in the primaries.

For the incumbents, the election means a return to their job as legislators.

"It makes me proud to represent the Eighth District again," Cluster declared. "I will go down and continue what I've been doing."

Bromwell echoed those sentiments, stating, "Being able to go back to Annapolis is an honor."

For Miele, it marks a new chapter in his life, but one he is excited to experience. "I want to focus more on the ways to bring District 8 together," he said. "I don't have a lot of preconceived notions about what we need. I just want to tell people, thank you for believing in me. I am humbled by their support."

County Council candidates clash at EMRCC Q&A forum

(Originally published in the East County Times, Vol. 20 No. 2 [Oct. 16, 2014], pages 6 + 23.)
- By Emily Blackner -

Candidates for Baltimore County Council in the 6th and 7th districts met for a candidate forum hosted by the Essex-Middle River Civic Council last Wednesday, Oct. 8. Incumbent Cathy Bevins (D-6) and her Republican opponent, Jason Samios-Uy, and District 7 candidates Joe DiCara (D) and Todd Crandell (R) remained issue-focused throughout the two-hour forum, which featured a mix of questions drawn from the audience and those devised by a panel of moderators that included EMRCC President Bob Bendler and East County Times Editor Devin Crum.

Republican County Executive candidate George Harman was also present for the beginning of the forum, although his opponent, Democrat incumbent Kevin Kamenetz, was not. Harman was given the opportunity to speak and answer a few questions before he had to leave for another event.

“With the current executive, there is a bit of an arrogance about him,” he declared. “They are running the county based on what the administration wants to see done. I want to run the county based on what the community wants to see done.” He pledged that community input would begin six months to a year before a decision is made, not at the end of the process.

Another focus would be on bringing jobs to the county, he said, and to do so he would restore funding for the Department of Economic Development and lobby state legislature to repeal some of the taxes and fees it has imposed. He favors tax breaks for all businesses instead of targeting relief to only certain businesses.

Harman’s work at the state departments of natural resources and the environment has given him a different view of the stormwater remediation fee, known popularly as the “Rain Tax,” than many of his fellow Republicans.

“We have more people in the watershed, and when you add more people to the landscape you have more strain. That’s why the concept for the storm water tax is very important. We need to amplify that,” he said. But he still takes issue with the bill’s implementation, saying the county council should have taken more time for deliberation to find an implementation method that was less harmful to businesses and nonprofits. He also suggested using general fund money that is part of the county’s $200 million surplus to pay the obligation without the need for a tax.

His background also makes him an advocate for open space throughout the county. ”We need to preserve it in blocks of 30, 40, 50 acres so the space can actually be used for rec. activities,” he said, instead of the current preservations which often occur in small parcels of three to five acres.

Harman was thoughtful when asked about the possibility of an elected schoolboard, noting that personal experience has shown how expensive and stressful mounting a campaign is and whether that would be advisable. He does oppose the governor or the county executive appointing the board, however, suggesting that perhaps local PTAs could nominate people from their ranks to serve.

After Harman’s departure, the stage was turned over to the four county council candidates, who were given two minutes per response. Some questions were more general and directed to all the candidates, while others were specific to particular districts and addressed by those canddiates only.

Asked about the oversaturation of workforce and low-income housing on the east side of the county versus elsewhere, all of the candidates said that this was an issue that needed to be addressed, and that efforts should be made to distribute it more evenly. Bevins and DiCara pointed to their previous success at stopping additional housing from being built (55 units in Rosedale and a four-story high rise, respectively) while Samios-Uy and Crandell both said that more scrutiny needed to be given to those applying for housing assistance to make sure they really need it. Crandell additionally suggested Towson as a place where such housing might be a better fit.

Each candidate also said that they would be selective in how they approved variances for new construction in the county. “We need to be smart in how we handle the code; we need the jobs and we need the growth. So I would use [variances] as a surgical tool to get things done,” declared DiCara. Crandell said regulations need to be enforced but that if the variance requested would lead to an improvement he would consider it; Bevins also said they are approved on a case-by-case basis. Samios-Uy wondered “Whose decision is it that it’s best for the community to give a variance? As always, community input should be number one.”

Regarding public works projects, DiCara said that smart inlets, bulk trash pickup and increased fines for people who dump large items like tires and furniture to help protect the environment, as well as upgraded pumping stations and sidewalks and additional speed bumps would be priorities. Crandell focused on infrastructure improvements to prepare for the revitalization of Sparrow’s Point. He also plans to have a staff person to help local organizations secure grants to do projects on their own, without county funding, and a neighborhood scorecard system that “would create a mechanism of communication and accountability between the community and the councilman.”

Samios-Uy said that he would like more street lights in certain neighborhoods and that the community concerns brought to his attention would become his priorities. Bevins noted that she has gotten traffic calming measures in several parts of the district, including near Franklin Square Hospital, and approved the purchase of five new street sweepers for the county, as well as supported the single-stream recycling that the county adopted.

Both sets of candidates got fired up over long-debated issues. For District 7, that was the North Point Government Center sale. In response to a question about government transparency in light of the controversy, DiCara said, “Frankly, I’m a little bit tired of talking about it [the government center]. That was a sale that was voted on by two Republicans- two. That’s the PUD process, that’s the law, that’s how it works.” He did say that he would have sought community input “from day one” of the process.

Crandell responded, “Well, Joe, I’m not tired of hearing about it, because there are lessons to be learned. I don’t think the folks opposed to it have given up. Let’s not sell park land for fast food. We can do a lot better.”

For District 6, the issue was the Paragon outlet mall proposed for White Marsh, which the County Council sent back to the county for approval as a material change.

Samios-Uy declared, “I believe the community needs the voice, and the communities I’ve spoken with seem to be against this PUD. They say it will bring 1,600 jobs- what kind of jobs are they going to be, minimum wage?”

Bevins responded by noting that a plan for 1,250 apartments is already approved for the site and that that plan could go through regardless of the decision on the Paragon proposal. “This plan, the outlet mall, is job creation. $8 an hour jobs, $10 an hour - people need those jobs too,” she argued. She also said that the developer will build a new ramp to Rt. 43 and improve the intersection at Route 40 and Ebenezer Road.

Bevins also became passionate about the proposed relocation of the MARC train station to Middle River Depot. “It’s been a two year fight for me to get that done,” she said. “We want the depot to not be a shopping center but to be a destination. People have gotta get away from ‘It’s just retail.’ It’s not. These are professional buildings.” Samois-Uy said that he would need more information on the plan and what, precisely, the objections are before making a decision.

In their closing remarks, each candidate made their final pitch for votes. Bevins explained, “Everything I’ve told you that I’ve done for the past three and a half years I have done because the community asked me to. I have experience, and, frankly, I’d like to be re-elected. I have way too much left to do.” She also mentioned her endorsements by various county workers’ unions.

Samios-Uy contrasted himself by saying, “I am not a professional politician, so I don’t have a voting record. But I have had interactions with a whole lot of the people in the community- I have had them in my classroom.” He feels that his experience as a teacher has given him the skills in prioritizing, listening and presenting information clearly that will allow him to be effective if elected.

Joe DiCara touted his extensive work throughout the Essex community over the past 40 years and asserted, “I will be with you and for you every day.”

Crandell took the opportunity to raise a new issue in the debate: property taxes, vowing to look into the possibility of lowering them, if not for all residents than at least for senior citizens who have lived in their houses for decades. “I want to work so hard for our district because I am so excited for the future of our area,” he declared.

Athletic activists put spotlight on redistricting reform

(Originally published in the East County Times, Volume 19, No. 52 [Oct. 2, 2014], page 1 + 3)
- by Emily Blackner -

Running for a cause is nothing new in today’s world of charity 5Ks, but this weekend, a group of activists took on a much longer trek, 225 miles, in an effort to bring attention to gerrymandering in Maryland’s congressional districts and push for redistricting reform.

The Gerrymander Meander, a challenge to traverse the borders of Maryland’s Third Congressional District to highlight its gerrymandered nature, was organized by Common Cause, the League of Women Voters and the Annapolis section of the National Council of Jewish Women. Over the course of three days, Sept. 19 - 21, two dozen concerned citizens took turns running, biking and kayaking the borders of the district. After a kick-off in Baltimore City Friday morning, the runners arrived in White Marsh just after 5 p.m., traveling along Perry Hall Boulevard, Ridge Road, Kenwood Avenue and other thoroughfares in Perry Hall and Overlea in their golden-yellow “Tame the Gerrymander” shirts.

Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, executive director of Common Cause Maryland, a nonprofit dedicated to pursuing accountability and transparency in government, was one of two runners who did the White Marsh portion of the meander. “I feel pretty good,” she said after her run. “But it’s crazy; I’ve just done 10 miles and haven’t even made it through the first county yet.”

The route crossed four counties and included four separate water crossings and was set up in relay style, with participants in groups of two or three (and a few solo runners) rotating through 10 mile legs. Switch-off points were set up with support vehicles dispensing water bottles and encouragement. The campaign had people continuously running, biking and kayaking for 36 hours, from 10 a.m. Friday to 10 p.m. Saturday for the first, 206-mile portion of the journey, with the final 19 miles in and around the Annapolis area starting on Sunday at 10 a.m. and culminating in a rally on Lawyer’s Mall by the state capitol. Bevan-Dangel said that the groups would also be presenting petitions to the 2014 gubernatorial candidates to get them to pledge to support reform once in office. Republican Larry Hogan and Democrat Anthony Brown sent representatives, and Libertarian candidate Shawn Quinn was there in person.

“We wanted to make redistricting an issue so big that our gubernatorial candidates can’t ignore it,” she said. “The way this campaign is structured, it shows the tremendous grassroots support we have, so they can see that people really do want to see a change.”

Gerrymandering is the term given to the process by which political parties and elected officials draw district boundaries in ways that are most advantageous to them, stacking the deck in elections. Maryland has been called the most gerrymandered state in the nation (tied with North Carolina); the Washington Post’s WonkBlog evaluated its eight congressional districts and all but two were given a gerrymandering score of over 90 on a 100-point scale. The scores were calculated by comparing the district’s actual borders with those of a circle with the same perimeter. Maryland’s Third District is the second-most gerrymandered seat in the nation, with a score of 96.79. Famously described by a federal judge as “a broken-winged pterodactyl,” it includes parts of Nottingham/Perry Hall and Overlea, as well as areas north of Owings Mills and parts of Towson and Baltimore City and snakes down to encompass Olney, Laurel and Annapolis and points south.

The boundaries of congressional districts are redrawn every 10 years after the U.S. Census is completed to ensure that each district has roughly the same number of residents, but beyond that there are often no guidelines as to how the borders are drawn. In Maryland, Gov. Martin O’Malley and an advisory committee were responsible for this task following the 2010 census, and used their power to add Democratic voters in Montgomery County to the previously-conservative 6th district. As a result, Maryland’s national delegation now contains only one Republican, Rep. Andy Harris (1), following the loss of long-time Rep. Roscoe Bartlett. The new districts borders were placed on the 2012 ballot after a petition drive, but voters approved Question 5 by 64.1 percent. The boundaries have also survived legal challenges.

Bevan-Dangel and the others behind the Gerrymander Meander maintain that this carving-up of districts is harmful to the public, because it makes it harder to hold leaders accountable. “Part of the reason we have such low voter turnout is because people feel disenfranchised,” she said. “It’s almost impossible to know who represents you and almost impossible to find someone who really speaks for the community with the districts the way they are.”

She hopes that the attention drawn to the issue through the event will lay the framework for reform before the next redistricting process in 2020. She also notes that the issue is a non-partisan one, with both Democrats and Republicans fighting for reform. North Carolina, tied with Maryland for first place in gerrymandering, has Republican-controlled panels. In Maryland, Rep. Harris and Rep. John Delaney (D-6), both beneficiaries of the new borders, support reform, with Delaney introducing legislation this summer asking for a review of redistricting nationwide as a first step. Gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan fully supports creating a nonpartisan redistricting commission in Maryland, according to the Washington Post, and while Brown supports creating national redistricting standards for all states to follow.

“This is one of our main issues at Common Cause, so I’m excited to see this happen,” Bevan-Dangel said. “Fair representation is such a cornerstone of our democracy. So this is an exciting first step but it certainly can’t be the last.”