I’ll add my two cent’s on the “Hotel Tax” debate. I travel a lot with my job. I put together a chart showing the hotel taxes I was charged while traveling for my job. Some of the locations published where the fund collected, most didn’t. Today it’s just a part of doing business and Harford County should join the rest of the 22 counties and Baltimore City and benefit from this funding source. It’s a great source of revenue if used properly.
In May 2007, Havre de Grace witnessed one of the most heated mayoral races in recent history with four long-time city council members each vying for the position.
Two years later, Mayor Wayne Dougherty, who narrowly edged Gary Wasielewski for the city’s top spot, will be walking back into mayor’s office after a race that has consisted of simply writing his name on an application slip.
Dougherty is unnopposed in his re-election bid, for reasons not fully understood.
Miller -490
Martin -458
Cullum -412
Correri -375
Anderson -356
Gamatoria -326
Walker -174
It was a beautiful Election Day in Havre de Grace on Tuesday; it seems like it is every year, although maybe that’s because I still have lingering frostbite from the frigid Aberdeen Election Day of this past November.
This was a strange election for Havre de Grace, really unlike any other I can remember from my 8 years or so covering elections in Harford County. There were no issues that truly caught traction, no real spats or bad blood between any of the candidates (at least none which was spilled publicly) and no one running for office with a bold plan for change.
Seven candidates will be on the ballot Tuesday in Havre de Grace and your votes will determine, which three of them will end up sitting at the dais for the next two years as members of the City Council.
For those who want a final look at the candidates, a forum has been organized for Sunday night at 8 p.m. in the Havre de Grace police station. We’ve also compiled some information here on each of the candidates and are offering Dagger readers, regardless of whether they live within the municipal boundaries of Havre de Grace, to cast your votes now for which three candidates you would like to see as the next Havre de Grace City Council members.
As last week came to a close, there weren’t enough people interested in running for Havre de Grace City Council to even hold its election this May.
That changed in a big way this week when a late stampede of candidates, including some well-known names and political heavyweights, charged to city hall and registered to appear on the May 6 Election Day ballot.
When the dust settled and the doors of city hall were locked at 5 p.m. Tuesday, eight men had officially declared their intentions to run for the three Havre de Grace City Council seats.
Two of the three Havre de Grace City Councilmen whose two-year terms expire this spring, Steve Gamatoria and Garrett Lyttle, will not seek re-election, which leaves the ballot thin on candidates heading into the city’s May 6 election.
As of Thursday, only two people had filed to appear on the ballot – incumbent city councilman Jim Miller and former city councilman Fred Cullum. Both are assured a return to city hall unless at least two more candidates file for office, but city officials indicated Thursday evening no one had even picked up an application for candidacy recently.
Last year, the Havre de Grace election ballot was brimming with four incumbents running for mayor, eight candidates seeking three city council seats and a question about the future of city park property.
The Havre de Grace election will be held May 6 and candidates for city council have until Tuesday, March 18 to file for ...Continue Reading
It has been a tradition each year in Aberdeen for the city to honor its volunteers with a special night for them – a dinner, ceremony and awards presentation to say ‘Thank You’ to those who dedicate their time and energy to making Aberdeen a better place to live, work and do business.
That tradition was threatened last year when Aberdeen, in the midst of going bankrupt, could scarcely afford to put on the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner and, with the economic climate in the city unchanged, it looks like it’s in jeopardy again this year.
Aberdeen’s Volunteer Appreciation Dinner was scheduled for March 27 – scheduled by City Manager Doug Miller, who evidently proceeded with organizing a lavish, $13,000 event without consulting the Mayor and City Council or even determining from where in the city’s budget the money would come. The event was abruptly canceled this week when the City Council learned ...Continue Reading
