This week I shared with you a portion of the cost of cuts to local aid that are in some of the bills that are circulating the General Assembly. I want you to know that I have sent letters to our Cecil County Commissioners and Harford County Executive asking them what, if any, programs, jobs and projects would have to be reduced to accommodate this loss of funds. I want their input so I can make the best decisions for the people back home. I need to know that while we balance the budget and find places to cut we are also guarding the things about which people need and care.
Now that I have conducted three surveys and gotten a substantial number of responses, I want to share the results of the votes for those that responded through my email updates. The first ...Continue Reading
Legislative Updates on the education bills under consideration in the Maryland General Assembly are coming fast and furious now. A second set of updates was presented to the Harford County Board of Education by the schools’ governmental liaison Kathy Carmello, at a business meeting held Monday, February 22 in Bel Air. This time around, Harford School Board Member John Smilko raised the possibility of intrigue among the sundry list of legislative initiatives for the 2010 session.
Background: After first asserting that legislative changes were not needed for Maryland to win a chunk of the $4 billion federal, Race to the Top money, Governor Martin O’Malley has now requested changes geared toward getting the loot in the proposed Education Reform Act of 2010. The legislation extends the probationary period from 2 to 3 years before new teachers can earn tenure; requires that student outcomes be a ...Continue Reading
The 2010 Maryland General Assembly session is just about to the mid-point, and well over a hundred bills relating to schools and their employees have been filed for legislators to consider. Of course, not every bill portends big changes to the state of education in the State, but some do. And they’re worth noting while there’s still time to rally support or stamp them out, depending on your point of view.
To that end, a Legislative Update presented to the Harford County Board of Education by the school system’s governmental relations liaison Kathy Carmello, recently highlighted a number of education bills. The school board voted to support some, oppose others, and some were presented for informational purposes only.
Here are a few of those bills worth watching, followed by their currently scheduled hearing dates. In lieu of attending a hearing, letters and e-mails can also be sent directly to ...Continue Reading
The following letter was sent by Roy Whiteley, president of Marylanders for Fair Property Taxation, to Maryland state senators. A copy was provided to The Dagger:
Dear Senators
For the past several years, a bill has been introduced to the Budget and Taxation committee by Senator Barry Glassman and the Harford County Delegation only to be shoved in a drawer never to see the light of day or debate. It is time to change that stonewalling action. This bill needs to be acted upon by all of the Senators we elect. Many of your constituents strongly support that position. This year, as SB 458, the bill is again introduced to create a Task Force to review the property tax assessment and assessment appeals procedures. WE NEED YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT TO MAKE THIS BILL RECEIVE A FAVORABLE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION AND BE RELEASED TO THE FLOOR FOR ACTION BY ALL OF OUR ...Continue Reading
Please make sure you fill out the survey towards the bottom of this email!
While the snow was piling up around the state we kept working hard in Annapolis. I hope all of you stayed safe and continue to be careful as crews work to the clear the roads. As our Governor said yesterday, it will be several days before we see pavement in all areas and weeks before the snow piles on the side of the roads are gone. Please be mindful as you travel and continue to check on your elderly neighbors.
I know there has been some frustration with snow removal in both Harford and Cecil Counties. I am confident that State Highway has been doing everything they can to clear the major highways and state roads. Most residential areas are on county roads; if your street has not been cleared please ...Continue Reading
Delegate J.B. Jennings (R-7th Legislative District) proudly and fully supports the two (2) House Floor Amendments for House Joint Resolution 5 (HJR 5).
On Thursday, February 11, 2010, Delegate William Frank (R-42nd Legislative District) attempted to introduce two (2) amendments to HJR 5; however, both were defeated in a procedural move. The first amendment would have abolished the General Assembly’s defined benefit pension plan and replaced it with a 401K style contribution plan. The second amendment, offered as an alternative to the first amendment, would have reduced the pension plan for elected officials to place them on par with other state workers.
This morning, Delegate Frank requested the House of Delegates to move to recommit HJR 5 to the House Appropriations Committee to consider his amendments. Delegate Jennings voted in favor on Delegate Frank’s motion to recommit. Despite unanimous ...Continue Reading
At an unusual and perhaps unprecedented meeting called by the Harford Delegation to discuss a controversial high school program known as “Drama Therapy”, Harford Schools Superintendent Robert Tomback acknowledged for the first time that mistakes had been made with the Drama Therapy program presented at a Havre de Grace High School assembly on December 4, 2009.
Dr. Tomback later told The Dagger that Drama Therapy was still under an internal investigation, involving what he called a “personnel matter that is being addressed” Tomback wouldn’t comment further, citing the negotiated agreement with school employees.
Drama Therapy is a drama production, formerly promoted by Harford County Schools and jointly developed by teachers and counselors at the Havre de Grace High, to help teens deal with serious issues. Drama Therapy has been presented in each of the past four years, but much of the content is written by students ...Continue Reading
From Roy Whiteley, president of Marylanders for Fair Property Taxation:
Yesterday, we had the privilege of addressing the Ways and Means Committee on HB 204. We were fortunate to have more of you attend in support of this measure than we have had in previous years. While the group was not overwhelming, it was nonetheless significant enough to be noticed. Hopefully, we can do even better when the senate version, SB 458, is scheduled for hearing.
Delegate Wayne Norman made great remarks in introducing the bill and its need for passage. Delegate Susan McComas testified in strong support of the measure. Additional verbal supporting testimony was provided by the writer, Nick Loffer Americans for Prosperity, Tony Passaro, Bel Air TEA Party, Maureen Harper, AFP, Ellie Dieglemann, and Samuel Ownings, Chestertown farmer/developer. Several other signees were to testify but the usual strategy of delaying potentially controversial bills until late in the day coupled ...Continue Reading
The property tax assessment process in Maryland is broken, and a task force will find ways to fix it. That’s the thinking behind proposed legislation getting a push from elected officials and tax-payer advocates in Harford County.
With Senator Barry Glassman and Delegate H. Wayne Norman as lead sponsors in the State Senate and House of Delegates respectively, identical bills entitled: “Task Force to Review Property Tax Assessment Procedure and the Assessment Appeals Process.” were recently cross-filed in the Maryland General Assembly.
The co-sponsors of the House bill, HB 204, include every member of the Harford Delegation.
Here’s how Delegate Norman explained the purpose of the task force bill in a letter to his colleagues:
“Under HB 204, the task force would be comprised of Maryland residents with substantive and professional experience in property evaluations. The task force members also would represent all parts of Maryland and have firsthand knowledge about ...Continue Reading
Today marks the end of the third week of session. It has been a busy week full of hearings, legislation, and meeting with colleagues and constituents. I am happy to announce that I have submitted some key pieces of legislation for this year. You can find the list of bills I am sponsoring by clicking here.
Real Estate Taxes: I will be sending this press release next week but I wanted all of you to see it first:
Delegate James introduces legislation to help property owners battle unfair real estate taxes.
Annapolis- February 1, 2010-. Delegate Mary-Dulany James is sponsoring the following 3 bills that could bring tax relief to property owners:
· The first is a bill that will require the property tax appeals board to take the value of the property at the time of appeal, rather than the time of ...Continue Reading
